Our "Baby" is 5

Our "baby" has officially turned 5. A sad day for Janlle but also a happy one. We have watched him grow in so many ways. We Thank God for the years we have had with him and for the many more to come. We are excited to see how He is going to use him as he continues this journey on Earth. He truly is a gift from God, (which is what the name Nathan means)!

What We Have Been Up To!

Sorry it has been a while since we have posted. Mike was literally out of town for at least 20 days of October. God continues to be faithful in our journey here in Vegas. Just over this year we have seen 27 baptized and at least 30 come to know the Lord. All Praises and Glory to our Amazing Heavenly Father!

TRIP TO AFRICA

Mike had the opportunity to go to Africa with another church plant from Vegas to help teach the leaders and families of the Dagara Group in Burkina Faso. They were able to start the building of a new church, share the gospel, and encourage the people there. He had a wonderful time and of course came back a changed person. Please continue to pray for this people group as they seek God's Wisdom to carry on His name to others.

BACK TO ARKANSAS

Wynne Baptist invited us back to GIC (Global Impact Conference) to share with them what God is doing through us as North American Missionaries in Las Vegas as we have planted a church, NorthStar Baptist. What a wonderful time we had reuniting with others that have been called out and being blessed by WBC in so many ways. Thank you to all that were involved and to all of you who to continue to support our family in your prayers. We were very busy while in Arkansas, but we did have time to visit family and to also take a short trip down to Louisiana to see our dear friends Matt, Jesi, and the band Altar'd (you should check them out on myspace).

WELCOME FALL 2009

We are loving the "cooler" weather here in Vegas! We have all become pansies to the cooler months after living in the intense heat of the summers. The kids love to go to what they call a pumpkin patch (which is not like the souths), which consists of a small carnival with rides, fair food, and of course pumpkins! Since we do not celebrate Halloween we always try to do something fun for them on that night. This Halloween we started a fire and roasted hotdogs and smore's for them. They had a blast, especially Nathan. We also allowed them to carve pumpkins for fun. Alexa, of course thinks she is too big, but we did talk her into it for a little while!

Summer Time Fun

Summer is flying by way too fast!  We are trying to stay cool in the pool!  Nathan has regained his confidence in the pool, he had learned to swim last summer but needed a few days to get back into the swing of it!!!  We are so glad that all of them love the water!  Here are a few photos and a video of Nathan's newest accomplishment in the pool!  ENJOY!!!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Alexa w/ friend Tallie

Nathan doing a belly flop

Alexa & Thomas July 4th

Nathan July 4th

NBC Kids Camp/Block Party

Psalm 118:13
     "I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me."

     Wow!  What an amazing summer it has been thus far at NBC!  Since the end of May thru now we have seen God save 10 lives and in the next few weeks we will be holding another baptism service, baptizing 15.  We have now been here for three full years planting and sowing seeds waiting faithfully to see His harvest.  Praise God we are fully seeing the harvest and are still planting, sowing, and waiting for more to come!

     We want to thank WBC and the team that came out during June.  We held a kids camp with 37 attending and returning each night!  We could not have done it without your help.  Each one of you did an amazing job and we know God was glorified through you!  We continually pray that WBC and others will each day have a greater heart for Vegas and NBC.  

     Among the many exciting things going on , starting July 12th, every Sunday evening we will be holding a youth service.  We have a new member who opened up her awesome home for the youth!  Please pray God will bless and grow this area of our church!  The youth attended their first camp this summer and two of them gave their life to Christ and three of them renewed their life to Him!  Pray this will be a place the youth of this city can come and just be loved and be able to give it all to Him, pray for many to be saved and for many to be called into the ministry!

    

VBS with Refugees

Well alot has been happening here at NorthStar Baptist!!!  I promise to send a full update really soon.  I wanted to go ahead and share with all of you the chance we had this summer while the team from Wynne Baptist was here.  We were able to help Cynthia and Tom with a new program they have started with the Refugees in Las Vegas.  They wanted us to help them hold VBS with 3 different groups:  the Bhutinese, African, and I can't remember the other group.  These children were so fun to be with and my family can't wait to be more a part of their lives!!  Alexa, Thomas, Darla Thomas, Claire, and myself were able to meet with the Bhutinese group each morning during VBS.  The first day they could speak very little english, but by the end of VBS we had taught them the song Jesus Loves Me.  It meant so much to me for my children, even Nathan, to get to be a part of this and to see how other cultures live in Vegas and how they need our Lord also!  We were so blessed to be a part of this ministry and cannot wait to be more involved with them!!!  I have included along with photos a video of them singing and also of Geeta saying Zacheus, we had studied this story that day and Claire is from Miss. so she was saying it very, very southern and they were repeating it the same way.  I tried to get Geeta to say it, but when she did it came out different, but still very cute!!  

Please keep all the refugees that are here in Vegas in your prayers.  We know God has them here for a reason.  Pray that many would be brought to Him and that they would share with their families and friends!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Trip to Arkansas

Wow!  What an amazing trip we had visiting family and friends back in Arkansas.  We were able to come see our oldest niece graduate from high school, she has become a beautiful young lady and we can't wait to see what God has planned for her in the future!  Jaclyn we are extremely proud of you!  You have endured more than most

 of us will in our lifetime, but yet still amaze us with your persistance to keep pressing forward! The kids had a blast being at their Mimi and Papa's.  Being able to be FREE outside, ride the 4-wheeler, and play in the mud with their cousins all made for some good ole country time FUN!  We love you all dearly and will miss you till we see you the next time!  We have also updated hannahjphotography.blogspot.com!

All 10 grandkids at the Farm

Graduation Day!

Jennifer and Jaclyn

 

Calyn getting cleaned up for the next round!

He needed a Break?

MUD FIGHT!

Nathan also got in on the Mud Fight!

This is so much FUN!! 

Easter 2009

Wow, what a day Easter was!  We had between 120-140 in attendance.  We prayed for 20 to be baptized, He sent us 8.  Praise God! Five of them we had planned before hand, but the other three were guests! The service was held outdoors.  We had a time of worship and praise, Mike had a short serman, and then on to the celebration of baptisms.  The band played and the worship team sang during the baptisms, this was our first to try it like this and it went really well!  After the service we had hotdogs, snow cones, cotton candy, and popcorn.  We had an Easter Egg hunt and games for the kids!  We ask that you would please continue to pray for the safety of our family and the church family.  Our family made it safely for the week of Easter, no one was injured or became sick, Glory to our Lord!  Satan, instead, attacked families of the church, please lift up these families to the Father as they will need them during these next few months.  

Jason, our new Worship Pastor!

Worship & Praise Team

Mike preaching the Good News!

Celebration of Baptisms!

An answered prayer!  Thomas realized a few months ago he was not sincere the 1st time he prayed.  He is now saved and has his baptism on the right side, PRAISE GOD!

Ready, set, hunt eggs!

Nathan was more enthused with the dandelions than hunting the eggs, this was so cute, he said he was blowing them to Jesus!

I Love my Cotton Candy!

This is Caleigh & Prince, a new couple not only in our church but new christians.  They also were baptized!