change

Well, we are OBVIOUSLY not keeping up with this blog. So check us out on FaceBook or our NTM my ministry website. that's were you will find us from now on. there are links on the side -------->

tRaNsiTioN

gotta love it!
you can't avoid it, not in this business anyway...

I can't believe that another year of training is almost over. Only 2 weeks left and then we are hittin' the road, on our way back to NY for the summer. It is such a bitter-sweet time as we leave new friends and reunite with old ones. We will be "losing" 6 families and 2 singles who were in the support track. They have been such a joy to get to know and will certainly be missed. But we will also be gaining about 70 new students in the fall so there will be many new faces to get to know.

Our kids have enjoyed these last few months here in Missouri. The weather has been great and it's been so nice to be outside enjoying the sunshine. Today Chloe, Ellie and their friend found a lizard, it's a blue tailed something or other. Chloe has been wanting one since we got here but I didn't want to invest in a reptile that might live longer than we plan on being in the country. But I guess as long as she can keep it alive and she keeps it outside we'll let her keep it until we have to go home. Right now he is in an ice cream bucket out on the porch.

Speaking of "pets" our friends across the street have adopted a couple of chicks and the kids LOVE going over there and trying to catch them so they can hold them. It's funny to watch them get real close to them but freeze in fear, I don't know if they think it will peck at them or what? Ellie finally picked one of them up after about 10 mins of trying, only to drop it and run off with her friends.

Here's some of what we've been doing
spring has sprung


time for baby chicks! and this chick is having a baby (not me!)

and hikes in the park and playing with friends at the park

and of course, making sure the rope swing is still woriking

Well, that's our update for now... see ya'll soon!

DC or AC that is the question?

Which electric do you use?

Which electric will we be using?

What kind of appliances can run on DC (direct current) and which have to run on AC (alternating current)?

These are all questions that our Tech Tips class has been answering for us. This class has given us all kinds of information about what kind of situations we will find ourselves in as we live over seas. From electric to water to housing. All of the cool gadgets, information and technology tips really makes me feel like James Bond.

We have given each other shots, looked in each others ears with an otoscope and learned how to take blood pressures.

There have also been a few really nice days where we have been able to get outside and have some fun.

God continues to show us that HE CAN DO IT. It does not matter what it is God supplies and through that He is continually building our faith in Him.

We have the privilege of hearing our fellow classmates speak in our Student Teaching class as well as in our Romans (Christian Life) small groups. What an awesome thing to hear and see the Body of Christ living, growing and being conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

God truly has engifted His body (the Church) in just the right way so that as we rub shoulders together we build each other up in Him and spur one another on in His love.

We pray
that God will continue to challenge us, our classmates as well as you to further conform us into the image of His dear Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Some RANDOM picture:

New Year, New Van

Here's a little of what we've been doing...

NOVEMBER

on the way to Michigan for Thanksgiving we saw the Arch



Chloe and Ellie with Uncle Pete
We stopped over night at my brothers house




Derek and Eun Chan
Best buddies

DECEMBER

Tori and her friends all dressed up
for the winter formal
They looked so grown up!

Decorating the tree even tho we were only
going to be here for a couple of weeks

Cousins reunited for Christmas!!

They were so happy to see each other again

Tori and Aunt Tonya
sporting the new hats

Uncle Brett giving Derek a "Flowbie Cut"
He's not a big fan of the vacuum or haircuts so you can imagine how this went

JANUARY

We made it back
(with a new van!!!)
THANK-YOU NBC
you guys are awesome

wow! time flies when you're having fun!

we sure have been enjoying the beautiful weather around here! it's just starting to get a little chilly in the mornings. people are still sporting the flop flops, trying to keep summer around just a little longer. the lake is too cold to swim in but it sure is gorgeous in the morning. i am still amazed that i live on the lake. it has been a dream of mine for many years, there is just something about it, it's so peaceful and calming to me.

our classes are getting ready to change again. we are starting phonetics on monday! there is homework every day for that class and there is a 20 hour homework due in the middle of december, so we will be putting iinto practice our time mangment skills we just learned. funny how that works around here. you learn something and then you start using it right away.

this last month has been filled with plane rides, game nights, iron chef dinner, and good friends. john has been working with the youth group here and they were busy washing cars, raising $ for their retreat in a couple of weeks. Tori will be going but John won't this time. he chose to attend one at our church with a friend from school, so one seemed like enough.

the kids are doing great, the girls had a sleep over last night and tori has been busy with her new friends here and at school.

Here are some pics to keep you in the loop.



Ellie's birthday

John's creation... the light saber cake


"what not to wear" nite at Awana

we are in the middle

Settled in...

The boxes are unpacked, the bedrooms are settled and school is underway!

We have 68 kids on the bus (max. cap. 70) going from New Tribes every morning and afternoon.

Derek is enjoying pre-K along with his 16 classmates. There are about 70 kids in the childcare program from 5 months to 5 years, and a couple more on the way.

Last Saturday we had a Kodiak event at the local airport. NTM had new airplanes built to carry more people and cargo, and take off with less runway needed. The MTC was giving away rides in an hourly drawing as well as selling rides to who ever wanted to go up. They had 12 flights go that morning. As soon as we got there my name was drawn so I got to take a ride!! John did some face painting for the kids and they had a bouncy house too. Local pilots flew in and gave the kids FREE rides throught the Young Eagles program, so Chloe and Ellie took a ride too. We all had a great morning!

The kids have made new friend and we are slowly getting to know our almost 400 new neighbors.

Some we like...

Some we don't...


We have spent the last 3 weeks in orientation, taken a world view class with George Walker, and discovering our learning styles. It is deffinately more relaxed here so there are lots of oportunities to get to know people better.

Thanks for your prayers and support as we continue with our training!

Becki for the Bennetts

The Bennett's "End of the Summer Adventures"

Our trip from Corning, NY to Roach, MO.
Began with a stop in Canada along Lake Erie at Todd and Kelly Duston’s cottage. We spent three days there with them and their 6 kids. We ate, talked, played and swam a lot. I even play “king of the floating dock” but ended up with the worst of it as the picture shows,thankfully there was no damage other than bruising.

After our time in Canada we went to Jackson, MI. to be part of Mitch and Amanda's wedding. I was a groomsmen, Chloe and Ellie were flower girls, Derek was the ring bearer and Tori was in charge of the guest book.

After the wedding, we loaded our moving van and spent one more night in Jackson, MI. We got up the next morning, put our small bags in our van and left for Bloomington, IL. to visit Becki's brother Pete and his family. Becki drove our van while I drove the moving van and the last time we traveled through the Chicago area we sat in a traffic jam for about an hour, but this time we never had to stop, horray!!! That day we drove for about 6 hours and finally arrived at her brother's house and got to see our neice, Ivy, for the first time. Then they took us to the State Farm recreation park were we spent a couple of hours swimming and fun!!!

The next day we finished our trip with a 6 1/2 hour drive to Roach, MO.

We arrived at the Missionary Training Center around 5:45 pm and were greeted by about 9 guys to help us unload the moving van, which took them about 30 minutes to complete.

We are very thankful for their help.

Here is what it looked like after they were done...

...we are living on the Lake of the Ozarks...

...Chloe is quickly getting used to the surroundings...

...and so is everyone else.

This week we have been enrolling the kids in school, settling the house and getting to know our way around Osage Beach, Camdenton and Raoch, Missouri and hope to update this blog again real soon.

We would like to know what you think of our blog - leave us a comment.

Just click on the word "comments" below to leave us a message.

Thanks, John.