January 2019 Update

Photo credit: A.D.A.

Happy New Year Everyone!

I sincerely hope that this year brings you greater joy, trust, and growth in our Savior. We are astounded at God's lavish blessing upon us during 2018 and are eager to see His leading in this New Year also.

We have many PRAISES to fill in since our last update, including:
1) Better schedules at our workplaces.
2) More fellowship with members of our church.
3) Benjamin's successful (and straight A) completion of another semester at NMCC. He will begin his last semester on January 9th.
4) And last but not least - the continuing healthy development of our son. We are officially in the last trimester now, awaiting his arrival sometime near March 17th.

Aardsma Family Christmas + McEndarfers

One prayer request that we are truly elated at seeing God answer concerns our marriage. A big goal for this first year of marriage (along with Benjamin finishing his associates) was to build a strong foundation together and become unified as a couple so that we would be a stronger tool for whatever God calls us to do. God has answered this prayer in giving us great comfort and strength from one another and the ability to work and communicate together smoothly (most of the time!). We are so blessed.

Cutting our first Christmas tree. 

We have some big PRAYER REQUESTS moving into this next year. Please pray with us about the following:
1) That God would provide a job for Benjamin that allows him to practice the building skills he is learning in school, since he will have fewer classes and more time to work this semester.
2) That God would provide Megan with the right job (if it is His will that she work at all) after Nathaniel is born.
3) That Nathaniel will continue to develop healthily. We are excited that our hospital and midwife offer more natural methods of childbirth and are committed to helping us make decisions and answer our questions.
4) That God would truly be in complete control of whether or not we are accepted at Moody Bible Institute for the fall semester. We realize that if we are accepted it will be a challenge to pay for all 4 years of college, but if it is God's will for us to go NOW it would be a mistake to wait.
5) That we would truly be sensitive to the Spirit's leading in our lives as we desire to minister in any way we can this year without compromising our family, and as we seek to build better habits of Bible study at home.
*6) Pray for Benjamin's supervisor Mike. He is a single father of three children, due to the death of his previous wife, and is now battling cancer for the second time. We have invited him to church but past experiences make him hesitant, although not unwilling. We are praying for God's provision for Mike and his family, and that his heart may be softened and receptive to the Gospel.

View of Whiteface Mtn. from Jay, Ny. Photo credit: A.D.A.

Thank you so much for your prayers! I know from some of your messages that these updates truly are read and we are being prayed for. This is a humbling and empowering realization.

Many blessings to you this year!

The McEndarfers