Rain, Mud and the Great Outdoors

I don't know if I've clearly explained to everyone our situation here or what works needs done. I'm not exactly clear myself, which might be why I can't seem to explain it right. But I'll try to help everyone understand in this post. Bro. Andrews and his family started a Baptist Youth Camp here in Carson, MS in the mid-90's. I'm a little fuzzy on the details from then until now but I know it was a fully functioning camp but I also know he Pastored a church for a while as well. A year or so ago they moved to the camp full-time and started a church here, since there is no church in the immediate area. They have been meeting in the Chow Hall building which has an open fellowship area (which is currently being used for services); a large kitchen; pantry area; and Missions Apartment with a full bath in the back, which is now being used for classroom space. They would like a church building of their own and have been able to put up a steel building and outside walls already. They don't have a lot of money and the work is a pay-as-you-go situation, but the men are able to put up walls and get started on plumbing and electrical. Having somewhere to park our trailer during the Winter months is a high priority when you live in a Fifth Wheel. Even if you have a "Four Seasons" trailer, your pipes can freeze easily and it's dangerous to live somewhere that gets very cold. With the Pastor allowing us to park here we are all able to have a semi-warm place to wait out the Winter and we can pay them back by doing some work as well. We are not expecting any of our usual "suggested requirements" like a meal a day, a love offering to get here, etc because of the situation. We already have 3 NTCP families here; Al and Mickey Bray, Jerry and Sandra Cheek, and ourselves. More should be coming this week; Ray and Susie McCullough, and the Murphy family. We are extremely thankful for this warm place to park, and also for the church's generosity toward us so far! It's a small congregation but the Lord likes to use the little things to do great things. There is a lot of mud here, since the Winter is the rainy season down here. Also please pray for some of the men, the cold humid weather is not easy on their lungs and Al and Jerry have already caught bad colds. We also have several leak situations that are quite frustrating! But all in all, God is good and we are enjoying being in the country.

Ready for an update yet?

This has been a busy month! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and time at home. It was one of the more restful times that we've been home since there wasn't a Revival or Missions Conference going on at the same time! Caleb was able to do some repairs and various jobs at the church that needed done and he was also able to put some siding on our storage building. We got to have dinner with some friends on different nights and really enjoyed being able to enjoy our time at home! We left on Sunday for a 5 day trip to Carson, Mississippi. On Sunday we drove to Dallas, TX and we were able to spend the night at a church there. Then we went to Shreveport, LA on Monday and a church was kind enough to allow us to park there for the night. Then we went to Vicksburg, MS on Tuesday and we found an inexpensive RV Park to park at. It was very nice and a beautiful location. Wednesday morning we went to the Vicksburg National Military Park. It's a drive-thru tour of the Vicksburg battlesite and we viewed a lot of memorials and battle sites. We love going to places like that to learn more about the Civil War. Plus we were able to count it as a school day because it was a field trip! Wednesday afternoon we drove to Jackson, MS and stayed at Flag Chapel Baptist Church. NTCP had helped with some remodels on the parsonage a few years back and they allowed us to park our fifth wheel there for two days. We almost got stuck Friday morning because of the rain and mud, but we were able to use our wheel chucks to make a track for the truck to drive on to get out. Caleb was able to pull the trailer out with little problems and we made it to Carson, MS before it got too dark. We are parked at a Youth Camp and we will be building a church building.

September/October/November Prayer Letter

Dear Pastor and Church, I don’t know how it happened but its already time for another letter. Our ministry has been doing well and since our last letter Central Baptist church in Anthony, KS has taken us on for support. The pastor there, Bro. David Newkirk told me that since they moved into their new building they have had visitors on every Sunday morning service. What an honor to have been allowed of God to be a part of that, and all of our supporting churches were a part of it too. Praise the Lord for all of the churches that make our ministry possible. We were working in Omaha, Nebraska trying to get that building remodel done when the city decided to come up with a different set of rules for the church to deal with, so we were not able to get it done in the time allotted on our schedule. But I am happy to say I heard from Pastor Doug Robertson of West Omaha Baptist Church that they received their occupancy on the 15th of November and were able to meet there on the 16th for the first time. What a blessing! While we were there we cut holes in the floor, dug trenches, filled them with sewer pipe and covered them up. Then we built the walls, put water and sewer pipe in them, and covered them. And we did everything we could to be a help to the church there. The members and the pastor of the church were a tremendous blessing to us with the help and the work they put in and we also had a few families from NTCP and other builder groups stop in to help and finish up the building. From there we went to Centropolis Baptist Church in Centropolis, KS and started a remodel there. Our friends the Brays, a retired couple that also works full time with NTCP, was there to help us and several church members including the Pastor, Bro. John Nelson. We replaced the cross ventilating windows in the auditorium with some vinyl windows and started remodeling the bathrooms. We turned the existing nursery into a new women’s restroom by ripping out the sheetrock, ceiling, floors and replacing everything. They went from two small stalls and a sink to a fully ADA compatible restroom with four stalls and a double vanity. The women were happy. We then started on the men’s room. We turned the two existing restrooms into one room for the men and did the same things for them that we did for the women. Sadly we had to leave Centropolis before we were completely done but they were left with two fully functioning restrooms. When I called the Pastor he was in good spirits and said they were finishing up the partitions in the men’s room as I was writing this letter. After all of our Doctors appointments are taken care of and Thanksgiving is over we will probably be on our way to Carson, Mississippi to help there for the winter. We pray that everyone has a wonderful holiday season and that you are all richly blessed of the Lord in all of your efforts to serve him. In His Service, Caleb Carter and Family

Recap

We left Centropolis on Thursday and headed to Andover, KS where Caleb fixed the shower for Bro. Dodd and looked at the kitchen drainage issue at the church. We then headed to Anthony, KS where we spent the weekend. Caleb was able to help with some electrical issues and get started on a cabinet that will go in the front entry way. We had a good time at both places and we were excited to learn that Central Baptist Church in Anthony, KS voted to take us on for support! This is not only exciting for us because we gained a new supporting church, but it is a true testimony of the church's growth since the building project has been completed. We were more excited that they have seen such good growth and were able to take on a Missionary, than we were about being that Missionary. But we will take the money still. We are now in Mustang, OK at home for a little bit to enjoy Thanksgiving and get ready for our next job site in Mississippi.

Just thought I would add some photos from the job site here.

These are the bathroom entrances. Men's on the left, Women's on the right.

This is the Women's bathroom all stripped out, getting ready for drywall.

This is the Women's bathroom almost finished, same view. The other toilets need put in, then the partitions.

Caleb putting in a junction box for the light switch. He has learned how to do a lot of electrical the past few jobs!

The old women's bathroom before utter destruction to be turned into a men's bathroom.

Focus On America Conference and Silver Dollar City

We went to Battlefield, MO for the Focus on America Conference at Wilson Creek Baptist Church with Bro. Moody. It's our favorite conference to go to ever! It is so relaxing and enjoyable because the church is willing to serve and do whatever you need. There aren't any "bigwigs" or people who think they need to be impressed. Everyone is on equal terms. We've been to conferences where we felt like we were being brushed into a corner because we weren't important enough; we didn't graduate college, we aren't "real" missionaries, we aren't even starting a church! How dare we think that we should be on the same level as them, or even expect to be talked to during the week. It's sad, but there are people out there that behave that way, even some very prominent men in Baptist circles act that way. But not at this conference! The men that you would think are the "important" men are serving food, refilling drinks, and talking to even the lowly people such as us. We decided not to bring our Fifth Wheel because it would have cost a lot more than just bringing the van, and the church was kind enough to put us in a hotel room for the week! I believe 36 men were able to present their ministry and needs, and around $40,000 was raised to meet those needs. Everyone gave; settled Pastors, new Pastors, Missionaries, and lay people in the church. It's exciting to see needs met and men encouraged. We were also able to go to Silver Dollar City, an Amusement Park near Branson. We were able to get extremely cheap tickets and we had a wonderful time! Noah, Kayla and Lela got to ride a roller coaster for the first time although Lela wasn't as amused as Noah and Kayla. Anna even got to ride a few rides. We enjoyed sharing a funnel cake, giant corn dog, giant pretzel, and an apple dumpling. We were having so much fun we forgot to eat very much! I was very proud of the kids and how they behaved. There were a few moments of disappointment or greed, but those were quickly squelched. We had a nice leisurely drive back to Centropolis and today Caleb is back to work. He is now laying the tile in the new Women's bathroom and should have that done tomorrow, hopefully. He will then set the toilets and get ready for the partitions. Things are really starting to come together! Please pray that they can get the work done quickly and without injuries.

New Job Site

We are now in Centropolis, Kansas. Don't bother looking it up on a map, it won't be there! The town is literally about 20 houses, 3 churches, and 2 soda machines.
We will be here for the month of October and Caleb will be putting in new windows in the auditorium, combining the mens and womens restrooms into one bigger mens bathroom, and putting in a new womens bathroom.
We've been here since Monday and already the church has been a huge blessing, they have been providing two meals a day (Breakfast and Dinner) and have shared many groceries to help with our lunch meal.
Al and Mickey Bray are also here helping, and it's good to see them again. We like being at job sites with them, even when Al turns into a grumpy old man. They're very sweet to our children.
I am very thankful for the early start we got on school! We ended up missing two weeks of school in September because of going home for our church's revival and then we accidentally left Kayla's school there and had to wait for it to be mailed to us. But despite all of that, we should be done with our first quarter by Thanksgiving which is still a lot sooner than last year.
I have to give a shout-out to Bob Jones Press Kindergarten material! Lela is doing so great with it, and can already read 3-letter, short vowel words. She also has about 5 sight words memorized. She's probably about where Kayla was at the beginning of 1st grade last year. I'm so excited for her!
Thanks for the prayers, and for the support! I hope these updates help everyone see the need and benefit of our ministry.

September Update!

The work here in Omaha has been trying to say the least. They have encountered problem after problem, but God is still blessing and the work is progressing.
We went home for our church's 10th Anniversary and Revival and we had a great time! The preaching was wonderful and God really spoke to hearts. Caleb's brother Josh took a Pastorate in Bellingham, WA so that week we also said goodbye to their family. Our church hired the Skinner family to work with the youth, Bro. Skinner is in his 3rd year at Heartland Baptist Bible College and they will fit in nicely with our church.
One of the problems with the project here at WOBC was that the city required them to use metal studs for their walls instead of the wood walls they already had up. The new studs are up, most of the drywall is up, and the walls are textured and painted. Some flooring has been put in also.
Caleb was able to get all of the rough-in plumbing in and the sewer inspection passed but because of some miscommunication about code regulations on copper pipe size, the water lines did not pass.
Please pray that the rest of the work can get done, they have to be out of their building on Sept. 30th and their dedication service in their new building is Oct. 2nd.

July Update

July has been a slow but fast month for us. We arrived at my (Laura's) parent's farm on June 25th and our plan was to stay there for a week or so to rest and then go to Omaha to start working at West Omaha Baptist Church's new location. Unfortunately they are having problems getting plans approved to be able to pull permits to start work, so we ended up staying in Iowa for 3 weeks. It was very nice to be able to rest, relax, and enjoy the country air! The kids had a blast swimming, playing outside, and spending time with Grandma and Grandpa.
Eventually though, Caleb got antsy and he wanted to start some work. So on July 22nd we packed up our trailer and we moved out to Omaha. We're in West Omaha (Millard) which is a nice neighborhood, but it's still in the middle of a huge city so it's a lot different than small town Kansas! Please pray for our safety. We are parked behind the shopping center where WOBC has their new rental property.
We're having fun seeing my sister Sarah and her boys and spending time with them. We've also gotten to see some friends we don't get to see very often, people I knew growing up. We were able to visit a few churches and give ministry updates. We wanted to go further up North but because of the flood, most of the highways to go that way are shut down. It would take sometimes 3x as long to go one way. Maybe before we leave the flood will rescind and we can make our way up to Sioux City or Sioux Falls.
It looks like we will be here in Omaha up to September. Our Pastor wants us to come home for our church's revival which is the second week of September so we will probably stay until then.

Jubilee and Open House!

On Friday the 24th Central Baptist Church will be having a Jubilee starting at 6:30, with guest singers and singing groups. Afterward there will be snacks and lemonades served with a chance to view the new building.
The next day, Saturday the 25th, there will be an Open House which is open to the community as well and there will be jumping houses and a petting zoo for the children, and the adults will be able to view the building, ask questions, and meet the church family.
If you are in the area, please consider coming and celebrating the opening of the new building! It's an exciting time to see the Lord work and build His house!

Well, there went May! Not sure how that happened. We went home to Mustang, OK for a week for a few doctors appointments, and then stayed for a Sunday. We didn't take our trailer, we were able to stay with Caleb's parents for the week. The kids had a lot of fun being with Nana and Papa and we enjoyed the much larger space to spread out!
We also got to meet some of our new neices and nephews. Caleb's sister Andrea and her husband Matt are adopting five siblings. The two boys have been living with a foster mom who goes to our church, so we've known them for a few years, but we got to meet two of the girls and we really enjoyed it! Unfortunately we didn't get to meet the youngest girl yet, but we're hoping to next time we're home. It's so exciting to finally see this adopting going through and finalizing. It's been a long, hard process but the Lord has been good to them through it all.
As far as the building goes, it is so close! There are just a few things to button up and get finished. They are hoping to have their first Sunday in the building this Sunday. I think it depends on an inspection and occupancy approval. It was supposed to be done Wednesday.
We are leaving here on the 11th for good. We're going to Omaha, NE to work at West Omaha Baptist Church. Caleb will be helping remodel a rental facility. They're making bathrooms larger and changing some walls to accomodate an auditorium and classrooms. We will be there about a month.
We still have CDs to order! They are ready and available. Just email me at carterntcp@yahoo.com if you're interested in ordering some.

Wow! May is flying by! I can't believe it. The church is really getting close to being finished. Of course, everytime you get something finished you see 5 more things that need done. But they're definitely on the home stretch. Caleb got the bathrooms almost completely done, he's just working on the sink skirting. He got the EXIT signs up in the auditorium (which should make it useable legally now), the tile is going down in the kitchen as I type, and the doors have been painted and rehung. Trim is put down on most of the windows. The modesty panels for the platform have been built and mostly painted. The chandeliers are hung in the auditorium and the foyer. Everything is looking really nice and we can't wait to see it finished!

The CD's have arrived!

Yes, we got the word today that the CD's have arrived in Mustang at our home church.
We are going to now figure out a smooth system for getting them ordered, paid for, and shipped so everyone gets what they ordered.
Because I (Laura) am so OCD and have to have a plan and a system, I really just want to do it all myself. I'm sure some of you will completely understand!
The CD's will be a donation of $10/CD. There are 12 songs; 7 sung by Caleb and 5 sung by The Lighthouse Quartet.
If you just have to get your order(s) in, please email me at carterntcp@yahoo.com, letting me know how many you want. Then I will email you back with info on how to pay for them and I'll work on getting them shipped.
Thank you all for waiting so patiently! This has been a learning experience, for sure.

Things are progressing here in Anthony! The pews are in, lights are being put in, the carpet is being laid, trim is put down, and lot of various other things are being done. But it seems like no matter how much gets done, there's still a lot to do!
The goal right now is to have the first Sunday service in the front half of the building on May 15th, which is the church's Missions Sunday. An Open House will be planned for the middle of June sometime, which is when the entire town will be invited to view the building.
Caleb has been busy bouncing around on a lot of projects. He has gotten the partitions done in the bathrooms, and the toilets have been installed. He's been the main trim guy, in getting that put in. He's also been working on the electricity and making sure everything is connected to the right place.
The Mcculloughs have returned from Arizona and it's nice to have them back! The church has also been doing a lot of work and are really pitching in to get finished in time.
Some news on our family: we are preparing to be semi-done with school for the year when we leave here at the end of May. We will still do a few days here and there over the Summer. Noah and Kayla are both done with Science and Handwriting and they are getting to the end of their other subjects as well. Kayla's reading has been going really well! I'm so proud of her and all she has learned this year.

Caleb has been very busy since we've gotten back to Anthony!
His main project was to put up the partitions in the womens bathroom and he got those set, they look very nice.
He has also been running wiring and got the electric finished in the auditorium and the sound booth.
He was also able to get the viewing windows installed for the office and nursery.
The pews have been delivered and are in the process of being installed in the auditorium. The chandeliers have gone up in the auditorium. And carpet has been installed in the auditorium, nursery and two classrooms.
Things are really starting to come together and it's exciting to see! It's fun to walk around and remember what it was like at the different stages of construction. This is also when we normally leave a project to move onto somewhere else. So it's different to be here for the final stages.
We've started a few new things in our family; Lela has started Kindergarten, I've started piano lessons with Noah and Kayla, and Anna is semi-potty training. Lots of things going on around here! It's never boring.

Some picture updates!

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month so I wanted to write a post reflecting that. Most of your probably don't know, but Noah has Asperger's Syndrome and probably ADHD. He is undiagnosed, but if you know Noah, and you read the symptoms, you can't disagree!
Autism is not a behaviorial issue, it's not a cop-out for lazy parenting, and it's not cureable. Autism is a neurological disease, and nobody really knows how someone is affected. It's probably a mixture of environment, nutrition, and genetics.
Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is on the high functioning spectrum of Autism. Noah's main issues are that he doesn't understand social boundaries (if he isn't done wrestling, he doesn't understand why someone else would be), he can't read facial or body clues, he doesn't understand sarcasm unless you explain it, and he doesn't understand cause and effect (if I hit someone with this board they'll get hurt). All he knows is that he doesn't mean to hurt that person, so he or she shouldn't get hurt. He often says it was an accident; the getting hurt was the accident, not the hitting.
Because of these he's often seen as a bully, he seemingly has no empathy or understanding of other people's pain, and he seems callous and mean. The truth is he doesn't understand other peoples' emotions and feelings. It doesn't make sense to him so he disregards them.
Please read these links and get knowldegeable about Autism and AS! Maybe someone in your family has it, maybe someone you know has it. Be aware so you can be a help and not a discouragement!
WebMD
AS or HFA WebMD
Mayo Clinic
AS Symptoms Mayo Clinic

Caleb and I decided a long time ago not to hold onto earthly possesions and to see "things" as disposable. I think lately God has been testing that decision! With our tax return we were able to get a lot of things fixed on the van we bought in November. We found out there was a huge hole in the vent hose from the engine to the air vents, and that's what was causing the horrible engine/exhaust smell when we had the vents on. We were able to get that fixed, get a tune up and all of that other car stuff you're supposed to do regularly. We also got new tires, all five! Our next step was to see about getting the front fender fixed where Caleb ran into a pole.
On Thursday we were out running errands and enjoying the unusual, very warm (90*!) weather when Caleb noticed we were leaking a lot of transmission fluid. He ran it over to the body shop and they said that we blew the seal, probably from the sudden heat, and it would cost $1800 to fix it.
We were confident the Lord would provide since He gave us the van to start with, and it was our only vehicle that fit all of us. This was definitely a need that God could handle! We borrowed the church's 15 passenger van and Caleb called a few Pastors to see if we could raise some money. On Sunday we found out that a family in our church had given their minivan to the church. They had been trying to sell it and just decided to give it to the church to use how it saw fit. So Pastor told us we could have the van, sell the van to get our Ford fixed, or not take the van at all. We prayed about it and discussed options all weekend. After talking to the Pastor extensively and considering all options, we have decided to keep the 2004 Kia Sedona and give the Ford to the church to use how it sees fit. Caleb called the Pastors back and we are going to use the money that is still sent to get tags and switch everything over, and whatever is left will go toward fixig the Ford van.
Sometimes God provides in the most bizarre ways! But He always provides!
Also, we got our final Master CD and will be sending it tomorrow to get copied, printed, and wrapped. For information about the CD, please visit http://lighthousebaptistmusic.weebly.com/

March is about half over and it seems like it just started! School has been going well.
After we got our tax return I got to do my favorite thing: online shopping!! I went a little crazy buying school stuff for next year. It's all starting to come in and the kids want to ditch this year's school and start on next year's. I am going to start Lela on Kindergarten though, since she's sick of doing the preschool and kindergarten workbooks we've been buying for her.
Elsa is growing and now everyone agrees that she looks like Lela! So I might have another mini-me running around here. She's also starting to look at noises and try to focus on faces. She's outgrowing newborn clothes but she's still to scrunched up to wear 0-3 months, she ends up being a ball stuck in the middle!
The greatest news of all is that Kayla does not need to wear a patch anymore on her eye! She's been patching to help fix amblyopia (lazy eye) for three years now. The doctor said her eye stays stable with glasses on so the patch did its job.
Our plan is to leave for Anthony, KS on April 1st and stay as long as we're needed. We aren't sure of where we'll be going next, there are a few possibilities.

I'm a planner. I admit it! I like to have a list, I like to have a plan, I like to know what is going to happen, and when it's going to happen. I wasn't always like this. In high school and then before I got married I was very flexible, I went with the flow. I didn't keep a planner for school, and I never wrote down when my games were or when events were going to happen. I could always handle deadlines without even really trying. I had a pretty busy life in high school between playing sports, working full-time, taking college classes and staying involved in church ministries.
But since having kids, and then having more and more kids, I have gotten a lot less flexible and a lot more structured! I guess it just comes with the job, but sometimes I really have to control my planning beast!
We didn't do any school in February. The beginning of the month was busy with the snowstorms, living with Caleb's parents, and waiting day by day for baby Elsa to come. And then the second half of the month was busy with a newborn, appointments, and lots things happening.
So my goal was to start March with a bang! and get serious about school. I planned the first two weeks of March and changed things up a little bit to start fresh, and then I sabotaged my own plan! Caleb was planning on going to Anthony, KS Thursday night through Saturday afternoon and I was joking with him that he should take the laundry and do it while he's working at the church, since the church installed a washer and dryer for us while we were there. He flippantly said "Or you could come and do the laundry while I work!" He was joking but I thought it was an awesome idea!
So I finagled and convinced him of his wisdom and forethought, and here I sit in Anthony, KS! We dropped the 4 kids off at Andrea and Matt's house and Elsa and I rode along with Caleb to Anthony. Honestly, driving into Anthony it felt like we were home. Probably because we've spent most of the past year here and it doesn't take long for a small town to feel like home. Thursday night they were having a Church Work Night and it was so great to show off my new baby to everyone.
I guess this means that I'm a little more flexible than I give myself credit for. Although I was freaking out just a little bit about how I was going to catch the kids up in their school. One week into school and we're already behind. Oh boy! But it will work out. I hope.

It's been an exciting week at our home since the baby was born! Elsa is doing great, eating well, sleeping well, and already growing. She's adjusted into our little family just fine and the kids all love her. We were worried about how Anna would react to having another baby in the house but she seems to be doing fine. She wants to be held a little bit more than she did before but that's probably normal! She loves baby "Delsda" and likes to play with her long toes.
When we were in Anthony last we got backed into in the McDonald's parking lot and we were finally able to get the van into the shop to be fixed. We were given a fancy 2011 Dodge Caravan to drive around for the week and I think we've been spoiled! It has all of the bells and whistles, except a DVD player for which Noah was upset. But it has automatic sliding doors, a rear bumper camera, satellite radio, and lots of other cool things we didn't get to explore yet. It's been fun driving it around.
As most of you probably know, Anna walks pigeon-toed and after months of waiting we finally got her into an orthopedic doctor. He said her tibias (bone between the knee and ankle) are twisted and that's what is causing it. He said that there's nothing we can do, just wait for them to straighten out on their own. So that was good news that they don't want to do surgery or put braces on her, but a little frustrating that there's nothing we can do! We just have to pray that they straighten out quickly.
Starting Monday we all started feeling pretty sick; Kayla first, then Anna, then Caleb and me, then Noah and Lela, then Anna again, and now Caleb again. Hopefully we can get rid of this thing! Because I got so sick I'm having a few post-partum issues but nothing too serious, I just need to rest for extra time. We are all thankful for the nutrition supplements that we take, we really believe that they help us not stay sick for as long as other people. They're not miracle pills and we still get sick, but it's never as bad as it's supposed to be and we usually only get one or two of the symptoms, not all of it!
Thursday morning Caleb went to Anthony, KS planning on working for a few days and coming home on Saturday. But because I started having issues and had to make a trip to the ER, he decided to come home and try to go next week. We will more than likely be going back to Anthony in April to help finish up the church and get them in their new building. It will be nice to be back, we fell in love with the people and the little town!
Those are just a few of the exciting things that have happened in the last 10 days! Life sure can be exciting sometimes.

She's Here!

Our sweet little girl came into the world on February 15th! Elsa Dawn was born early afternoon weighing 8lbs 3oz and 19 1/2 inches long. She's a really good baby, she likes to sleep! We haven't been able to get her to open her eyes fully yet. Thank you for all of the prayers, mom and baby are both doing well and the kids love her! Anna says she's "my baby".

We have been inundated with snow here in Oklahoma! The first of February brought a blizzard-like snow (being from Nebraska I can't bring myself to call it a blizzard, but it was windy!). We were doing fine in our trailer keeping warm, but our water pump froze because the heater we had in the undercarriage stopped working. So we stayed at Caleb's parents house to wait out the storm. Then we got another storm the next week! Thankfully that one wasn't as bad and we were able to come back to our trailer on the 10th.
My mom is visiting us for the weekend. She hasn't been able to visit in a few years because of us travelling and her work schedule. So we are very happy to have her here for a few days! There's nothing like having your mom around, no matter how old you get and how many kids you have yourself!
I wish I would've had a new granddaughter to share with her, but this little baby is being pretty stubborn and biding her time! My due date is the 14th and if I don't have her then I will be induced on the 15th, very early in the morning. So either way, I will have a baby soon! My mom is supposed to be leaving that day but she just has to make it to Wichita that evening, so hopefully she'll be able to see and hold the new baby before she has to leave.
Caleb has been busy helping members of the church do small repairs, fix leaks and help out however he can. He feels that since the church provides so much for us, that when we're home he tries to do as much as possible. Sometimes people pay him, or give us food, but he doesn't do it to make a profit, he just wants to help out the people who faithfully support us month after month! We have an amazing supporting church, we are so thankful for everyone!
I will post as soon as I can when I have the baby!

Well there's not much to update this week. I had my doctor's appointment on Friday and it went well, the Doctor said I could go at any time, so we're just waiting! The baby is abou 5 1/2 lbs so she's still little. I wouldn't mind waiting until the beginning on February to have her, give her a few more days to bake.
We toured the hospital where I'm set to deliver and it's really nice! St. Anthony recently updated their Labor and Delivery section and it's really classy. Almost looks like a hotel! Caleb and I were very impressed and relieved that it's such a nice facility. Since I got a new doctor for this pregnancy, I also got a new hospital!
We were able to pick up our Master CD that we recorded at the end of November. There are a few issues we need to work out but it sounds so good! I know it will be a blessing to people. I was nervous to listen because I knew I would hear all of my mistakes, even if I made them or not. But it wasn't bad. There are 12 songs; 7 that Caleb sing and 5 that the Quartet sings.
Caleb has been very busy since we've gotten back. Last time we were here the empty trailer in the lot next to us burned to the ground. The owner said that Caleb and Josh could take as much metal from it that they wanted, so they were able to take most of the frame to the junkyard and make a small profit. He has also been busy building a shelf/crib that I designed. It's starting to look really nice and just like I imagined! It will fit in our bedroom in the corner. The top (crib) will be removeable so that when she's old enough to not need to be in our room, we can put it on one/half of Anna's bed and she'll still be in a "crib" so she won't roll off or climb out, but Anna won't be restricted.
It's been good to be back but for some reason we always forget how busy a church our size is! And then you add to that doctor appointments and things you need to do when you're home, and we've been busy. But busy is good!

What song is that?

A funny conversation I had to share:

Caleb: (singing a song about "You're not alone")

Laura: (correcting pretty much every other phrase or word with the correct phrase/word)

Caleb: Your Savior

Laura: labor

Caleb: Your witness, Your Faith

Laura: pain

Caleb: You're not Aloneeee!

Laura: It's not in vain!

Caleb: I'm not singing "It's not in vain", I'm singing "You're not alone"

Laura: Why are you singing it to the tune of "It's not in vain"?

Caleb: (pause) Is that why I kept getting all of the words wrong?

Laura: Um....probably....

Caleb: How does "You're not alone" go?

Laura: I don't know, all I can think of is "It's not in vain"

Caleb: (starts singing "It's not in vain")

Laura: *sigh*

Getting ready for baby!

We made it back to Mustang, Oklahoma safely on Monday. We were going to come back Tuesday but decided that since the baby has dropped, and my contractions are still going, that it would be better to come back earlier, even if it was just one day!
This week we're busy with doctor appointments and church activities but we're also trying to get the trailer cleaned out so we can bring in baby stuff. Babies are small, but they require a lot of stuff! Caleb is making a crib that will fit in the corner of our bedroom. It will have two shelves on the bottom and the crib part will be removeable. That way when she is old enough to sleep in the room with the kids, we can put the crib part on Anna's bed and she will be contained, but Anna won't be restricted. It was an ingenious plan created by me, designed by both of us, and built by Caleb! I will post pictures when he's done. We were able to find some really cute baskets on sale to put on the shelves so that when we travel everything doesn't fall everywhere and have to be refolded.
When we left Anthony, the bathrooms had been tiled but still needed to be grouted. The foyer tile was starting to be laid and they were able to even out most of the ground. Caleb will be going back for a few days a week to help out, probably starting next week depending on what the baby decides!
My 36 week appointment is Thursday so we will see what the doctor says about how far away she thinks I am from delivering. I don't think baby will wait more than two more weeks, I think she's ready to come out! We will keep everyone updated.
I was able to send out our prayer letters after problems with ink cartidges! Long story. So look for them in the mail. If you don't receive our prayer letter and you would like to, please email your church's name and address to me at carterntcp@yahoo.com. I have also made a facebook page for our ministry, where I will post updates and pictures. If you are on facebook you can follow us by going to this page and clicking the "Follow" button. You can also suggest our page to other friends that might be interested in hearing about our ministry!

December Update

We had such a great December! So many needs were met, and we had so many things given to us. Christmas Day we had a nice, relaxing Saturday. The kids woke up late and put a movie in to watch, letting Caleb and me sleep in until 10! Then we just relaxed all day and got some things done. A very nice family in our home church wanted to be a blessing for us and bought all of the kids gifts that they wanted! Noah got a green light saber, which lights up and makes noises. Kayla got an art set complete with markers, colored pencils, crayons, glue, paper, art notebooks, and it all came in a neat little carry case. We went to the library and got some "how to draw" books for kids and the kids went crazy, drawing everything they could! It was fun to see them create pictures and have fun with it. Lela got her most treasured possession, a ladybug pillow pet. She had actually been saving her birthday money, hoping to buy one when she earned a few more dollars. So when I asked her what she would buy instead she said, "A dolphin pillow pet!" Kids, I guess they're never satisfied. Anna got a magnetic doodle pad and she loves to draw circles or cover the whole thing with black, and then erase it. She always says "Ooohh...." when she erases it. So cute!
The work here is going well. The Flairtys left for warmer weather after Christmas so Caleb has been painting by himself and with others who come when they have time off. They are also trying to get all of the lights installed and got a good share of that done today. Another man from our group is coming in Friday to start on the tile.
Please pray for Holly Newkirk, the Pastor's wife. She has contracted some kind of illness that has left her legs and upper body numb and without strength. Her skin is also extremely sensitive to touch, like when a limb falls asleep and gets tingly when you try to move it. Only it's all over her body. She is at the hospital in Wichita and they're waiting for test results from a spinal tap to decide what exactly is wrong. They've narrowed it down to three things through some different tests. Please pray that whatever is wrong, is something that is treatable in Kansas, and she won't have to be sent away from her family! She has started physical therapy and it's going well, please pray that she can continue to get feeling and strength back into her legs.
Since not a whole lot has happened to report I thought I'd share some funny things the kids have done or said.
Anna is getting very verbal and says cute stuff all of the time. Her favorite words are: quit, don't, thank you, what doing (what are you doing?), chocolate, juice,no want it (don't want it), daddy, eat. She's also very good at saying the kids' names. If she gets hit, touched, or her toys fall she automatically yells at Noah! Everything is his fault in her eyes.She will also repeat any phrase the kids say!
When Lela unwrapped her pillow pet she ran into her room and announced to her dolls and animals: "This is our new friend, ladybug. She's a pillow pet!" and then her dolls responded with a "Yay! We like her!" She has adjusted well to the stuffed family.
Kayla recently came up to me, with her hair lifts off her neck and said "Look mom, I'm getting a mole like you! I'm becoming a laaaady!"
I'm sure there's a lot more, but that's what I could think of right now! We're leaving here on January 17th or 18th, and we will be home until I'm recovered from the baby.