2011 Mapped-out!

2011 mapped out (AKA from A to B... and sometimes C) ...

• Our state of residence: Michigan  →  California  →  Missouri

• # of X Chromosomes in our growing family:  9 (us)  → 11 (us + female fetus)

• # Sibling Families living in Colorado:  0  →  1

• Our focus of study: Learning the Bible's content in its context → Sharing the Bible's content in various contexts

• # of times Jared made a fool of himself in a school video: 0 (that's debatable) → 2 (here and here)

• Weichert Apps in Apple's App Store: 0  → 1 (here ya go)

• The Lord's love and grace:   ...   ←   ...    →   ...

[NOTE: Explanation of the above photo collage (from left to right): A close-knit crew, home-made Dough-boys, another girl, silly sisters, underwear-heads, tunnel-digging, a rejected family Christmas card, a long-last completed iPad app, more silly sisters, some bath-phone time, and fricative/diphthong/glottal-stop practice AKA class-time]


P.S. For a short-ish summary of the classes we completed this fall semester and another peak at what life at the MTC was like for us, check here.

No Halfsies!

Moments prior to unconsciousness.

As the radiant blue sky faded into vision, questions began to flood my mind; "Where am I? Why does my head hurt? What am I doing lying in the dirt?". Within a matter of seconds my brain had re-engaged and I was beginning to put the pieces together.  Words like, 'rope-swing' and 'tree' were quickly filling in the gaps.  It was at this moment, though, that I began to realize that the entire left-side of my body was numb.

In the same way that a fast moving man on a rope-swing connects with an unmoving tree and then feels only half of his body, I've learned that the assumptions I had of our training in Missouri were only half-true. My incorrect expectation was that God desires to use our training here in Missouri only to fill us with head-knowledge about our future ministry (how to learn an unwritten language,  how effectively minister amongst animism, etc).  But what I've come to realize is that He (God) is equally determined that we live out our ministry as ambassadors for Christ here-and-now in Roach, MO (2 Cor. 5:18-20).

Life in Roach, MO

So here we are, in the second and last phase of training, practicing and growing at getting Truth into the hands of those without it whether they be in Roach, MO or the highlands of New Guinea.  We've been reminded that as Christ works through us He's is always working with two halves... Truth and grace (John 1:14).

Speaking of grace...  Would you consider praying for our family?  If so, please pray that Jessica and I would persevere and have a clear focus on the tasks at hand as our time here is quickly moving by.  [There are other specific prayer requests in the right-side column. We highly value your prayers!].

P.S.  Jordan, Charlee, and Alex are all happy and well at the moment, as is our fourth child as Jess is now about 8 weeks into this next pregnancy!

Learning the ropes...

A week of learning through new classes and orientation and we're still hanging in there.

The girls (Jordan, Charlee, and Alex) are learning about the joys of reuniting with old friends and making new ones, as well as the adventure that comes with starting new classes in childcare.

In class Jess and I (Jared) have been learning about what 'learning styles' we have (possibly Combo and Abstract Random respectively) in order to better work in unity with others of different styles.

We, as a family, have learned the fun of playing with the rope-swings at the creek as well as the encouragement and necessity of fellowshipping with both new and old friends here.

Lastly, we learned two days ago, that God has blessed us another opportunity to have a forth child. We still don't know very much about the pregnancy (due date, etc.), having not seen a doctor yet, but are excited none-the-less.

And lastly-lastly, we 've been learning the importance of having members of the body of Christ, the Church, pray for us. If you would, we desperately desire your prayers as we seek to honor and better know God by being trained, here in Roach Missouri of all places,  to effectively reached those who have yet to learn Truth and the hope therein.

Home sweet home!

Yes, as it stands, home sweet home is now Roach, Missouri (or as the locals say, "Mis-ur-uh"). 

Thanks to folks like the Benzigers, the Metges, and the Jobes, we've sanely finished our treck from California to Missouri and have spent the last few days unpacking and settling into our new home. 

This 'new home' of ours lies in the bottom of a small valley in the mountains, only a stone's throw away from the beautiful "Lake of the Ozarks", which is a complete night and day difference from the urban city of our previous home in Jackson, Michigan.

Aside from the landscape, two days in and we've already dealt with multiple deer, an armadillo, an opossum, bats, hords of humming birds, and insects of enormous size!

As our training here kicks off next week we'd appreciate any consideration on your part for praying over any or all of the prayer requests we've listed in the top left of our site.

-the Weicherts

Summer, Come and Gone ... OR A New Home in the East

After a full and fun summer, this coming Wednesday (August 3rd) will mark yet another turning point for our family. We are preparing to embark on the long journey to our new home and training in Missouri.

First though, the encouragement and love that we've experienced from the Church, our families and friends this summer in California has been invaluable! We've been carried every step of the way and we thank God for this.

Our time at the Bible school in Jackson Michigan now finished, were looking forward to the now additional 1.5 years we'll spend learning linguistics, world view analysis, medical administration, church planting, and more in Missouri at New Tribes Missions Missionary Training Center.

If you think of us, please pray that we'd transition into this new phase of our lives in such a way and with such attitudes that would glorify God, that we would be resting in Him and what He has already done for us!