Congrats to our graduates!

Congratulations to our graduates!

Lynn and I are celebrating both Joel Currie's and Allison Erskine's graduation this year. But, unfortunately, we did not make it down to Delaware to see Allison walk. We do not have pictures of her, but she is fabulously beautiful and very accomplished. She's really quite wonderful and we miss her a lot.

We did see Joel walk, so here a few pictures...


(Joel and Sarah)


(Joel sang lead in "We're here for a good time" by Trooper)


(The fam)


(The fam now including Robbie!)

Another update :)

1. I led worship at our baptist associations ladies retreat last weekend and it was awesome. What an opportunity! Leading worship is such a "dream job". It's like, "Hi, can you come and usher in the presence of the Lord and watch as He does wonderful things in our midst?" ..."Okay!"

2. Lynn stayed home (he wasn't exactly invited to the Ladies retreat...)and partook of a beautiful service at our church. The Lord spoke to Pastor Peter that He was going to heal some particular people in the congregation of some particular things, and a beautiful healing service opened up with God ministering to many. There are some beautiful testimonies of some people getting healed in the Lord's grace.

3. I spent a wonderful few days with Joy Green on Grand Manan Island. We had a blast and talked nonstop for days :) I also chopped my hair off, which I have been waiting to do for ages, and it felt sooo good!



4. Last evening, Sunday the 17th, we had our choir concert of praise! It was the finale for our choir this spring and they did such a fantastic job! Lynn is so gifted at drawing out their strengths and pushing them to go beyond where they think they can. It was awesome!



5. This Wednesday morning, Lynn and I are leaving for my brother Joel's high school graduation in Moncton. We are taking some vacation days to spend with the family and are very excited to see my (one of my...) studly, talented, amazing brother achieve such an awesome accomplishment. Yeah for Joel!!!



6. We have not been blogging about this, but Lynn and I have encountered a situation that is resulting in something very sad... We are losing our house. As a first time home buyer, you can carry your RSP's over for your downpayment. Lynn and I had two substancial RSP's, personal and through the Wesleyan Church. We were under the understanding that we could consolidate them and use the money towards our downpayment. The transfer took about two months and our banker changed in the midst of the process. The new banker called us when the transfer was completed and we found out we had more than we needed in funds. However, we were then informed that the pension plan through the Wesleyan church was the one kind that we are not allowed to touch until we're 55 :) We have all this money set aside for retirement, but we don't have any (or very little) for right now! We have been working on other options but none are satisfactory. We do not know what this means or where we will live. We are very sad and have been heart broken through this process. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months and what the Lord has up His sleeve...

Continue to pray for us!

Natasha

Memories

As Tasha got on the Grand Manan V on Tuesday, I decided to walk around the side of the dock and watch the crew prepare to head to the island. I glanced at the boat and was stopped by the open deck on the top of the ferry. I was facing the very place on the Grand Manan V that was the breaking point (or, making point, rather) for Tasha and me. For those on BBC Chorale that year, you'll remember that Tasha and I both went to the upper deck to stare at the sunset. We weren't speaking because we were both confused and a little hurt, secretly madly in love with each other. (There's an imfamous picture in our home stuff to document this if you ever visit.) Suddently, Elizabeth was to my right, and she hip-checked me in Tasha's direction. We all talked for awhile, but Tasha and I eventually talked again and sorted through our (mostly my) emotions. There's something about that November weekend that was pivotal for where we are today. Staring at the spot on the upper deck of Grand Manan V this Tuesday has brought on a flood of feelings, thoughts, and gratitude for where we are today.

Today marks exactly one year from the first time Tasha and I came to Truro for our first interview with IBC. On Sunday, it will be a year from the time we attended our first service here and in which I perceived the Lord in a pillar of cloud right in front of Pastor Peter. The Lord still moves powerfully before us here! (Our spontaneous healing service has resulted in at least two miraculous healings literally on the spot, and that's just one small part of what happened among our fellowship this past weekend!)

Odd question...

Okay... bikini's or no bikini's?

I'd like both male and female opinions regarding the appropriateness of Christian women/girls wearing bikini's.

What do you think?

(Natasha)

Another (long) update.

May has been super busy!

1. Lynn turned 26! Yeah for Lynn! He's now officially old :). Myself and the Chute family pulled together a surprise birthday party for him. I babysat the two boys earlier that week, and we had a blast making decorations and planning a rather elaborate treasure hunt where we hid all the gifts in the dryer and had SEVERAL clues leading up to finding them :) What a blast! (You can see pictures of the event in one of the picture trails below.)

2. We enjoyed an all day prayer vigil at our church for God's guidance as we continue to investigate a possible building expansion. What a beautiful day in the presence of the Lord! We trust in his continued guidance as our church continues to grow.

3. We concluded our semester with Cantabile Singers with a finale Broadway Dinner Theatre. It was so much fun! We each had unique and creative costumes, but concluded the evening with our third set of songs in black tuxedos and formal dresses. It was long, exhausting, and wonderful!

(Lynn and I sang "Summer Nights" from Greece as one of the ensemble numbers. During rehearsal, our director, Ross, said, "Lynn, can you please be a little more raunchy?" Off stage at the performance, the other choir members were calling him "Raunchy Reverend"!)

4. Lynn and I received dreadful news as our financial plans for the house took an unexpected twist. We are still waiting on the Lord as He continues to minister to us, growing us into a family that is secure and content in Him, no matter what we have. It has been an amazing journey as we continue to hold God's promises in our heart, but seem to face obstacle after obstacle in regard to our house. He seems to be speaking into my heart, "I promised you blessings, but I AM your security. Rest in me today and I will provide for tomorrow."

In the midst of this trial of trusting, God keeps dropping hints of blessing in our lap. We unexpectedly received a washer and dryer, which are two of the three appliances we need for our home! They are good models and in good condition - the right size and everything for what we need! Also, some of our friends said they were convicted of the Lord about how much stuff they have and thought they might be able to give us some of their furniture! They are not at all bound if they happen to change their mind, but God is speaking to us through all of these acts of blessing.

Father make us trusters and givers, content to have our basic needs met, and then to bless others!

5. I am preparing to lead worship this weekend for our Baptist Association's Ladies Retreat. We convene at Camp Pagweak Friday night for a weekend with the Lord! There is much anticipation in my spirit; but I am also aware of unknown territory... I am praying for favor and grace as we gather from different backgrounds and are familiar with different songs of worship... I know God will unite us and far exceed my expectation of faithfulness and anointing on such a weekend. My experience with these women so far tells me that there is little I'll have to do to actually lead! They are very eager and hungry for the Lord!

Lynn and I continue to grow as we adjust to being out on our own, serving in ministry for the first time, in a new place, new denomination, and with new people. We are blessed beyond measure by our senior pastor and staff, and gracious congregation.

We love you all family and friends!

For Fun

Here are some more pictures to enjoy.

Lynn's Birthday Weekend

We just thought we'd share some of last weekend with everyone....