Fall is for Family
Hello, family!
Fall is upon us and we can’t be more excited, as that means more opportunities to spend with friends and family and count our blessings from God. One such blessing is the opportunity to rest as a couple and just enjoy married life, especially with the holidays right around the corner! We hope each of you are doing well, and that you are appreciating the cooler weather as much as we are.
One thing that James and I (Tatiana) look forward to every few months is when life groups with our church family start back up. The purpose of these weekly meetings is to grow more in the Word with one another as we dig deeper into the sermon that was taught the previous Sunday. We gather in the home of a friend, and typically all bring food to contribute as we share a meal together before diving into our biblical discussion. This provides such a sweet, intimate environment for fellowshiping with one another, which is truly a beautiful reflection of the early church model as seen in Acts 2:46: "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” As you can see in the photo, Albanos never hesitate to jump in when a friend needs some help in the kitchen!
James and I had the opportunity to join my family in attending a special harvest festival put on by a family-owned Christian camp in Angeles Crest last month. We are always grateful for any time spent with family and try to relish every moment with them as much as we can. Outings like this are very special, and everyone had so much fun participating in various activities like a pie eating contest, hay ride, ziplining, archery, rock climbing, and carnival games! Inevitably, the more time we spend with my family, the more we find ourselves getting excited for when we will start our own!
Last month also marked the beginning of the Missionary Training School (MTS) program at our church! So far it has been a great semester getting lots of helpful tips from our associate pastor for studying the Bible and learning which tools help you do so. There are about 15 of us students in the program currently, and a few of them are getting ready to be sent overseas for extended periods of time for either what our church calls "vision tours" (a couple months spent in a country of interest where they are encouraged to seek the Lord about whether He is calling them there), or they are traveling to help international workers at another Calvary Chapel. While James and I are excited for these opportunities that Lord has brought our friends into, it also reminds us to be praying daily to be prepared for the good works He has for us to walk in as a couple, as Ephesians 2:10 so perfectly reminds us: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Although we know that we are called to be here in California for the time being, both of us can't help but wonder where He might call us to serve Him in the future. Please pray for us as we ourselves are considering doing a vision tour sometime next year, possibly. That we would have the financial provision to accomplish this, be able to get the time off from work, and for the overall timing to be right.
As always, we can't help but express our immense gratitude to the Lord for each of you. You have prayed for us, supported us, and cheered us on these past few months through some difficult times with Tatiana's family, financial difficulties, and with readjustments coming home after our trip to Mexico. You all mean so much to us, and if there is anything at all that we could be praying for you about, please don't hesitate to respond to this email with your requests! We love you all so deeply, but that hardly compares to the never-ending, unconditional, sacrificial love of our Heavenly Father towards each of you (Ephesians 3:18).
Praise Reports:
- Tatiana got a better paying job, which gives her more work than her old job was! This will help us pay off our remaining debt quicker.
- We were able to get the volunteers we needed to effectively run the BBQ ministry again!
- A generous family member has offered to help pay for some of our debt!
Prayer Points
- For James to find a Starbucks closer to home, or another job if the Lord wills
- Endurance for busy weeks and long days of work for both of us
- Guidance and provision for a future vision tour
- Relief and wisdom for how to treat some of James’ minor health issues
- Continual provision to pay off our debt
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