Support Update

Thanks to all of you who have supported us prayerfully and financially! We have been overwhelmed by people's response!

Here is a quick update on where our support stands at the moment.

We have had $4,710 come in towards our anticipated one-time need of about $20,000.
We are currently receiving or have been pledged a total of $1,130 per month towards our monthly budget of $3,500.

The one time funds will cover the expense associated with our training at Mission Training International coming up in November/December! Praise God!

If you are thinking/praying about joining our monthly support team would you please consider starting to give at the first of the year (or before:). This will allow us to get a good gauge of where our support stands. From January - May we need to receive $1,100 per month to go towards Jeff's current salary at SI (The same as it has been over the last few years). Any amount received over the $1,100 during these months will be applied toward our one-time expenses.

We have been made aware that some of our last newsletters sent via snail mail did not make it to their final destination. If you did not receive one and would like to (It has cute pictures of the kids in it!) let us know. Also, if you have any questions about our support, budget, how things are going as we fund raise and prepare to move please don't hesitate to ask!

A Giant Step For Small Feet

Olivia officially entered the world of school this past month, joining Mommy at her FIRST 5 Preschool in Ivanhoe. She is one of two three-year-olds in the class, and doing well! She loves doing "homework" and even won the "Catch of the Day" award one day for being an "enthusiastic singer." :) Proud to be a Big Girl, we hope her love of learning continues for a lifetime!

Half Dome

On Monday September 10th I (Jeff) climbed half dome with 3 close friends and co-workers (Dave Hansen, Hector Pinto, and Jonathan Thompson). For those who don't know half dome is in Yosemite National Park. It is about an 8.2 mile hike in which you gain around 5,000 feet of elevation. It was a tremendous day of hiking and fellowship. The view along the trail and from the top were absolutely amazing! If you're a hiker and have never climbed it, it is a must do. Worth the trip from anywhere in the world! Here are a few pictures to help illustrate the point.

Looking up at half dome from the trail














Standing at the base of the cables before the final assent













Views from the Top!!

SI Banquet

On Saturday September 8th we had the Students International Fundraising Banquet. It was a fabulous night! Just under 400 people came to hear about what God is doing through SI. It was a fun evening for us of connecting with new and old friends. To put the icing on the cake about $40,000 was raised for SI!! Praise God!

Visit With the Roubs

We're a little behind in our blogging, but here are some pictures from a few weeks ago when my (Tracey's) parents were out here for a visit. We confess, we did NOT take these pictures--they did. But we are taking the liberty of posting them anyway! We hope you enjoy!



We'd also like to give you an update on our lives since returning to "normal"--we're doing pretty well adjusting back to California life, I think. It's always with mixed feelings that we come home. I personally have been enjoying being in one place and not having to live out of suitcases, and the kids seem to like having a little more routine in their lives. Olivia talks about Costa Rica and "Gualamala" a lot, and says she would like to live in Costa Rica. Jeff has had a little harder time coming home and would be ready to move to Costa Rica tomorrow if he could. Oral surgery two weeks ago didn't help (ouch!), but that seems to be on the mend now. Mentally, we are making lists in our minds about what to keep, sell, store, and give away. However, we are also trying to live in the present and enjoy this next year together in Visalia. We had a get together last week with some people who want to go with us to CR. It was a wonderful time! Please be praying that God would continue to lead clearly in each of our lives. I told somebody yesterday that we are walking on the road that leads to Costa Rica, and so far it has been a very smooth one! May it continue to be so!!

One time...

"One time, when I was in China by myself, a girl asked if God and Jesus were together when they made crocodiles and elephants. I said no they weren't together that one time when I was in China in Pasadena. Mommy where's China?"

A snippet from our conversation this evening on the way home from church. We learn so much from Olivia! In reality it is amazing how much our kids teach us about the most profound subjects in life.

The Coast

If you have never been to California's Central Coast, it is something to add to a list of to-dos. It is full of rough, rocky coastlines, grassy hills, sandy beaches that double as treasure coves, and tide pools that hint at what must live deeper in the ocean. We were privileged to visit there again last week with our friends the Thompsons (that's Tricia with the whale carcass), and Alipaz,' Hector Pinto, and also the Pittmans who are the field directors for the new SI Fiji site (they are the family sitting on the rocks). It was a wonderful time of relaxing and hanging out. We stayed in Morro Bay and traipsed around some great beaches in the area. The weather was perfect, and the kids had the time of their lives running around in the sand and waves. The following pictures will help tell the story: