So it looks like it's going to be surgery, folks. We have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday (they didn't tell Caleb the time, which was odd.) His finger is off about 23-24 degrees, so when he closes his fist, his ring finger bends over his middle finger. It was either hope that the finger heals a little more straight, but find out after the opportunity for surgery passes, or get surgery now and correct the direction of his finger for sure. So we decided that surgery would be the best option. The doctor will be moving the bottom of the finger about 10 degrees, which will move the top of the finger more than that. They will insert a metal plate to keep it straight. Luckily it is outpatient surgery so Caleb will be out only a few days.
SO! It goes without saying that we need some serious prayer! Pray that the surgery will go well, the doctors will make the best choices and have steady hands, and that the healing will go smoothly. Also if you could be praying about the expenses that come with surgery, which we don't really have the resources to afford. So be praying for the Lord's provision that we can pay the bills. Thank you so much for your constant support. Love you guys!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A Little Lifeline Love :)
These were some of the sweet notes given to us by a couple of our Lifeline girls last Monday :) Hopefully I will get pictures of the other notes given to him this Monday. They are pretty cute!
For those of you who hadn't heard, the Stantons had a rather interesting week last week! While at tailgating party through our church two Sundays ago, Caleb dislocated his ring finger playing flag football. We went to the store, bought a splint, and prayed about what to do and where to go in case the finger was broken. We woke up the next morning and his finger still wasn't bending straight. Off to the doctor we went! After some x-rays and an impressed doctor told Caleb "Have you seen this?? This is crazy!!" after seeing the x-rays, it turned out that Caleb broke his finger in two places, tore tendons, and ruptured cartilage. Joy :) They sent us straight to an orthopedic specialist, who took more x-rays, put his hand in a partial cast, and we find out tomorrow whether Caleb needs surgery or not.
The concerned kids are absolutely adorable. At Club on Monday, four or five girls wrote him "get better" letters. This is a great example of how the relationships with the kids are going. The elementary girls are crazy about Caleb! They always want his attention. The boys obviously show their like for Caleb in different ways, playing games with him and thriving under the attention. We have seen fruit come from Caleb's visits from Mary Beck Elementary, as a boy named Daniel came to Club after being invited by Caleb. I am officially a mother of three, possibly more. Totianna, Amairiya, and Ashanti have taken to calling me "Mama," which just makes my day :) Seeing how the kids cling to you and are so excited to see you every week warms our hearts. It definitely makes what we do at Clubs worth it.
For those of you who aren't aware of what the upcoming Monday brings, it's Halloween! The city of Elkhart has a scheduled date and time of trick-or-treating, and this year it's on the 31st from 6-8pm. Lifeline is having a carnival to celebrate! We are inviting the River Run Apartments (government housing where a large portion of our kids live) as well as Mary Beck Elementary. Face painting, corn hole, bowling, and balloon animals are only a few of the booths. We are excited for the opportunity for the community to come together in our building and to meet parents who come with their children. So pray that we have enough volunteers and candy to make it through the event!
Prayer Requests:
- We find out tomorrow whether Caleb will need surgery or not. If you could pray that his finger heals straight and that there is no other damage to the finger, we would greatly appreciate it.
- Another request is a prayer for financial provision. Caleb has insurance, just insurance with a $3,000 deductible. So please pray that God will provide a way to pay for the medical bills.
- That God will be present during our carnival on Monday, and that we can meet and reach our community for Christ.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Club is in Session!
I know its been an obnoxious amount of time since we last updated you all. Life the last few weeks has been a little crazy! So...here's your update haha.
CLUB!! We are three weeks into Clubs this year. Caleb is rockin' the Elementary Club! For those of you who attend/attended New Community, Caleb is doing Ten Commandments in a similar way to the Ten Words series we went through which is great. He even made some totally sweet tablets so that the kids have a visual. Learning to teach at an elementary kid level is a challenge, but Caleb is doing great. We have had about twenty kids show up the last two weeks, and as the word gets out I think the numbers will continue to grow! There is a strong team of leaders that help with Elementary, so we are very very blessed to have help (though we always need more volunteers, hint hint, wink wink!) Caleb has also been going to Mary Becks Elementary's 5th and 6th grade football games in support our Lifeline kids, this has a great way to show the kids we care about them and support them. It is really cool to see how excited to kids get when you watch them play.
We have had a little slice of home sweet home the last few weekends! Keri Burden, a friend I have know since seventh grade, stopped by for two days on her journey from Maryland to Washington. There is just something so special about getting a hug from someone who knows you so well and you can share anything with. She also supports us, so we got to show her around town and have her experience Clubs and what we are here for. Last weekend, Caleb's friend Matt Rogers was in Chicago for a business conference, so Caleb drove up to Chicago to see him. They enjoyed some real Chicago-style deep-dish pizza and shared life together. God knew exactly what we needed and decided to send us two best friends to encourage us.
We joined a bible study! It has four to six other married couples in it, so be praying that we can grow closer to them. We are going to be talking about the book Radical by David Platt. I have only read the first chapter and it is definitely convicting. It's about taking back your faith from the American Dream, understanding that this faith we believe in is radical and often very often uncomfortable.
We have some serious prayer requests. A little ten year old girl who lives in the house right next to Lifeline died very unexpectedly of an asthma attack! This is very sad and while she did not attend clubs yet she was signed up and she has two cousins that attend. So you can pray for that whole family. Also pray that Lifeline can help comfort and reach out to the kids and parents. I really have no idea how to deal with something like this. But God is Holy, sovereign, and has a divine plan for the earth and for Elkhart and this family.
Some prayer requests:
- Christ shows up at Club on Monday-this Monday is a going to be a big day where we challenge the kids with the gospel
- Lifeline can continue to work in kids' hearts for Christ- Caleb and I can rely on Christ more and allow Him to be in control
- We can find where we belong here and a solid group of friends
Thank so much for all your prayer and support.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Clubs are coming!!
Romans 2:13
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who OBEY the law who will be declared righteous."
My husband, and God, decided to challenge me with the scary task of trying to go through Romans. This verse stuck out to me while I was having my quiet time today. Our relationship with God has to be more than hearing the words, more than sitting at church, more than listening to Christian radio. It has to be fulfilling God's purpose for our lives, taking his teachings like "Love your enemies" and actually doing it. It sounds easy enough, but the actions are hard in coming. That was my challenge today, to make my faith become more than words, but actions.
We are one week away from the kick-off of Clubs at Lifeline! It is exciting/scary/nerve-wracking/humbling to know that in one week twenty to fifty elementary kids are going to be coming through the doors, ready to be loved. Our prayers are that we are ready to love them. Our biggest prayer request is that God shows up. That we didn't move to Elkhart, Indiana just to find out that it isn't for us, that God has a different plan. Friends and family, if you could pray over Lifeline and each volunteer that will be preparing to share the love and gospel of Jesus Christ.
Some other prayer requests would be: developing strong friendships, consistency and quality in our quiet times, and that Caleb is prepared and confident for his first Club.
We miss and love you all. Thank you for your prayers and support. OH! And we have Skype now, if you would like to find a time to talk to us (jenna.stanton89)! Or feel free to e-mail us or call us too :) we'd love to hear from you!
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who OBEY the law who will be declared righteous."
My husband, and God, decided to challenge me with the scary task of trying to go through Romans. This verse stuck out to me while I was having my quiet time today. Our relationship with God has to be more than hearing the words, more than sitting at church, more than listening to Christian radio. It has to be fulfilling God's purpose for our lives, taking his teachings like "Love your enemies" and actually doing it. It sounds easy enough, but the actions are hard in coming. That was my challenge today, to make my faith become more than words, but actions.
We are one week away from the kick-off of Clubs at Lifeline! It is exciting/scary/nerve-wracking/humbling to know that in one week twenty to fifty elementary kids are going to be coming through the doors, ready to be loved. Our prayers are that we are ready to love them. Our biggest prayer request is that God shows up. That we didn't move to Elkhart, Indiana just to find out that it isn't for us, that God has a different plan. Friends and family, if you could pray over Lifeline and each volunteer that will be preparing to share the love and gospel of Jesus Christ.
Some other prayer requests would be: developing strong friendships, consistency and quality in our quiet times, and that Caleb is prepared and confident for his first Club.
We miss and love you all. Thank you for your prayers and support. OH! And we have Skype now, if you would like to find a time to talk to us (jenna.stanton89)! Or feel free to e-mail us or call us too :) we'd love to hear from you!
Friday, August 26, 2011
A Month IN ;)
Hahaha. Get it? IN? Indiana? Bahaha :D Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Can you believe we have been gone a month? I can't! Exactly a month ago, Caleb and I packed up the car and set off on the longest roadtrip we ever had, trying to get over the strangeness that we weren't driving back, that it was for real. Well. Lots has happened since then!
Living over here has had its ups and downs so far. Adjusting to our new life has been much harder than we anticipated. I mean, we knew it would be hard. We left everyone we knew, everything we understood, and moved 2,000 miles away. We just hadn't expected it to be this hard. I don't think we have gone more than a couple days in a row without one or both of us breaking down in tears. We are so blessed to have been asked to make this journey as a married couple. To those who have moved away by themselves, I give you big props. I couldn't do it.
God is definitely teaching us a thing or two though. Caleb and I are getting the very CLEAR message that we need to be flexible. We both have expectations and when those expectations don't occur, we get frustrated. Surprise, surprise, God wants us to ease up on our expectations and recognize that He is in control and not us. He told us to learn patience through a broken fridge over the last week, showing us that we need to rely on Him, not in what we can control.
He has also answered some serious prayer requests :) I found a job that I really enjoy, talking about books and learning about popular authors. Caleb's volunteer meeting last night went very well and it looks like we'll have some strong leaders. Our fridge was finally fixed. We are discovering a church that we are connecting at. We haven't gotten lost in a while. (Knock on wood!) Our apartment in Spokane was rented out and we got a rent refund. God provided enough for us during the time we worried about money to pay for things. God is just so good!!!
Some prayer requests:
- Clubs start Sept. 12th!! Pray that we will have enough volunteers and organization so that we are prepared for the kids
- We can connect to other young couples and begin friendships
- That we can feel loved and connected both to people back home and here
- We can learn flexibility as we get used to both of us working and at different times
- We can gain back motivation to raise support for Lifeline
We love and miss you all! The Stantons :)
Can you believe we have been gone a month? I can't! Exactly a month ago, Caleb and I packed up the car and set off on the longest roadtrip we ever had, trying to get over the strangeness that we weren't driving back, that it was for real. Well. Lots has happened since then!
Living over here has had its ups and downs so far. Adjusting to our new life has been much harder than we anticipated. I mean, we knew it would be hard. We left everyone we knew, everything we understood, and moved 2,000 miles away. We just hadn't expected it to be this hard. I don't think we have gone more than a couple days in a row without one or both of us breaking down in tears. We are so blessed to have been asked to make this journey as a married couple. To those who have moved away by themselves, I give you big props. I couldn't do it.
God is definitely teaching us a thing or two though. Caleb and I are getting the very CLEAR message that we need to be flexible. We both have expectations and when those expectations don't occur, we get frustrated. Surprise, surprise, God wants us to ease up on our expectations and recognize that He is in control and not us. He told us to learn patience through a broken fridge over the last week, showing us that we need to rely on Him, not in what we can control.
He has also answered some serious prayer requests :) I found a job that I really enjoy, talking about books and learning about popular authors. Caleb's volunteer meeting last night went very well and it looks like we'll have some strong leaders. Our fridge was finally fixed. We are discovering a church that we are connecting at. We haven't gotten lost in a while. (Knock on wood!) Our apartment in Spokane was rented out and we got a rent refund. God provided enough for us during the time we worried about money to pay for things. God is just so good!!!
Some prayer requests:
- Clubs start Sept. 12th!! Pray that we will have enough volunteers and organization so that we are prepared for the kids
- We can connect to other young couples and begin friendships
- That we can feel loved and connected both to people back home and here
- We can learn flexibility as we get used to both of us working and at different times
- We can gain back motivation to raise support for Lifeline
We love and miss you all! The Stantons :)
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Getting Settled
Hello all you wonderful people who read our blog :) Thank you for actually reading this! I never know who actually does lol so thank you for being one of them.
It's hard to believe we have been in Elkhart for two whole weeks!! At times it feels like a lifetime ago we were in Spokane, and at others, it feels like yesterday. Trying to learn the city has definitely been an adventure! Here are some highlights of what we have been doing:
- Church hunting. It's way harder than I thought. We have been to three different churches so far, searching for where God wants us to be. We really like one but do not want to limit God just because we are comfortable in one setting. (But that is also a dangerous statement haha)
- Caleb is really enjoying his work at Lifeline. He is getting to know some of the boys that visit the office and growing accustomed to the fact that he never really knows what his day will actually look like. We painted his office yesterday, so it looks all fancy and grown up :)
- I got a job! The Lord definitely provided, as the opportunity seemed to come out of nowhere. But I will be working at a small used bookstore in a nearby mall. It's working Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the next six weeks, and then re-evaluating after that. It's not alot of hours or money, but I get to do something I am passionate about. So thank you for your prayers!!
- We finally got internet!! It took a week from the first time we called, 8 or 9 calls back to Comcast, well over four hours on the phone, and three Comcast service guys, but we are now connected :) which feels wonderful. God really wanted to teach us patience, apparently.
- Lifeline got enough people to sponsor school supplies for around 100 kids from the River Run Apartments (government assistance housing) all the kids who signed up arrive at school on Tuesday with new backpacks and all of their school supplies!! Many families in the Elkhart school systems cannot afford the school supplies necessary for their children, so for the last three years Lifeline has helped by finding people to sponsor those in need. We get the exciting privilege of handing out full backpacks tomorrow night. You can pray for the kids as they start school this Tuesday!! (Yes you read correctly they have to start already!)
Love you all! Look for the post coming with pictures!!
It's hard to believe we have been in Elkhart for two whole weeks!! At times it feels like a lifetime ago we were in Spokane, and at others, it feels like yesterday. Trying to learn the city has definitely been an adventure! Here are some highlights of what we have been doing:
- Church hunting. It's way harder than I thought. We have been to three different churches so far, searching for where God wants us to be. We really like one but do not want to limit God just because we are comfortable in one setting. (But that is also a dangerous statement haha)
- Caleb is really enjoying his work at Lifeline. He is getting to know some of the boys that visit the office and growing accustomed to the fact that he never really knows what his day will actually look like. We painted his office yesterday, so it looks all fancy and grown up :)
- I got a job! The Lord definitely provided, as the opportunity seemed to come out of nowhere. But I will be working at a small used bookstore in a nearby mall. It's working Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the next six weeks, and then re-evaluating after that. It's not alot of hours or money, but I get to do something I am passionate about. So thank you for your prayers!!
- We finally got internet!! It took a week from the first time we called, 8 or 9 calls back to Comcast, well over four hours on the phone, and three Comcast service guys, but we are now connected :) which feels wonderful. God really wanted to teach us patience, apparently.
- Lifeline got enough people to sponsor school supplies for around 100 kids from the River Run Apartments (government assistance housing) all the kids who signed up arrive at school on Tuesday with new backpacks and all of their school supplies!! Many families in the Elkhart school systems cannot afford the school supplies necessary for their children, so for the last three years Lifeline has helped by finding people to sponsor those in need. We get the exciting privilege of handing out full backpacks tomorrow night. You can pray for the kids as they start school this Tuesday!! (Yes you read correctly they have to start already!)
Love you all! Look for the post coming with pictures!!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Finally! A Real Update :)
Hello all!! I finally found some time and internet to write a real and full update!
Our Trip:
The trip was a blast! We took five days to get to Indiana, spending time in Yellowstone and at Mount Rushmore. Yellowstone was positively breathtaking. We wished we could have spent more than just a day there. If you haven't been there yet, you should go! Mount Rushmore was incredible and definitely worth seeing as well. There is nothing like four giant faces to take your breath away ;)
We had perfect weather up until the time we decided to leave Mount Rushmore. We had beautiful sunny days for all of our touristy stops, and then the rain came. Out of the 36 hours we drove, the 13 hour drive from Rapid City, SD to Davenport, IA was the roughest. South Dakota and Minnesota weren't too bad, but Iowa and it's constant corn were a bit rough haha. All and alll we had a fun trip over, though it was strange to get over the tendency to think we were driving back. Glad we aren't doing that drive again anytime soon!
Elkhart, IN:
We officially arrived Friday evening around 6pm. The place we are staying in is so nice. We often feel like we are being spoiled, it's just so big and modern. Wood floors, new appliances, and five bedrooms (two unfinished). It didn't feel real the first couple days. Our possessions didn't arrive until Monday night, so we kind of felt like we were camping in our own house! No cookware, dishes, silverware-it was quite a challenge to find something to make for dinner.
The best part of the weekend was seeing some familiar faces. Russ, Shannon and the Davis kids were in town visiting family, so we received the huge blessing of having them show us around town and invite us to church. As many of you know, Caleb and I loved our church back home, so finding a new church will be a journey, but God is faithful and knows our needs and desires.
Lifeline:
Caleb's welcome into his office consisted of pink Barbie wrapping paper, Hannah Montana plates, and a Justin Beiber poster. His co-worker, Andy, wanted Caleb to feel welcomed for sure! Today is Caleb's third day of working at Lifeline. He received a work computer, which is another blessing!! He is slowly getting a feel for what is expected, what he should know, and the humor of the other staff members. Caleb has already showcased his mad basketball skills with some of the Lifeline boys and is getting a feel for the kids he will be working with and loving on.
As for me, I am unpacking and organizing the house for now. Our ReloCube came at 7pm Monday night, so I have been working away at making our house feel like a home. I miss home and my family alot, but am enjoying the adventure of living here. Next week, we will hopefully have internet and I can begin a job search. After some direction from God, I have decided to help out with the Junior/Senior High girls club here.
Last night was our first activity! It was Elkhart's Night Out Against Crime, helping support Elkhart Police Department. We made cotton candy from 3pm to about 9pm last night, so we were hot and sweaty, and a little sugary! ;) It was fun to see the community we live in, and meet those who live in it.
First Board Meeting: (Caleb)
I just got done with my first board of directors meeting and I was very encouraged. I just wanted to share with you a quote from Scott the president of our board of directors. In a rather intense discussion with the advisory board, they discussed the idea of merging/working with other organizations to save money. The problem arouse of possibly losing our central mission at this time Scott finally spoke up only to say "Here is my only thought, I would rather die than be apart of an organization that does not share the Gospel every day!" I was so excited I almost jumped out of my seat. That is why we are here to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the youth of Elkhart.
How you can be praying:
- That we can daily seek God's direction
- Jenna can find a job that is fulfilling
- Caleb can learn his way around and relate to Elementary kids
- Support will continue to come in now that we are in Elkhart
- That we can adapt to a new community and culture
We love and miss you!! Love, The Stantons
Our Trip:
The trip was a blast! We took five days to get to Indiana, spending time in Yellowstone and at Mount Rushmore. Yellowstone was positively breathtaking. We wished we could have spent more than just a day there. If you haven't been there yet, you should go! Mount Rushmore was incredible and definitely worth seeing as well. There is nothing like four giant faces to take your breath away ;)
We had perfect weather up until the time we decided to leave Mount Rushmore. We had beautiful sunny days for all of our touristy stops, and then the rain came. Out of the 36 hours we drove, the 13 hour drive from Rapid City, SD to Davenport, IA was the roughest. South Dakota and Minnesota weren't too bad, but Iowa and it's constant corn were a bit rough haha. All and alll we had a fun trip over, though it was strange to get over the tendency to think we were driving back. Glad we aren't doing that drive again anytime soon!
Elkhart, IN:
We officially arrived Friday evening around 6pm. The place we are staying in is so nice. We often feel like we are being spoiled, it's just so big and modern. Wood floors, new appliances, and five bedrooms (two unfinished). It didn't feel real the first couple days. Our possessions didn't arrive until Monday night, so we kind of felt like we were camping in our own house! No cookware, dishes, silverware-it was quite a challenge to find something to make for dinner.
The best part of the weekend was seeing some familiar faces. Russ, Shannon and the Davis kids were in town visiting family, so we received the huge blessing of having them show us around town and invite us to church. As many of you know, Caleb and I loved our church back home, so finding a new church will be a journey, but God is faithful and knows our needs and desires.
Lifeline:
Caleb's welcome into his office consisted of pink Barbie wrapping paper, Hannah Montana plates, and a Justin Beiber poster. His co-worker, Andy, wanted Caleb to feel welcomed for sure! Today is Caleb's third day of working at Lifeline. He received a work computer, which is another blessing!! He is slowly getting a feel for what is expected, what he should know, and the humor of the other staff members. Caleb has already showcased his mad basketball skills with some of the Lifeline boys and is getting a feel for the kids he will be working with and loving on.
As for me, I am unpacking and organizing the house for now. Our ReloCube came at 7pm Monday night, so I have been working away at making our house feel like a home. I miss home and my family alot, but am enjoying the adventure of living here. Next week, we will hopefully have internet and I can begin a job search. After some direction from God, I have decided to help out with the Junior/Senior High girls club here.
Last night was our first activity! It was Elkhart's Night Out Against Crime, helping support Elkhart Police Department. We made cotton candy from 3pm to about 9pm last night, so we were hot and sweaty, and a little sugary! ;) It was fun to see the community we live in, and meet those who live in it.
First Board Meeting: (Caleb)
I just got done with my first board of directors meeting and I was very encouraged. I just wanted to share with you a quote from Scott the president of our board of directors. In a rather intense discussion with the advisory board, they discussed the idea of merging/working with other organizations to save money. The problem arouse of possibly losing our central mission at this time Scott finally spoke up only to say "Here is my only thought, I would rather die than be apart of an organization that does not share the Gospel every day!" I was so excited I almost jumped out of my seat. That is why we are here to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the youth of Elkhart.
How you can be praying:
- That we can daily seek God's direction
- Jenna can find a job that is fulfilling
- Caleb can learn his way around and relate to Elementary kids
- Support will continue to come in now that we are in Elkhart
- That we can adapt to a new community and culture
We love and miss you!! Love, The Stantons
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)