Visit with Emily

Tom, Lisa, Emily, and Caleb

Hi. We went down to Cedarville University to pick up Hilary after her 2 week re-entry seminar. She really enjoyed it, meeting other missionary kids who are in the same position as her was inspiring and encouraging for her. Hilary feels extra ready for her next step of college because of these last two weeks.

On the way down, we were able to meet with Emily. If you remember, Emily was in Kadiolo in 2007, and some of 2008. We enjoyed a nice Bob Evans dinner with her, and shared news from Kadiolo, and greetings from so many friends. It was a joy to be with her again.

God has been working in Emily's life, and has given her a job within her training as a nutritionist.

We pray that God continues to lead Emily as she seeks to serve him.... God speed, Emily.

We begin our trek to Winnipeg this weekend. A special thank you to friends who will house us on the way.... see you guys soon.

Pray for road safety for us, and that our van would be in tip top shape...

Pray for our kids as travel isn't their favorite part of their life...

Thanks for praying for us.

Tom & Lisa Seward

Life speeds up

Hi. This last week Hilary has been at a re-entry seminar for MK high school graduates. This conference really helps kids who have been out of the country for extended periods of time, even to the point where they are not sure which country to call "home".

Hilary has been very encouraged by 40 other students who identify with the same kinds of mixed feelings of leaving a foreign country, and lifelong friends to re-enter America. You may think "What's wrong with America? Isn't it really easy to come back and enjoy things like Wendy's and Cable TV? But the issues are more than that... Hilary's class of 28 graduating students are going all over the USA, and overseas as well. Hilary and one other will be at JBU, one will be in St. Paul, Mn, one will be going to Houghton, one will be going to Cornell, 3 will be going to Wheaton, 1 will be going to a Bible school in England, so you see how scattered this fairly close-knit group will be.

So now you may say.. "oh, well if its gonna be hard, then I would never put my child in that sort of position." But our kids would change very little, if anything about their whole experience... and God is in control. He's given them the gift of multi-culturalism and the gift of broad life experiences for His own reasons... We have to do what God calls us to do, and trust him with our families' and our children... God does not let us down.... He is worthy of this kind of trust.

Anyway.. Hilary has been really soaking in the richness of this seminar. Pray for her in the coming months ahead as she will be putting into practice some of the thinking/strategies shown to her in this seminar....

Pray for us... Thursday this week we leave for Cedarville, OH, to pick her up at the end of this seminar. Sunday, we travel to Wheaton, Monday we travel to MN, Wed we travel to Grand Forks, ND, Thursday up to Winnipeg, Manitoba....

Our schedule will be very tight... and we'll be travelling quickly. We will get back to Wheaton in time to move into our new home for the year. We will arrive in time to enroll the boys in their school, about 5 days ahead of time, and the same day the boys start school in Wheaton, Hilary will be starting college at John Brown University....

So life is speeding up for the next month....

Thanks for stopping by,

God Bless,

Tom & Lisa

What do you do for encouragement/downtime?

This is all of us, (Ben taking the picture) waiting at mainstage for festivities to start.

There are so many things people do to relax/recharge. Our mission, Worldventure encourages us to remember to take time off, and to find ways to recharge our batteries. Some of our members like to do canoeing trips, some like to play board games like Settlers of Cataan. We (it used to be Tom, but the other members of our family have been won over...) like to go to Cornerstone music festival. The festival is full of Christian music, some of the long time greats, and lots of new ones. It also has its share of the weird & wonderful. Sometimes you have to debate which category they fall into. The seminars taught by people like John Perkins, Floyd McClung, George Verwer, Norm Geisler are what Lisa likes best. None of those were there this year, but all have spoken there in the past. Multiple times.

Caleb enjoyed the kids ministries that go on. Artrageous where kids can do all sorts of creative things. And Creation Station where kids praise goes on every morning. This year he liked the swords best. Someone sold swords made out of swimming noodles & duct tape. That sword Caleb bought made instant friends for him all over the festival.

Hilary & Ben enjoyed music, more than ever before I think. It was a joy to see them excited about Christian music. (NOTE: what they were excited about was not in the weirdo category, but in the "come together and worship God as loudly as possible" category.) They also participated in the youth worship time every morning and heard the youth speaker.

A great time had by all. :D

I should also mention that Lisa had an appointment with the cochlear people before we left to come to the festival. Whatever adjustment they made really helped music be much more enjoyable for Lisa. So she really enjoyed hearing David Crowder, among others... Praise the Lord for her ears! God is so good. He wasn't obligated to give her such hearing success. But he's chosen to give it to her. We are grateful. Her ears will be restored 100% in heaven though... Come Lord Jesus, we're ready... :D

So now we're on the way home. We spent Sunday night with our longtime friends the Frosts. It was neat to celebrate 4th of July with them. (and watch their cats hide from fireworks....)

Thanks for stopping by today. Thanks for praying for us.

We hope to see you sooner rather than later.

Tom & Lisa