Good day our family and friends. I thought I should update the journal a bit.

Tychicus is doing very well. He is growing and getting more handsome every day. Kathy is also doing very well. She has gained her strength back, lost a lot of the baby weight (looking good) and has even started back to the ministry at the school.

I know some of you do not understand where God has taken us, and that is okay. We are all given a different revelation that we must be true to and it is part of our maturing process. For 11 years we have been obedient to the Lord in the surrender of our family to him. Eight children sounds like a lot, but since it has happened over the years it kind of just becomes normal with each addition. It is not for everyone but it is where God has us right now. We love it.

It that same sense of giving control to God, it has now been three years since we stepped out into the unknown, in faith, that God was directing our path. No salary for three years may sound scary to most people, and it has not always been easy. However, in these three years we have grown to know our Lord in a depth we have not thought possible. He has given such clarity to his Word, fresh understanding about the body of Christ (the Church), and has shown his had of provision almost daily.

He has also had us open a Christian School, been involved in people’s lives at key moments, and help our church through one of its darkest periods. I can’t even begin to explain the changes he has made in our lives spiritually. For some people three years may not seem significant but when you are serving the King it can become a period packed with wonder.  

The greatest gift is the utter dependence on him that we must maintain. Without him we would not have made it through the first year. It does great things to see the Spirit at work daily as he moves mountains to provide for his servants.

Last Sunday was probably the most difficult day in the three years, provision wise. We were ought of money. We had gas in both vehicles to get us into the city and to the church but only enough gas to get one home. I had to contact some friends to see if a couple of our children could stay in the city with them. The other difficulty is that the one vehicle could get us home but would not be able to get us back in for school the next day. On top of this we were short for our mortgage. So, we prayed and we trusted.

Before the service the associate Pastor gave us some money. It would cover the mortgage and give us an extra day of gas. Okay, Monday’s travel is covered. At the end of the service some things were arranged with the church for some refunds. Good. Now we had enough to pay the insurance and to get the second vehicle home. Then Kathy found a receipt I had forgotten about, so now we should be able to get into school all week. And just for good measure the Lord laid it on a dear friend’s heart to give us $100. Now both vehicles could make it in. Amen!

This is nothing spectacular but is normal for us, day by day, week by week. We have had other, more spectacular situations when a cheque comes from nowhere to cover an expense that we are not even aware of yet. $500 is given and the nest day the hydro bill of $495 arrives. God continues to honour our desire to live lives that honour and glorify him.

We are well and we are trusting that God will provide for every need as we continue to seek the Kingdom. It is a joy to serve the risen King. We love all of you, even if you can't understand. Thank you for your prayers.

Busy week. Here are some photos.

Pray for our family that we would be overwhelmed by God's glory instead of our circumstances. Sometimes we can forget that we are merely servants to the King. My great temptation is to want to carry around the burdens or think that the decisions belong to me. When we do this then we can be overwhelmed, and that is where my family has been this week.

Both Jonathan and David knew who was doing the actual work. Jonathan put a whole army to flight with only the aid of his shield barer. He was able to do this because he knew that victory is decided by God. David had the same trust in his God as he easilt faced Goliath. Our victory is not found in sword and shiled but in the Lord.

I am desperate to be overwhelmed by the Lord's glory. As I am I know that i will see everything in the right perspective; his! Romans 12:2 is so important to me right now. As my mind is renewed it means that I will been given the right persepctive, I will have the correct view of the world and all things.

My desire is to be reminded that I am not the decision maker, only the servant of the decision maker. My only responsibility is to be on my knees, quieting my heart so that I will hear and obey. There is no greater calling than to serve the Lord by serving his body. My desire is to possess the same attitude and perspective of Paul; That I wil endure all things for the sake of the Elect. But when I feel tired in doing this then I know that I am working in the flesh and not the Spirit.

Lord, not by my might or intelligence. I want my greatest strength to be my unquestioning obedience to you. The only way that I can walk in this is the constant desire to surrender every moment, every thought, every incident, every circumstance to you. And then, as you speak to me through these things, to obey.

Lord, help those around me to understand this desire of mine, that they would know my heart and understand my resistance to selfishness. None of me and all of you Lord.

Speak, o speak Lord, that my heart would obey.

Our schedule is not the easiest. Living so far from the church we often spend from 6 am to 11 pm away from home. We do our best to maintain what some people would consider a normal life but that is not always given to us.

God is good though. We have a happy family, often full of joking and laughter but still needing to work on some things, such as sharing and respecting each other. Just as there are plenty of members to play with there are also plenty to fight with. Sometimes the lessons of the Lord can be lost on children who just want what they want. Funny, many of us adults are not dissimilar.

As we woke this morning we discovered a beautiful blanket of frost. Great subject for photos. Spring is here but the nights remind us of what we are putting behind us until Fall.

The weather is much better these days. For the last few days we have been able to get out and do a bit of the yard work. Unfortunately the school and church have kept us so busy (not to mention the birth of Tychicus) that we did not get a chance to prune or spray the apple trees this year.

We are still looking for a home closer to the church but finding a house or an aprtment for a family of ten is not teh easiest thing. We may just have to renovate our current home and have the Stevensons move in with us.   They are going to rent our home (to buy) once we have found a place. However, they have had to let go of their apartment so we are actually on a time line here with a definite due date. I love how God works so that he always gets the glory.

We live such a bizarre life but we have been doing if for so long that we don't realize just how bizarre it is. Yet, we have lacked for nothing. We have learned to be content but it is not always easy. Some days I have to force myself to remember just whose glory my life is lived for. But when I remember it is amazing what strength and resolve is lent to my heart.

Tychicus is doing well and looking more and more handsome. I am indeed a very blessed man.

Greetings family and friends. He has arrived. And he was in a hurry. We are about an hour away from the hospital and we were not sure if we would make it. However, he held on and entered the world on Sunday evening, at 9:05 pm. He was born as Tychicus Jonathan David. Tychicus was one of Paul's choice messengers to various churches. He sent him as an encourager along with one of Paul's letters.

Our Tychicus did not arrive without causing some problems. He thought it would be a great joke to hold back the "water" until he was ready to come out. As his shoulder came out he let go of the liquid and showered doctor, nurses, walls, ceiling and floor, much to the surprise of everyone. It was the choice story of all the nurses for the next two days.

As you can see he is a handsome lad, and big. He weighed in at 9lbs 10 onces. He was also 21 inches in length. Brothers, sisters, mom and dad, and all his new friends are very happy that he has made it home, safe and sound. Glory to God for another beautiful blessing. We are richer than we ever imagined that we could be. We all look forward to teaching Tychicus about the love of Jesus.

Love, Paul (daddy) Pastor dad to some

We are getting raedy for many changes (as if there have not been enough already). In the family we are anticipating the arrival of Tychicus. In the church we are anticipating the move to a new location and the start of new areas of ministry.

As a family we are looking to move to the city (Montreal). It is becoming very hard on our health. The children are up at 5:30 am and some nights we do not return until 7 pm, sometimes 11 pm. I am usually only home on Thursday and Saturday evenings. Because of Tychicus I have tried to be home more often. However, it is not easy to find a residence for 10 people with no salary. We hold firm to this, our God is a great God and he has chosen us for this ministry. So we anticipate that he will provide for it as onlt he can.

Kathy is the principal of the school, and as such she is very busy and much in demand. We have the children with us so that is no big deal but the management of the house is too much. Melodie-Joy has been overly generous in accepting our invitation to move in with us and take over the management of the house to allow us to concentrate on these developing ministries. She has the kindest heart and the children love her.

The church is moving through a great time of change as the Spirit brings us into greater understanding of the Kingdom, the Church and his system of leadership. The new facility is beyond anything we could have imagined. We are spending time searching the will of God, not wanting to make a mistake in what appears to be an obvious choice. His will above our choice, always.

Please be in prayer with us. The current theme in the church is "Pray! Pray! Pray!" You can help us by praying for the following:

• a home in Montreal
• a clear understanding of what to do with our current home
• a new van (as our van is starting to fail on us)
• strength for Kathy in these last few days
• the safe arrival of Tychicus

We remain faithfully HIS in service and adoration.

- Paul