Hosting our first team

LOOK WHO CAME TO TOWN!!

Not long after we got back from the conference the missionary training school (the night class) from Boston came to do an outreach here with us!  They were such a blessing...they were here just in time to help us get ready for and to attend our first church service.

We LOVED having them here.  It was such a boost for us to have the 8 of them out and about meeting people, sharing the gospel, and telling people about our church.  They were awesome.  So willing to do whatever we needed them to do.

A huge added bonus for us was that our dear friends the Goodes were leading the trip.  Lori and Ron came and brought their two girls...Annie Kate and Felicity (Annie Kake and Lissie as SG called them over and over again after they left--sweet because Ellie used to call Annie, Annie Kake too!)

this was the best we could do on a pic of all of us!

Annie Kate and Ellie have been big buddies for a long time so that was really sweet to see them reunited.  And Felicity and Emily are just about one month apart so they "hung out" together.  Felicity, thanks for helping show Emily how to sit up! 
She started doing it on her own just after they left!

Lissie and Emmy

They always say short term teams come to do outreach and love the people of the city well, but they also come to encourage the long-termers (weird that that's us).  Praise God for sweet friends...Lori and I were really close when I lived in Boston so to have a friend come and live life with me for a week in my new city was life to my soul.  She would come over every morning with the kids and spend the day with me.  And while the kids played and napped, we talked...and laughed and cried.  Such sweet timing here at the beginning as everything was just getting started.  

And I loved it for Ellie to get so much time with her dear friend.  Some things they did together...

SG, E, and AK made cookies for our neighbors
(and ate cookie dough!)

Watched "Jesus time" together

Went to a Diamondbacks game together (our first!)

Ate spoonfuls of peanut butter together!

Played in the pool.
It was so fun to see see Gracie and Annie relate

more...Annie falls almost right in the middle of Ellie and Gracie in age.

They for sure became buddies this trip.  We can't wait for them to come back
next summer for Annie to learn to swim!

And of course, Gracie LOVED baby Lissie!  (she still talks about 

her alot and asks if she's coming over)

 Beautiful little Felicity

Check out poor Felicity's face... 
she's not used to being double teamed!

ALL the girls!!

We know first hand what a sacrifice it is to take a family with little ones on a big trip...

THANK YOU for coming no matter the cost.  Our hearts are full to have such friends!