Archive for February, 2008

ChoreWare Testers Needed

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

We are about to release a new version of ChoreWare on a new server. In this process, to eliminate quirks that are inherently part of software, we would greatly appreciate a little help in testing this out. We have copied over the latest data from the current server to the new server, so, for those of you that are current ChoreWare subscribers, all you have to do is go to the link below, log in, and start looking around to see the many features that we have added.

Everything is pretty much the same in the environment that you have been used to, only faster and more user friendly. There is a link on the sidebar of every page in ChoreWare to a form to report a bug, if you find one.

http://208.110.69.250/

Please understand, though, that this is test data, and when we perform the rollover process, this test data will be lost (because ChorePacks.com will remain active until the short time of changeover).

Thank you very much for your help!

In Christ Jesus’ Shed Blood Alone,
The Maxwell Family

Last Weekend’s Conference

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

Our hearts are overwhelmed by the blessings of the Lord this weekend in Perryton, Texas. We arrived in town around 2 p.m. and quickly checked into the hotel and then headed for the church. We had our family devotions in the bus together before going in to set up.

The conference hostess provided us a delicious dinner before our evening started. Thank you! Our music session went quite well. Nathan was able to join us, so he played lead guitar. Some elderly members of the community came to the music session, and we were blessed that they took the time to come.

Nathan and Melanie were a joy to have with us: they would look for ways they could help and fill needs. Even Baby Maxwell did so well; he/she didn’t even make any noise :-) .

Each session went smoothly, and we were thrilled that families took their day to come to the conference. Most people had driven a distance to attend. One family brought lunch for us, which made it easy to be able to eat before the afternoon sessions. Thank you!

We met many families, and a highlight for us is being able to learn about their lives. A special treat for the boys this weekend was being able to chat with a father who repairs bluegrass instruments.

The Lord also graciously protected us on our drive home. We were only a little over an hour down the road, when we hit fog. It was very difficult driving for Dad, but we finally came out of the fog. We checked the weather on the Internet, and it appeared we were headed for bad weather. We hit the snow/slush in Wichita. After a quick stop (including ice cream, thanks Nathan!), around 10 p.m. we were on our way again. We weren’t too far down the interstate, and suddenly we came up to an accident. Uriah doesn’t stop too quickly, and the accident was in our lane. Dad braked as quickly as he could. We were horrified to see everyone (including children) involved in the accident standing near their cars, in a very vulnerable area. After switching lanes, Dad decided to see if they could help (no one appear injured, but Dad was going to see if they wanted to come in Uriah), so he pulled Uriah off, and John, Christopher, and Dad went to the scene. The family didn’t want to come, and some KDOT salt trucks showed up, and they were going to help.

We continued through really bad road conditions for another few hours, which slowed down our progress. Then, near Topeka, the roads cleared up, and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.

Another wonderful conference :-) ! Our next trip is only four weeks away. That trip will include several stops in Oregon, two in Canada, one in North Dakota, and the last at the MACHE convention (Minnesota).

Blessings,
Sarah for the rest of the family

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We snapped this picture quickly as we drove through Greensburg, Kansas, a small town that was devastated by a tornado last year.

Nathan

Nathan working on his laptop.

Two cute sisters

Two sisters :-) .

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The boys listening to the father who works on instruments.

Backpacks

We each have at least one type of bag we carry, and this is our stack of backpacks (and not everyone has one :-) ).

Another Two Jewels in Jesus’ Crown

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

This past week, four of our dear friends from the nursing home, where we have our church, slipped into eternity. Three of them slipped away when we were gone this weekend. We are grateful that before the trip, Christopher, Sarah and Teri were able to sit with three of them, read Scripture, and pray for them. We know two were trusting in Jesus as their Savior, one we’re not sure of, and the other had rejected our Lord, although the gospel had been shared many times. Our prayer is that sometime on that person’s death bed, that as they heard yet again how to be saved, they repented and asked the Lord to be their Savior before it was too late.

Our family has been highly blessed by being asked to provide the funeral service for one. We will be driving three hours away for that service on Friday. We covet your prayers as we have been given permission to share the plan of salvation during the service. With death and eternity so fresh and on everyone’s minds there is no better time to share Jesus. May the Lord be glorified in all that is said and done.

In Christ Jesus,

Steve

We’re Home!

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

We arrived home safely just before 2 a.m. Thank you for your prayers!

Sarah for the rest

Driving Through Wintry Weather

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

We wanted to post a quick prayer request. We are driving through slushy/snowy roads right now near Emporia, Kansas. It’s amazing that we had bad weather on the way out and even worse on the way home :-) . Please pray for our safety as we drive the last few hours. We’ll give a conference report later.

Sarah for all 12 of us

On Our Way to Perryton, Texas

Thursday, February 21st, 2008

We are on our way to the weekend conference in Perryton, Texas. Wintry weather moved into Kansas this morning, and we had sleet and light snow. The roads were for the most part okay. The weather will be warm (around 50 degrees!) tomorrow, so we’re grateful for that. Please pray for those are coming to the conference, that the Lord Jesus will work in hearts.

The boys dived into a quick project before we left: they built a wall for the boys’ bunk area. This will make it so that we only have to heat a portion of the bus at night. The generator is now wired up so the boys will be able to run a couple of space heaters.

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We are excited to have Nathan and Melanie join us this weekend. We look forward to meeting some of you!

Joyfully His,
Sarah for the rest of the family

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Anna and Mary about to get into the bus. (Notice the little “insect” Anna is holding? We bought him and his buddy, “Pray”, at a store in Arizona. “Pray” hangs off of the ceiling near the front, and we need to now find a good place for his buddy. When we hit a bump, “Pray” jumps/bounces :-) .)

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Grandad and Grandma waving good-bye.

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We all gathered inside the bus to pray, rather than outside because of the weather.

This Past Week

Sunday, February 17th, 2008

We’ve continued to see the Lord’s faithfulness in our lives this past week. We are praying and preparing for the conference in Perryton, Texas next weekend. Nathan and Melanie are planning on going with us as well.

This week, we kept busy with normal life, school, and house projects. A big corner was turned: interior painting has begun! Joseph and John have been finishing up mudding. We still have much house work ahead of us, but it’s refreshing to see color on the walls.

May you have a blessed week.

Joyfully His,
Sarah

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Mary and Honey :-) .

Anna

Anna painting.

Dad

Dad preparing to paint another room.

Anna

John mudding

Challenges and a Saturday Retreat

Monday, February 4th, 2008

The last week has held some challenges as we’ve settled back into normal life again. It’s not surprising because we always find before a ministry trip we experience challenges, and sometimes afterwards it can be the case as well. I’m sure each one of us experiences challenges throughout our week. What are we doing during those times—resting in Jesus or worrying? “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:33-34).

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Saturday Mom spoke at a Ladies’ Retreat in Lenexa – only 40 minutes from our house. It’s a treat for Mom when speaking means she gets to sleep in her own bed the night before and not have to pack a travel bag!  When we arrived, we were blessed by several people who helped us carry our book table things in and set up. Many ladies attended this one-day retreat. They were extremely responsive to what Mom shared, and it is our  prayer that each mom was encouraged by her day away. We always love to see the little ones at these conferences. At this conference, though, the older children were home with Dad while it was the nursing babies who were with the moms – such cute babies, too! :-)

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(One such cute little one :-) .)

Thank you to all those who are continuing to pray for Nathan and Melanie’s baby who is due June 25th. What an incredible gift from the Lord!

Joyfully His,
Sarah