Croatia News:
On February 10, Trevor and I went to see a psychologist in Fort Worth to get a psychological assessment done in preparation for missions. We took written assessments (MMPI-2, NEOPI, and MSI-R) and had both couple and individual interviews. Since Missions Resource Network hasn't informed us otherwise, I assume that we passed.
The next big event will be Quest weekend, March 23-25. We have already taken some online assessments (Marriage Enrich, Taylor-Johnson, and Leading From Your Strengths). There will be several other couples there who are interested in similar mission work (assisting indigenous church planters) in different parts of the world. From the way they have described it to us, Quest will be both intense and enriching for everyone involved.
Last weekend while he was at Half-Price Books, Trevor bought Teach Yourself Complete Croatian by David Norris. We are attempting to build on the foundation of the language that we learned while we were in Croatia in 2007. I have labeled several of our food items in preparation for grocery shopping in Varazdin!
On a personal note: Trevor and I paid off another student loan this February, which always feels nice. We only have three more medium and one large one to go! Also, I have been asked to take over the Personal Finances class that our church offers for our food pantry customers, at least temporarily. I am a bit nervous but I hope to both learn and teach in the situation.
Please continue to pray for us, both in our day-in, day-out situation and our current journey towards Varazdin.
God bless,
Kayla Keele
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Croatia 2013
Dear Friends and Family,
In 2007, as you remember, Trevor and I went on a 10-week missions internship to meet with and serve the Churches of Christ in Croatia, Eastern Europe. One of the churches we served with was in a village called Varazdin, an hour or so north of the capital, Zagreb. On our first day in Varazdin, the minister, Mladen, expressed interested in having American partners go over for a couple of years to help with this church. He expressed this interest again in his June 2011 newsletter, and this time, Trevor and I felt that it was time to respond to his invitation.
We e-mailed Mladen and Renata, our missions professors, and the Richardson East elders, asking for their prayers in discernment and support on our journey. We applied to Missions Resource Network this past fall, who will provide training and networking for us. Our next step is tomorrow, when we will go in for a psychological assessment, which is part of the MRN preparation process.
We need your prayers as we continue at our current jobs, begin missions training, continue our "debt snowball", and put off expanding our family for a little bit longer. We also need your prayers that the money will come it and enable us to go. Our expected departure date is January 2013!
In 2007, as you remember, Trevor and I went on a 10-week missions internship to meet with and serve the Churches of Christ in Croatia, Eastern Europe. One of the churches we served with was in a village called Varazdin, an hour or so north of the capital, Zagreb. On our first day in Varazdin, the minister, Mladen, expressed interested in having American partners go over for a couple of years to help with this church. He expressed this interest again in his June 2011 newsletter, and this time, Trevor and I felt that it was time to respond to his invitation.
We e-mailed Mladen and Renata, our missions professors, and the Richardson East elders, asking for their prayers in discernment and support on our journey. We applied to Missions Resource Network this past fall, who will provide training and networking for us. Our next step is tomorrow, when we will go in for a psychological assessment, which is part of the MRN preparation process.
We need your prayers as we continue at our current jobs, begin missions training, continue our "debt snowball", and put off expanding our family for a little bit longer. We also need your prayers that the money will come it and enable us to go. Our expected departure date is January 2013!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Quentin Is Home!
Quentin and Trevor enjoying an former pastimeQuentin is back in Texas. He got off and out of Minot on my (Kayla's) birthday, February 8. We spent two consecutive weekends in Fort Worth getting to see him, and now we are all down in Georgetown. We have enjoyed eating, shopping, and conversation today, and we are planning on celebrating Kyra's third birthday tomorrow! Trevor and I will not be able to make her party, so we are excited to get to spend this time with her and her wonderful parents.
Earlier this month, we had a crazy beginning to February. I ended up getting a total of five (paid) days off for weather, four of them being consecutive. I was as thankful as ever to have my best friend two blocks away. We enjoyed some knitting and crocheting to a background of Oklahoma!, Pride & Prejudice, and State Fair. Grandma Crowe wrote down her dishcloth pattern for me at Thanksgiving, and those days off finally gave me a chance to practice! Trevor, however, went stir crazy and was thankful to be able to return to work when the roads improved.
I also celebrated my 25th birthday with the Clinards and the Dowells the weekend before my birthday. My friends were gracious enough to go out to eat at Olive Garden with us, and then the Clinards had us over for cookies & board games. We had a blast. It is such a blessing to be able to keep old friendships in new stages of life, particularly with how much I cried over moving away from friends, these four included, in 2008!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Winter Weather
Well, it finally got winter cold in Dallas. Two weeks ago we had snow on a Sunday, and this week we had cold rain.
Trevor and I currently have four blankets on our bed. The bottom is a simple cream-colored cotton blanket that we bought with a Walmart gift card on our first New Years Eve married when our apartment heater broke.
The three quilts pictured here each have a story as well:
-The cream quilt with purple detail at the top of this photo was our hostess gift at my Lubbock bridal shower.
-The middle quilt was made by a friend from Georgetown named Fran and her mother. It was our parting gift at our farewell potluck at Georgetown CoC.
-The quilt at the bottom of the picture was Grandma Crowe's graduation gift to Trevor. I got a quilt at graduation, also, which is at my parents' house: a quilt made out of all my middle and high school t-shirts.
In practical news, Trevor is enjoying his job and I might be starting to get the hang of my "new" school (I will have been there six months on February 11). We are making all sorts of goals for the New Year. We got eye exams over Christmas break, gave blood today to get our blood types and a base number on our cholesterol levels, and we are scheduled to go to the dentist next week. Other than that, we're just plugging along.
-Kayla
Trevor and I currently have four blankets on our bed. The bottom is a simple cream-colored cotton blanket that we bought with a Walmart gift card on our first New Years Eve married when our apartment heater broke.
The three quilts pictured here each have a story as well:
-The cream quilt with purple detail at the top of this photo was our hostess gift at my Lubbock bridal shower.
-The middle quilt was made by a friend from Georgetown named Fran and her mother. It was our parting gift at our farewell potluck at Georgetown CoC.
-The quilt at the bottom of the picture was Grandma Crowe's graduation gift to Trevor. I got a quilt at graduation, also, which is at my parents' house: a quilt made out of all my middle and high school t-shirts.
In practical news, Trevor is enjoying his job and I might be starting to get the hang of my "new" school (I will have been there six months on February 11). We are making all sorts of goals for the New Year. We got eye exams over Christmas break, gave blood today to get our blood types and a base number on our cholesterol levels, and we are scheduled to go to the dentist next week. Other than that, we're just plugging along.
-Kayla
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Placing Membership
After visiting three different churches and feeling fully welcomed by all, we placed membership last week at the church we felt we would be the best fit at, Richardson East Church of Christ. We have received a booklet in the mail of all of the ways we can participate in various church ministries, which we are perusing and considering. Our friends Matthew and Jessica Dowell placed membership the same day. Now the only large component we are missing in Dallas life is a job for Trevor!
This weekend has been a busy one for us. We enjoyed dinner with Mark, Ruth, Evelyn, Dale, Curtis, and Claire, walking for SCTNow on Saturday morning with our friends, the Clinards, seeing Claire and Curtis again along with Claire's best friend from Ft. Worth, and then an evening, church morning, and afternoon with Les & Deatra.
Sidenote: To learn more about and/or donate money to Stop Child Trafficking Now, visit my donor page. To sign a petition for the children brougt out of trafficking, visit the body shop website.
We are looking forward also to visiting Johanna in Witchita Falls and seeing her as Emma in the musical, Jekyll & Hyde. Break a leg, Johanna Lee!
This weekend has been a busy one for us. We enjoyed dinner with Mark, Ruth, Evelyn, Dale, Curtis, and Claire, walking for SCTNow on Saturday morning with our friends, the Clinards, seeing Claire and Curtis again along with Claire's best friend from Ft. Worth, and then an evening, church morning, and afternoon with Les & Deatra.
Sidenote: To learn more about and/or donate money to Stop Child Trafficking Now, visit my donor page. To sign a petition for the children brougt out of trafficking, visit the body shop website.
We are looking forward also to visiting Johanna in Witchita Falls and seeing her as Emma in the musical, Jekyll & Hyde. Break a leg, Johanna Lee!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Life in Dallas
We have now been in Dallas for a month and a half. Kayla started her job on August 11 at a Methodist child care center in Dallas. Trevor is still waiting to hear back from a job he interviewed for this past week, and we have been hunting for a church home. Our apartment is unpacked and we have been doing well at keeping it nice thus far.
I (Kayla) am looking into doing a charity walk called SCTNow, with the possibility of Trevor joining me if work allows. There is an article on the website about Child Trafficking in Texas that blew me away, since I normally think of that type of thing being an overseas thing. There are walks across the US. Visit the website to find out more.
Thank you for all the prayers that went up on our behalf on this change. We are still adapting in some ways, but, overall, we have settled in to life here in Dallas.
I (Kayla) am looking into doing a charity walk called SCTNow, with the possibility of Trevor joining me if work allows. There is an article on the website about Child Trafficking in Texas that blew me away, since I normally think of that type of thing being an overseas thing. There are walks across the US. Visit the website to find out more.
Thank you for all the prayers that went up on our behalf on this change. We are still adapting in some ways, but, overall, we have settled in to life here in Dallas.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Moving Day
Well, we packed up our Georgetown apartment and loaded it up, with the help of Claire and Curtis and a couple of men from church:
We caravaned with Claire in the XTerra and Curtis in Trevor's Kia to Dallas. Then we signed our new lease, paid our rent, and met Matthew and Jessica to unload the truck.
We caravaned with Claire in the XTerra and Curtis in Trevor's Kia to Dallas. Then we signed our new lease, paid our rent, and met Matthew and Jessica to unload the truck.
Thanks to everyone who helped. There is still much to do with unpacking. Trevor is still looking for a job; I will start with Preston Hollow United Methodist's preschool later in August. We got to visit Richardson East Church of Christ with the Dowells this weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)