Birthday Fun and Staff Retreat

This past weekend was my (Emily) birthday!  Jonerik and I took Mary and Bub and my mom to Ocean City NJ on Friday!  We had a blast.

Saturday night we had some friends from Philly come over for some dessert and games.  Jonerik made me a delicious ice cream cake.

Shera made me some delicious-looking cupcakes and some other friends made a bobble-head of...yes that's right...of myself.

I feel blessed to have another year and reflecting back I am grateful for all that God has given me this year. 

Monday through Wednesday was spent at Sandy Cove for a church staff retreat.  It was an enjoyable few days spending time with the other staff and their kids.  We had some good meetings and some great worship and prayer.  Please be in prayer for our staff as we work together for one mission: 

"Bringing hope to our community through Christ and his church."

How God is moving!

We went to some appointments with Limaris last Thursday. She was scheduled to have some tests done and to meet with a surgeon to discuss the possibility of them going in and removing the remaining cancerous tissue from around her heart.

Praise the Lord, after 5 rounds of chemotherapy she has been told that the tumor has shrunk from approx. 6.7 cm to almost nothing!  The cells are still there but the surgeon’s are not able to operate because it is so tiny!!  We are rejoicing in this blessing and giving all the glory to the true Healer.  She may have another round of chemo to go.  Please keep her in your prayers as we have hope but the battle continues.

Our first meal in the new apartment!

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We are seeing God’s hand of love and grace in the life of Jonerik’s sister, Ruby!  About 2 months ago she started going to church and she accepted Jesus as her one and only Savior!  She is the mother of Lymarys and Carlos who are with us during the day while she works.  God is providing for her in new and amazing ways and she said that she is seeing things more clearly now.  One of the other pastors from Cornerstone Community has an apartment that he rents out to people. Ruby was looking to move and was able to move into the apartment about a week ago. It is a safe place for her and she has loving, Christian people that share things with her from their garden and share life with her. After her first night there she said, "I think that was the first time I have really slept in a month!!" Ruby also works with a Christian woman who has become a new friend. She is making a lot of hard, but right choices and is wanting to learn more about living a life pleasing to God.  

Please be in prayer for her as she is getting a fresh start.

What a gift!

This past week, a woman from our church gave a generous gift of using her time share in the Poconos!  We went up to the house for two days by ourselves for some much needed time away together.  It was nice to be out in nature and enjoy the quiet of the outdoors.  We did some hiking and swimming and simply relaxing.

On Tuesday Emily's mom, Limaris, and the five nieces and nephews joined us!!

We stayed until Friday and had a blast.  We went swimming every day.  They had an indoor pool that was perfect for the little ones and an outdoor pool that the bigger kids loved.  We had a BBQ and even played another family in a game of volleyball.  I was blessed by the kids and their singing.  Gigi, who is 3, doesn't do anything quietly and so when she sings she belts it out.  We were sitting by the pool while they were swimming and she starts with, "He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save!!!!" (one of her favorites)

Another fun thing that was a surprise to us was that the house had a jacuzzi tub!  The kids enjoyed taking a "hot tub bath" when they came back from the swimming pools.  They were lovin' it!!!

Limaris wasn't sure she wanted to come this week.  She hadn't been feeling well, but it worked out and she really enjoyed herself.  This was a great time for the kids to get out of the city and for us to have some family time together without all the extra drama.  Jonerik's other sister was working so we missed having her there, but we are happy that she is doing well at her job.

We were so grateful for such a generous gift from God and from this individual because it was perfect timing.  

We are back in the city now and I was again reminded of how needy our community is.  I am moved at the spiritual darkness around us.  Trash covering the streets, graffiti all over the place, drug corners peppered all over the neighborhood, and children roaming the streets.  But God is moving and is making himself evident in our family's lives and we are praying that He will continue to move mountains.