Living Life Fuller

As I write this, 2 of my best friends and their 4 children are flying over to Africa to serve as missionaries for 2 years.
I've recently posted pictures on facebook of the last time we spent together, and couldn't help but cry. I'm so very proud of them, they are doing one of the bravest things, I'm just going to miss them so much. I've prayed for their safety, but also for their opportunities that they'll embark.

Let me give you some history... well, the history that we have with them.

We met at youth group.... no, not our youth group, as youth group leaders. :)

(typical life as youth leaders) :P





 Being youth leaders comes with a territory. You have to be weird, not afraid to be silly or look stupid, and you have to let the inner child out. When you find fellow like minded youth leaders, they are like "gems". That's where Josh and I met Owen and Stephanie. Owen and I are the analytical ones, while Josh and Stephanie are free spirits. Owen brought sense to Josh, Josh made it easy for Owen to run around like a little boy with him. Stephanie and I were a fit with our similar mothering ways, of course, she is really good at calming me down when I need it. We are all a perfect match!

Their oldest little girl happens to be the same age as what our Sarah would've been. So it's been a gift to watch her grow up. Our Isaiah has proposed to their Larinda... yikes... totally supportive, just not until they are way older... :) Of course, I think their Gaby may be in competition with her older sister over this boy... we'll see. Eve loves playing with all those girls, as if she doesn't have enough sisters of her own...  Stephanie and I were pregnant together with Macy and Teshura. Then they finally had their boy, Omri, and I had yet another girl.. Naomi.

Their story? They knew eachother from when they were little. They married just a day or 2 before Prom. yes, that's highschool Prom.
 He was being deployed shortly after cause he was an IT for the military.

Owen would be the tallest one here.

 He did this for 4 years, until they decided to be missionaries. Obviously, there's a lot of details here, but here's the highlights. And here's their blog if you want to know more about what they do now. www.livinglifefuller.com

Owen is the white one. 

Owen is working as an IT, in Africa, through MAF. (Mission Aviation Fellowship) Stephanie will be the supportive wife as she's always been, learning to live in the East DRC of Africa, and showing God's love to whomever she comes across. It won't be hard for either of them to show God's love, but I won't say that this trip is going to be easy for them. I'm sure there will be trials. It's how you face each trial, what you make of it, and how you praise God coming out of it, that's what matters. My prayer is that they find God in people that will surround them, support them, and stand in that gap for them. They will probably come back home to us exhausted after being there for 2 years. But I'm imagining it will be a good exhausted.










They've been there for us through so much life. They've been there through our continued healing with losing Sarah. We were there when Owen had to be deployed again, and Stephanie was supported with friends and family. They were there when we had all the issues with Tesh. Our husbands are there for eachother, especially when they need it most. Stephanie and I can call talk about anything. Through the joys and trials of parenting. oh my... the list could go on.....

Both of our families :) 

Their fellowship is priceless to us. Both families in the ministry. Both families young with LOTS of kids. Both families love God and love eachother. My tears are sad for my own selfish reasons of missing them. However, I will never stand in their way cause they are about to do great things and I'm excited, with them,  to see how.

....as they live life fuller ;)