New York meeting via Niagara Falls, Canada

Abby, Elena, and I had never been to Niagara Falls before, so of course we wanted to make sure we stopped to see it on the way to our New York meeting. It was a pleasant drive from Ypsi to Niagara Falls through Canada. We spent the night a few miles from the Falls. It was different from what I was expecting but in a good way. What an awesome sight to see! We thank the Lord for the many wonderful things we have seen on deputation.

We celebrated my birthday before we left for New york...Abby made a great strawberry pie!



The Falls are lighted at night...very beautiful!

Elena "swimming" in the balls at the hotel in Canada.

Please pray for us at this missions conference in Pavilion, New York this week. There are some good ministry opportunities ahead of us here :)

Update at Last

Mary and Julia's high school graduation at AABC
Elena with Uncle Rick at Faith Baptist in Geneseo, IL
Elena right after she informed us that she was going to check her email
We all celebrated our birthdays a little early with Dad, Mom and Emily.

Elena with her new bike from Grammie and Grandad
Elena helping Emily with the goats

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. We have not had internet access much like before. We are currently in Ypsilanti, Michigan at the house we are renting. We have a missions conference in New York this weekend. Just thought I'd get these pictures up really quick. I'll try to do more soon. Be sure to see our new prayer letter...see the link on the right.

Missionary Medical Intensive

Well, I don't have any pictures to put on here since I left my camera cable at home. We have some interesting pictures and stories about the training we are receiving here in the foothills of western North Carolina. Our personal and class schedule goes from 6:30 in the morning to usually around 11:00 at night. Most of that time is spent in classroom lecture, lab, and case studies. Abby and I have learned so much about medicine and outreach as well as skills to take care of our own family. We have learned how to give shots, how to suture, how to put in a stomach tube, how to splint various limbs of the body, and so many other things (well, Abby already knew some of that:) We are studying various diseases every night, how to diagnose and treat them as well as when to know when to send somebody out for better care.

Ultimately, we are trusting the Lord with our bodies and souls as we move to Cameroon. There are so many physical obstacles that could hinder or slow the gospel from going forward; so many consequences of sin and as well as Satan's attempts to destroy people. But the Lord Jesus Christ is the Great Physician, and we are thankful for the knowledge available about our bodies and the many diseases of the world. This class has helped get me over some major medical intimidation, which in my opinion is worth the time we spent down here. Maybe it will help us save a life of a friend or family member. Maybe we will be able to physically help a lost person and lead to them to Christ through it. Abby is doing well through the tough schedule though it is very tiring. She has been a help to me, and we are having a good time together. Pray for us as we finish the class by this Thursday. We are anxious to see our little Elena!

Midwest Baptist History Tour

I went on my first Baptist History tour this last week. The group led by Pastor Jeff Faggart from North Carolina has been taking a tour once a year for the last ten years. We saw many sights of revival and pioneer church planting througout the midwest. Praise the Lord for our Baptist heritage...a heritage of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and organizing Bible believing Baptist churches.

This years new marker unveiled was the fourteenth marker of the Baptist History Preservation Society. It was dedicated to Jeremiah Vardeman, a pioneer preacher who started churches in Missouri and the midwest.
An original painting of George Washington's Baptist chaplain baptizing him during the American Revolution. George Washington gave Chaplain John Gano this sword after the war. This painting and sword is on display in the lobby of the chapel at William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri.
Unveiling of the BHPS third painting. This one is a scene of the life of Isaac McCoy, the Apostle of the Indians of the West. He is returning to his family after learning of the death of his oldest son. Seven of his eleven children died on the western frontier while they were reaching the Indians for Jesus Christ.
Gravesite in St. Louis, MO where John Mason Peck is buried. He started a number of pioneer Baptist churches in Illinois and Missouri.
This is the site of the first Baptist church in Illinois. It was started in the home of a veteran of the American Revolution.

Third Anniversary

We had a wonderful time at the Essenhaus in Indiana Amish country. Thank you mom and dad (Burtt) for watching Elena!

Elena's fun at home

Elena is enjoying time at home instead of traveling. She was especially active today. She wanted to have a tea party with the squirrels in the picture, but they were not too fond of that idea. The birds had fun watching the entertainment.

Here is a video of her just having fun inside...she loves her boots from Joanna.

Illinois travels...Geneva, Dekalb, Chicago, Romeoville

Uncle Stan and family from Abby's Grandma Gardner's side of the family. They live in Dekalb.
Rain delay at U.S. Cellular field :( Made for a late game...
Our first baseball game of the year...and hopefully not the last :)
The game was tied 6-6 in the ninth, and one of the Sox players hit a single which allowed the player on second to come in and slide past a bad throw to the Yankees catcher to win the game! We had a great time and Bethany and Lloyd were able to come with us.

We had a wonderful conference in Geneva, Illinois, with Pastor Weesner and Calvary Baptist. The Lord provided through this gracious church a number of the items that were on our outfit and passage list. We always enjoy making new friends and this church was no exception. The tickets to the game came from a member in the church who has season tickets...thank you, bro. John!

Right now Elena is at a park in Romeoville playing with little Joanna.

More pictures from Hillsdale

Just a few more pictures of our time with Grammie and Grandad just before and after Emily's recital.

Emily's Recital

Emily had a home-school recital at Believers Baptist on Friday night. We surprised her when we showed up on the farm on Thursday. Emily did a wonderful job, and Elena sat through all the music and presentations pretty well. When Emily was playing the flute, Elena shouted, "Emmy, she play!" Grandad had not seen Elena since Christmas.

We are currently in a wonderful missions conference in Geneva, Illinois. The other missionary here is going to South Korea.

One of the members here has season tickets to all the Chicago sports teams, and it may work out for us to see the White Sox and Yankees on Thursday.

Spring is here

Caleb and Elena riding in a luxury wagon

Wow, we sure are enjoying the signs of Spring here. Some flowers are blooming in the back yard, the birds and squirrels are enjoying the seeds we put out, and Elena wants to go out all the time. We are getting ready to leave for a missions conference in Geneva, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

My brother, Chris, is doing well in Cameroon. He will be working with Pastor Ernest and Chrysanthus this weekend holding a weekend Bible Camp in Ndop. Chris will be preaching one of the messages.

Flight Training in Northern Wisconsin

Elena is learning to smile for the camera now!
Elena and daddy pretend flying...
Abby and Elena came out to watch daddy take off in the "hapane" one morning.
Having fun in Wisconsin!

More Wisconsin

Elena and Reagan playing in New Berlin, WI. Jared, is Reagan's image copyrighted?
We stayed at Pastor and Mrs. King's house while they were away...nice four-wheeling country!

We finished two meetings on Sunday in western Wisconsin and are now back in northern Wisconsin for flight training this week. Pray for suitable weather :)

Scenes in Wisconsin

Elena and Grammie in Rockford
Elena in Rockford with Emily and Grammie and Tina
With Stephen and Tina at Camp Joy
Elena and Ella in Sun Prairie at Jessica's house
Elena and Wyatt
Baby Wesley...Jessica's newest baby.

Wisconsin Spring

Elena fell asleep with a sucker...the perfect way for her to pass the time.
It was so cold by Lake Superior.

This is Elena's newest game..."Where 'Ayna' go?"

We arrived safely in Wisconsin last week and visited our home church for the first time in many months. I will be preaching there tomorrow (Wed). We had a great meeting 6 hours away in Superior, Wisconsin on Sunday. On our way home we ran into a Wisconsin spring snow storm. The Lord protected us once from sliding off the road at 55 mph. That's when I realized it was sticking and I needed to slow down. Anyway, the snow turned to rain about half-way down the state and we made it safely to Oshkosh. We will return to western Wisconsin for three more meetings next week as well as some flight training.

Pray for my brother Chris in the mountains of Cameroon right now. We haven't heard from him since he left on the 5o mile hike to the bush villages. I am sure the Lord is blessing their ministry.