Stay At Home Mom - it's a Mission Field!

It's time for another blog series with my friends at Praying Pelican Missions! 

"We, who have accepted Jesus as Lord, are all missionaries! Each of us may not be living abroad or leading mission trips as a career, but the truth is, everyone can be a missionary.  This blog series will span across multiple blogs from our PPM Mission Coordinators and Advocates and will serve to showcase people who are living daily with a missional mindset. We will be giving a voice to a barista, who shares the love of Christ through espresso shots each morning. We will be the platform for a tired mom next door to share how she impacts her child's friends when they come over for a sleepover. We will be the helping hand to a Pastor who wants to encourage his congregation to get involved. The school teacher who invests in his students and wants to see them succeed and know Christ. The janitor who humbly and lovingly listens to his co-workers as they vent and confess their sins to him. We pray these stories will encourage and challenge us all to live our lives as missionaries everyday, in our own unique mission fields!"

First up, I'm featuring one of my besties, Lindsey Jo! Here's her story: 

I’m Lindsey Jo. I’ll be married to my high school sweet heart 6 years this month. He’s a real hottie and makes me laugh all day long. I’m a momma to the two most handsome little boys, Isaac Henry and Grant. And I want to have a whole bunch more. I like watching TV, eating ice cream, making things, telling jokes, and drinking coffee. And I love Jesus.  

My “job” is to take care of those two handsome boys and “make a home” and that’s all.  It’s not always glamorous. Actually, it’s very rarely glamorous. Unless your idea of glamor is wiping butts and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But it’s my greatest joy to be a stay at home momma. And it’s a mission field.

First of all, I come in contact with other mommas every week, whether it’s at the library during story time or just at Kroger on Monday morning. We obviously share something in common, so that opens a door to share the gospel and minister to those mommas. Even being able to encourage and minister to other mommas that are our fellow believers is a huge mission field! I’m encouraged all the time by other mommas who are either in the trenches with me or have been in the trenches before. What a crazy, impossible task God has entrusted us with in the raising of our kids! We need each other! For encouragement and wisdom and tangible help. One of the biggest blessings I have received lately is dinners brought to me by my church family after I had Grant. It’s being a SAHM that gives me the time to do those kinds of things, to serve others.     

And then there’s reality. The reality that sometimes, a lot of times, I don’t share the gospel with the mommas at the library because it’s just too awkward. And I can barely get dinner on the table for my family, much less someone else’s. And am I even discipling anyone?! Have I shared the gospel in the last 6 months?!

The answer is a resounding “Yes.”

I think sometimes we’re prone to forget that our babies aren’t born Christians. They’re born sinners. Cute sinners, but sinners nonetheless. They need Jesus. They need the gospel. Isaac Henry and Grant are my mission field. I am praying daily for their salvation. I’m actively teaching them about Jesus and prayer and the gospel. I want them to know that as awesome as they are, they’re nothing without Jesus. And God has entrusted me to teach these boys about him. He has gifted me these two little people that kinda have to listen to me. They can’t leave. They need me. So I’ll meet their needs. I’ll nurse Grant and I’ll pour Isaac Henry’s Cheez-its and I’ll change their diapers and teach them their ABCs. And in the midst of me meeting their needs, I get to tell them about a man who loves them even more than I do. That’s really cool.

So thank for Lindsey Jo and her passion for her kiddos, her hubby, and the people around her!! She is my role model - for cooking, for loving, and for being an AWESOME mom!!

Us Morgans Lately

We've had a fun, non-stressful weekend... and I liked it. It was one of the few weekends we weren't traveling or didn't have a ton of stuff planned. It was nice!

Friday night we went to the local high school games. It was homecoming. It's always amusing to me how different each school does Homecoming.  And I will forever think my school did it best... I'm bias.

I think we are pretty cute! :) I like us.

After, we hosted 5th Quarter for the youths.  It was a great night... I'm probably gonna blog about it later in more detail. It was good stuff. 

Today was a fun day. Jacob preached in the morning service. Love hearing my man speak about what God's been teaching him. You can't get any better than listening to the hubs talk about how much he loves the Lord and desires to follow Him... however crazy we may look. Yes. So thankful that I get to do life with him.  I am also planning to blog about marriage... so get pumped! :) it's one of my favorite things. 

This just in - Grant has arrived!!! He has been birthed by his precious momma Lindsey Jo.

We are Uncles again! haha! Lindsey Jo was the first of my besties to get pregnant and I was so frazzled and excited when she told us she was preggers, instead of saying I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl, I said I can't wait to find out if we'll be Aunts or Uncles! Oh bother... but either way he and his bro Isaac Henry are the cutest little lads around! 

Jacob and I had a photo shoot with our pups! Look at how cute they are! 

I'm telling ya... they have brought more entertainment to our family than any TV show, video game, or movie could have. They are hysterical... and a tad bit dumb. And yes... they did dig that LOVELY & HUGE hole in our backyard. Impressive, huh? 

And lastly... I am finally ready to start decorating Eric's room. This is a huge deal. I am usually SUPER impatient with everything in life... but I know me, and I knew if I decorated his room months ago it would have made me even more anxious, worried, and stressed about him not being here. Now is the time. I know he will be here soon and I am ready to get his room done.... designed just for him. The first decorations: 

Simple... but profound. And... I bought a Black Opps II poster (it's a video game) at Eric's request at Walmart yesterday to add to the decor. I know... beautification at it's finest. 

More than ever I'm ready to get him home... not just for my heart but for Eric's even more.  He is worried we won't come. He's fearful that his case worker one day is just going to say, "They aren't coming for you." It breaks my heart. I wish I could erase any doubt, but I can't. He has waited, been let down, and been hurt before... and I just pray and hope he sees and knows this is different... this is forever. 

He's had to go to the doctor for a few things lately and I wish more than anything I could have gone with him... to sit in the waiting room with him, to go to the back with him like other mothers do, and take him for ice cream after the visit was done. But I couldn't.  He does his homework and studies for tests... I wish we could be there to quiz him on his Social Studies and his Math II questions. I wish we could take him for pizza or buy him a CD after he aces the tests. I know it will come... but I just want his heart to believe and know we ARE coming! NOTHING... NOTHING... could keep us from going to get him. 

On a happy note... here are some things we learned lately:

He wants Walter to run with him while he rides his bike... that should be interesting. 

He has asked for v-neck tees, a pair of skinny jeans, and Crocs... what a man! 

He loves the old school Michael Jordan sandals and high top tennis shoes. 

He loves Jolly Ranchers (Grape), Snickers, Hershey kisses, and Twix bars. 

His friends are all happy for him... but I'm sure they are going to miss him. 

His dance group (yes... DANCE group) is performing to "Moves like Jagger" and "Treasure" - LOVE IT!

He is tired of eating beans and bread. 

He has never had his own birthday party - oh... THAT WILL CHANGE! 

He has only eaten ice cream once! 

He loves music. 

Love getting to know our Eric. Seriously... cannot wait until he is home! What a glorious day that will be! 

Yep, we are a CrAzY tEaM - Praying Pelican Missions!

Don't you LOVE the new look for the blog?!?! Thanks to my bestie Lindsey Jo for redesigning it for us! Yes... I said US! Get excited about some blogs from the ol' hubs!!! He had to have a more masculine, professional blog before he would get on board! :) DONE. 

So... YES... we know we are CRAZY! We believe the purpose and reason for people to be married is they realize that they, TOGETHER, are effective as a TEAM than they are as individuals. We made that commitment almost 4 years ago (holy moly... 4 years already??) a commitment to be a team and work together. And our next adventure is a huge opportunity for us to be a team on the mission field! After reading Scripture, praying LOTS, and just walking with the Lord day by day... we know this is what He has for us.  After Eric arrives (praying/hoping/believing CHRISTMAS!), we will start working full-time with Praying Pelican Missions! 

We are so excited to tell you about and invite you into the next part of our crazy adventure with God. We have learned in the last year, more than ever, about the faithfulness, goodness, and providence of our great God and also the awesome power of prayer. Now that the adoption is coming to completion and our Eric will be home soon, we feel God is leading our family into full-time missions. 

This is the moment I knew we were gonna get married!
Jacob, 10th grade, serving in Mexico.

We have always had a heart for missions. As some of you know, I (Anna) realized that I was going to marry Jacob as a 10th grader on a mission trip in the dumps of Mexico! Crazy,right?! Since then, we have been on several mission trips, including the one to Belize with Praying Pelican Missions (PPM) in 2012 when we actually met our Eric. Over the past year, we have both felt a strong calling to full-time missions - to go and share the Gospel globally while being able to minister to and equip those here to do the same. We believe God is giving us the green light to join in serving with the very organization that led us to Eric, Praying Pelican Missions.

Serving in Costa Rica, March, 2013

So, what does this mean? Well once Eric is here, Jacob and I will be working as Missions Coordinators for PPM. We will mainly be working with and leading teams to Costa Rica (which is super exciting because we had the opportunity to serve there in March). Our overall mission is to aid local pastors in ministering to and loving on their own communities through short-term missions. Ultimately, we are trying to create long-term ministry partnerships between international churches and churches in the U.S. that will give encouragement and growth to both for years to come. We will be working from home, except when we are leading trips in Costa Rica.

Our plan is to work for PPM, make arrangements to home school Eric before putting him into school when we decide he is ready, and make it a family effort to reach the world with the Gospel! 

Although we are extremely sad we will be leaving our church family and community in Troy, we are excited about the opportunity God has placed in front of us to serve the world for His glory. We believe in what Praying Pelican Missions stands for and their aggressive vision in reaching the world with the good news of Jesus, and we want to be a part of it!

If you want to learn more about what we will actually be doing, click HERE.

If you want to see how you can get involved in supporting our crazy, mission family, click HERE.  

If you want to go on a trip with Praying Pelican - as an individual, group, or family - click HERE. 

You can also check out our Prayer Requests (we will be updating those often) and Our Adoption Story at the top by selecting the different Pages. 

My heart is FULL

Don't worry... I didn't die after last week.  I thought about hiding in a closet for a while... but I decided that visiting the BESTIES would make my heart all better! AND IT DID! We were ALL reunited... WE EVEN FACETIMED WITH AMI!!! :) It was fabulous. 

I made it to Nashville just in time for the end Beck's Christmas party (the one I blogged about that was suppose to be a surprise that I almost ruined... man... I'm good at that!).  So... I didn't get any pics of it. It was festive - Christmas music, Christmas trees, cookies, and friends.  She loved it. She loves Christmas more than life... and she won't be in America for it this year. She'll be IN AFRICA!!!! She leaves on Friday... so pray for her, her shipmates, her patients, her energy!  

I don't really have a lot to say except I'm beyond thankful for these ladies. If you don't have BEST friends... find them.  I love them.  Jacob accidentally overheard me tell my Bible study girls last night that if I was a boy I would have already married Emily because she's just that great.  He was offended... but o well.  I just love my besties so much! Don't know what I'd do without them.  

Here's our weekend: 

"Normal" picture... this doesn't happen often

Ah yes... there we are in our natural state! 

Beck and Em on our Farewell Beck (for a while) photo shoot

This describes there relationship perfectly... Em smothering Beck with love and Beck terrified but willing to accept it.

Beck and Clarissa! She lived with us in our college house... The Schlappi. :) She is fantastic! 

  

This describes me and Beck. I'm trying to convince her to get on my back. She claims I'm to weak and she's to big... WHATEVER.  She forces me to to a normal pose... and I am not satisfied. 

When Beck and I lived together, we woke up at the same time every morning. Beck = NOT a morning person. ME = If I'm awake... I'm pumped! So, we would meet in the kitchen.  EVERY MORNING... it never failed this very conversation took place:

"Mornin' Beck!" (super chipper voice)

"hey ann..." (super annoyed voice)

"How's your morning, Beck?"

"fine ann, I just woke up..."

"Well great! What are you doing today?"

"I don't know ann... I just woke up. I'm going to school."

"Okay, Beck... (insert all that I am doing today and when I want to see her again that day)... I hope you have a great day!!!" 

She finishes fixing her cereal and coffee and slowly walks back to her room.

She claimed she hated it, but I knew she secretly loved it. So, when I moved out to get married and stuff, I made her a recording of my routine convo with her so she could play it each morning... AND SHE DID! :) She loves me... I know she does.

This is PERFECT. I want to blow this up into a poster and hang it in my living room! YES! 

And this too... 

CUTIES! 

So... we prayed for Beck and sent her off with more cuddles and jump hugs! I'm praying God ROCKS HER WORLD and LOVES HER TO PIECES and lives are SAVED because of her obedience!!! 

We then traveled to see Lindsey Jo and her precious family!! Have you EVER in your life seen a cuter stud than this guy???? Oh my goodness... I'm in love! Doesn't your heart just melt??? 

AND Lindsey Jo is expecting ANOTHER boy!!! How much cuteness can one family handle??? I just don't know! 

So thankful I get to share life with these ladies!!!!! 

Sunday, I got to meet my Katy for brunch!!! I have missed her SO much!!! She is wonderful and I just loved spending this little bit of time with her!!! We ate at Noshville... and if you ever go... you should know that a NOSH is a side.... nothing more fancy than that. 

So thankful that I got to go see them all.  My heart is full and I'm ready to face the world again!!! :) 

One big pile of GLITTER...

I have NEVER been more excited for a Friday in my life.  This week has been... a really crazy, awful, emotional week. There have been some really great moments sprinkled in... but I am drained and ready for a break. This week has felt like someone playing a really cruel joke... and I just didn't like it.  Thankful for a GREAT... THE BEST... husband in the world and people that I can confide in when things get a little... a lot... hairy.  People say that their brains feel like mush sometimes... my brain felt like that all week... but I preferred to think if you cracked my head open and looked inside, you would be a huge pile of glitter (not mush)... because that is way more fun and feminine. So... that's that.  

BUT... no matter how crazy our weeks/days may get... no matter what happens... no matter the evil in the world that we must stand against... no matter the many things that can go wrong at work... no matter the amount of stress or "what if's" that we can think of... we must KNOW that GOD IS IN CONTROL. He is Sovereign over all.  He is good. He is the Judge. He is our Hope. He NEVER fails us. He is our Healer. He is our SANITY. 

Anywho... on to more pleasant things. 

FIRST, PLEASE READ THIS... you will understand me/us so much more (if you dare to care) as we have been in this journey of adoption!  LOVE the part where she talks about VAGINAL kids!! bahaha!! I have been using it... just to freak people out.  

Onward...

The first weekend of August we got to celebrate the sweetest little girl's 2nd birthday! Is she not the cutest thing EVER?!?!! Look at those blue eyes.  Definitely hooking this one up with IH, Lindsey Jo! 

We are best friends... :) 

And she finally loves her "Uncle Jake." She was pretty terrified of him for a while... but now she can't get enough of him.  I understand... :) 

Her party was owl themed. Check out this cute fruit owl my mom-in-law made for her partay!! Presh, right? 

Here we are with Jojo.  :) 

Last weekend we headed down to Ocala, FL to see some of our good friends. Every year, these fellas meet up in Ocala for a golf tourney called the "Nuts & Bones Invitational."  WHY? Well... Andy, one of Jacob's besties is a peaNUT farmer and his father-in-law is a Orthopedic (BONE) surgeon!!! Clever... and funny... huh? So they get a new piece of swag each year... this year they got golf shirts with "TEAM NUTS" on it! BAHAHA! 

Also, we went to our first Catholic Mass on Saturday evening for Welles' (Andy's son) baptism.  It was super sweet and educational.  

**If you want to cry and learn where they got the name Welles from, watch this: The Man with the Red Bandana

Here's cutie Welles.

 This weekend.... like TODAY... I get to go see these gems. YAHOOO!!!! They are the best friends a girl could ever ask for. Becky, on the left, is leaving next weekend to serve as a nurse on the Mercy Ships, stationed in the Congo, Africa for the next ten months.  I am so thankful to call her my friend.   She follows the Lord... determined, passionately, knowing she has purpose in Him. I'm proud of her and so excited to see what all God does out there while she's serving on a continent very close to my heart... oh, Africa.  You can read all about her journey (and her yummy cooking) HERE. We are throwing her a partay tonight... Christmas themed because it's her FAV... and sending her off with lots of cuddles and jump hugs! 

It's Twenty Thirteen.. already amazing!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I've been having too much fun to blog. But, as promised, here's some awesome pictures (with our new camera) of some of my favorite people.  I got to spend 3 whole days with these beautiful gals:

I love them. I don't know what I'd do without them... really. A girl surely needs friends she can just let loose with... talk about the hard stuff with, laugh with, shop with, sit around in p.j.s with, eat with, clean with,... and most of all... be herself with. These are my girls. I love them tremendously.

My Em... my college roomie... bunkbed mate... best friend ever.  She gets me and loves me... all my craziness included.  She even went to Africa with me... that's true love. Don't we look identical?  People have FOR REAL asked us if we were twins... one dude even thought we were the same person.  I know... I'm confused as you about that one. 

My Lindsey Jo. I love her. I knew as soon as I met her she was suppose to be my sister... and that's what she's become. She's wonderful.  She's living life in the fast lane and loving every bit of it. I love her heart and her family and when I grow up I'm gonna be like her! So thankful for her friendship.

They are beautiful - I hope you have friends like them.

I surely missed Beck and Ames during the visit! 

THEN... we got to go to one of my favorite things ever... PASSION 2013!!! Oh... how Jesus is lifted high there! And... not only did I get to go... I got to interpret!!! AHHH!!!! My dream come true.  I have had the privilege to interpret at this conference for the past three years... all because EMILY told me they had interpreters at Passion and that I should be one of them. So... I started emailing... and they responded!!!! And I have had the amazing privilege to interpret for so many of the people I look up to and learn from!!! AMAZING! Here's some pics from the trip! 

The High School seniors heading to the GA DOME!!! So much expectation packed into that van!!! I love them with all my heart. God is going to do IMMEASURABLY more with them!  I know God worked some big works in their lives!!!! So thankful! 

My hubs... so thankful I get to live life with this fella. He is amazing... He really is. He is my leader and my best friend. 

No big deal... just hanging out with 60,000 of my closest friends... worshipping Jesus!!! O... so good! 

The most amazing interpreting team you could ask for!!! So blessed to work with them! God put this team together.. for sure!!! It was SO awesome to see the Deaf students worship Jesus WITH us... to see how they GOT it... to see them laugh with the rest of the dome... to sing... to lean into what Jesus had for them at Passion 2013! So good! 

The amazing mentees from Troy University!!! So blessed to be their "leader"... as they call me. I know I don't talk about my job much on here... it's not because I don't enjoy it (most of the time). I love my job because I get to invest in faces like these!! To love on them in the everyday stresses of life. Sometime I don't do a good job of it... but this is my mission field.  I love my job because I love the students in our program. I love to see them enjoy interpreting, invest in the lives of the Deaf, for them to see their potential, and for them to know that I BELIEVE IN THEM! 

Interpreting for the Passion Band.

My spastic face while interpreting for Beth Moore.  She's my best friend... she may not know it... but BY GOLLY... she has taught me SO much and I just love her passion for the Word and for Jesus. SO SO SO stinking honored to put her message into ASL. 

I had the BEST time interpreting for Lecrae with this girl, SUNSHINE! Such a fun story too - So... I got up to interpret for Lecrae and was jamming out! Well... we had a couple of Deaf students who did not know sign language and relied on lip reading.  Well... I love interpreting for Lecrae but I do not know every word he is spittin'.  BUT.. this girl did!!! Sunshine, who just HAPPENED to join the signing section THAT session - probably a God thang!  So... the interpreter coordinator pulled her up there and we jammed TOGETHER!! And... for the first time, perhaps, those students got to experience the amazingly Biblical lyrics of Lecrae... a rapper!!! So fun!!! 

p.s. while I was up there... I had NO CLUE what Sunshine was doing... but I invited her up on the platform with me so we could party together!!! I didn't find out the cool God-story until after!! I had no idea what we were doing there together... I just thought it was fun! 

Jammin' to Lecrae! 

Thankful for the days in 2013 already. 

So excited for what this year holds... I hope Eric will become a Morgan within the year!!!!! PRAYING AND WAITING AND LEARNING!