Kimbra

Kimbra has a new blog posted:
http://familyofk.blogspot.com

Keely Brandon is getting married!

Here is a copy of an email Keely just sent out and she gave me permission to repost it here. Congratulations Keely!

Hello!!!!!
This is a quick mail to let you know that I am back from... well... 3 interesting years of teaching English in Japan, a busy and exciting trip around the world teaching English on Peace Boat, and a wonderful 2 week trip to Mexico. I am enjoying having time with my family again, settling back into the pace of life in Glendale, and planning my future. This is the longest I have been Stateside in years, and I am looking forward to catching up with old friends and family before I move onto my next adventure. So what is my next adventure you ask? Well it promises to be the most exciting and wonderful yet! I am going to be married to my boyfriend of 2 1/2 years, Jovan :) He's a fabulous person and an incredible partner for me. I am so blessed to be with him! He is now in Japan beginning PhD studies at the University of Kanazawa. I miss him, but I look forward to being closer together in the future.If you want to join us at the beginning of this grand adventure we're planning a wedding in Mexico Dec. 29th [thisyear] and a follow-up ceremony/reception in early January in Kentucky. We will hopefully also have a celebration in Japan. We are moving ahead with planning and trying to estimate guest numbers. If you are interested/inclined to attend any of the festivities, please let me know and I will give you more information as the details unfold. I'd love to catch up with you soon! Please let me know what has been going on in your life as well! I will end with a message from Jovan:
Hello!, I am Keely's fiance, Jovan. I am really happy and lucky to be so much in love with this great and amazing girl. I also would like to know the rest of her friends that I still don't know (and meet again the ones I already know). So please join us to celebrate together, in any/all the places we are planning to have receptions. Really looking forward to meeting you! Jovan

Hope to hear from you soon! -Keely :)

Wellspring Cyclathon

If any of you are in the Pacific NW and want to participate in our cyclathon we would love to see you get involved. We are riding July 14th and 15th as part of the annual Seattle to Portland ride. This ride is first and foremost to remember one of my best friends, who was killed last year while training for this ride. We will also be raising money for our work in Rwanda. So far it's taken me two and a half weeks to ride 200 training miles. I have a ways to go!

Sara and Josh Falk

Josh and I left for Sierra Leone in September 2005, 3 months after we got married. It’s been quite the honeymoon. I think its a little harder getting to know your spouse when you’re doing it in a different culture, but we’ve enjoyed the adventure. We are volunteers with the Church of the Nazarene and will be going home this summer in July. (My sister, Jessica, is getting married) Sierra Leone is a beautiful place, but sometimes hard to live in. We lived without electricity for a year and without running water some of that time. But we love our friends here and it will be hard to say goodbye. I work with finance for the mission and help churches set up their finance books, as well as teach some classes and do Bible Storytelling. Josh works with our Jesus Film team, teaches Theology classes and does leadership development. God has blessed our time here. We’ve learned a lot. It’s a great place to visit with AMAZING beaches.

Blessing, Josh and Sara Falk

Email from Jody

Dear Becky,
Long time...how are you? Saw you kiddie--so cute! Wanted to post my latest news. I'm due less than 3 weeks!!! Gabe and I are having a little girl! Not telling any names yet :) Once all settles down, we will put up pictures. Everything else is the same. Gabe and I continue our music ministry here in the twin cities at our international church across the U of M campus. I have a wonderful job as a Kindergarten teacher at Fair Oaks Elementary (in the Mpls. area). Gabe works for BMW. We have the cutest poopsie dog named Elsy Chicken and a home in Blaine (by your
grandparents!) God has blessed us soooooooooo much! Please Please pray for a safe delivery...I would appreciate it very much! I'm going back to work in the fall so we are desperately looking for a inhome service daycare. Also, next year I am team leader for Kindergarten...Please pray that I stay sane! RUPP fam is great! Pray for Chris (my sister) as usual...:( Robb and Jane just had there 2nd child in March. Jeremy and Kendra are adventurous and having the time of their lives up in Duluth MN. Mom and Dad are amazing as usual. Family is sooo important. I'm realizing that more and more each day. Trying to spend time w/ mom and dad more. After Gabe's dad died, it really hit me...family truely is a gift from God--priceless! Hope all is well w/ you and your family. Miss you over here. Can you believe it?? It's April and we just had a snow storm!!! You may post this email on the website...hi everyone!
-Jody McCarthy :)

Survey for 10-year Reunion

Please take a minute to fill out the survey about our 10-year reunion. It is completely anonymous and will only take you about 3 minutes. Thanks for your input!

Click here to take survey

10 Year Reunion!

Our ten-year reunion is fast approaching. Any plans to go back to RVA? To have a reunion in the US? Add your comments and ideas for summer of 2008!

I am willing to plan a reunion in Colorado... let me know if you're interested and what dates would work. Maybe the July 4th weekend? Sometime in August?

Becky

Congratulations Heather!

Heather and Josh will be getting married on July 21st, 2007 in Virginia!

All are invited. Respond to this post if you would like information for the wedding.

Way to go Heather!

Catinella Update

Olyotya? ("How are you?" in Luganda.) Matt and I have just returned from ministering in Uganda. Our first week in Uganda, we ministered in the district of Rakai and our second week we ministered in Kampala. This was our first trip to Uganda and we had a wonderful time. The people were open and friendly and receptive to the Gospel. We are looking at going back for a longer trip to pioneer an abstinence based youth program. To learn more about this trip see our blog www.living-water.blogspot.com or you can click on Matt and Angela under the Personal Pages links on this blog.

Taylor Update

Ericka and I are living in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is a registered nurse and I am running a non profit that works in Rwanda called Wellspring (www.thewellspringfoundation.com). We are also expecting our first child at the end of May!

Work with Wellspring is going really well. Our first school, the Wellspring Academy, opened in Kigali in January. We have been able to offer training to hundreds of Rwandan teachers and supported the growth of an Association of Christian Teachers.

We have a great home church and that has a strong heart for the needy in it's community and is developing a bigger vision for the world. Please look us up if you are in the Western Canada or the Pacific NW. We love visitors!