Wow, it’s amazing, isn’t it, how fast time flies past. I mean, it’s already December of ‘08!!! Hold it....last I checked I was finishing the baseball season of ‘06-‘07 and now ‘08 is ending?!?! Wow! You know, I can’t begin to describe the overwhelming changes that happen in a short period of time. I mean...just two years ago I would have never imagined that in two years we would be putting up Christmas decorations in a big city that, to be honest, doesn’t look like Christmas right now. I mean....we’re still back in September compared to most of you. The leaves are finally changing colors and falling, the temperatures have dropped now below the cool 70* mark. :-p I mean, winter is really right around the corner. . .wait a minute, it is winter, or supposed to be! Wow! I drove by a house the other night that had it all decked out. I mean, there were lights all over it and they had set up rein deer with lights and snowmen with lights and all sorts of stuff so that you couldn’t even tell you were in the south, as long as it was dark outside. It was crazy! We have to fool ourselves, out here, into believing it’s winter by putting as many Christmas lights and decorations up as possible. Otherwise we would totally miss it! But here it is, just a few weeks before Christmas of 2008. It’s just amazing how far and where God will take you in just a couple of years when you enter into the adventure He has for every one of us! I mean, it's totally "freaky!!" But to watch Him guide you and cary you through so many different things and watch Him work in your life and the lives of others is such an amazing blessing--it's worth it all! I can't tell you what a struggle it is to enter into the unknown, to begin something new. It is not comfortable in the least! But when you realize that this is God's adventure for you, and He has a plan for you in it...it's amazing! No, that doesn't take care of the uncomfortabilty....but there's something reassuring, so securing in knowing that He is leading you and He is not allowing changes and different stages of life just to give you a hard time, but rather He's beginning something new that He wants, He's preparing us for His plan. Wow, is all I can say! It truly is an adventure to lean on Him and trust me, I've had to do that in so many different ways that it makes me feel like I don't have any control of my life! "Ah. . .duh! You don't!" :) How can I forget so easily that I don't have any control over my life....but there is Someone who does! So lean on Him in trust, service, obedience, and joy! and many other ways! He truly is worth it all!!! I say this because I know He has said it and when God says something, He'll do it! It really is a struggle to believe that God has a plan for us and our 'lil mission for Him in the HUGE city and overWHELMING amounts of people here in SoCal. I know He does and I lose sight of that so quickly, it's depressing. I mean....how can He take care of me/us so many times and I still worry if He'll come through in the future? Oh my! "Ye of little faith," eh? But please, please pray for me and my family as we follow God in His leading out here. It's not us that makes it special or anything....in fact, we need more people! But it's God and that is why we are out here--to spread His Word of Hope in the city. Pray that He would guide is in every aspect of our ministry out here. Pray that we would follow His guiding in the ministry out here. Pray that He would continue to protect us Spiritually, physically, and emotionally. (The Enemy will attack and has attacked many different ways of each of these to try and cause us to lose sight of Him.) Pray that God would provide a house in the exact location He wants us in the inner city. (We are hoping to move "in" within the next year and a half, Lord willing) And, of course, pray that He would raise up more workers for His Kingdom to come join us in the battle for the souls of LA. We are His warriors a part of His Army in the Battle for men's souls. He needs all of us--hey, did you know He invites all of us who know Him to fight for Him? Wow! Here are a few pics of the last few weeks. 
A few weeks ago we kids took a trip up to Oregon. It was a lot of fun hangin out with some of the cutest boys around! Riley and Hudson Krupf. 
You all wouldn't believe how much I've changed since moving out here. I have now become a tree hugger!  
Dad, Christopher, and I took a hike up to Sunset peak a couple weeks ago. It was a great hike, but I'm pretty sure this stretch was the one that wore us out. You might not be able to tell....but that trail behind Dad is a long ways down there! 
Oh yeah! We can still see snow out here. In a month or so that ridge should be covered with it....in fact the mountain to the east of us is totally covered and causes my heart to flutter every time I look at it. :-p Snowboarding is just around the corner! (Lord willing) 
Yup it was cloudy and smoggy that day....but that's Upland straight out, Rancho Cucamonga to the left, Ontario way out there, Pomona way out there to the right, Montclair and Claremont to the right, oh, and Chino and Chino Hills way out there. City all the way to the mountains on the other side. . .871,855 ppl within 15 miles and we haven't even gotten to LA yet! 
A view from the top. 
Can you believe he's already 13??!! Wow! 
LA! 
Yesterday we had lunch with the Potter family. We've gotten to know them the last couple of months. They have a neat testimony of follow God and obeying His word. It's refreshing to see people like them coming from the city! 
Oh, and last but not least....this is exactly what you get with two high-schoolers who have been stuffed in the books for too long. (And it's not even half way, yet.  ) A pickle anyone? God bless you all! | 
Doin it just for kicks and giggles. . .)
The Dean's--"go Green!!"
).....and rows and rows of houses galore! 
)
