Merry Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas from the Smiths

You, our friends and family, are such a blessing to us! Last year I took a sabbatical from “the letter”, but now realize what a JOY it is to get yours!!!  So here are the highlights for 2016!!

†        Fall 2015 we found out from Aaron and Shannon we were going to be grandparents for the first time in April!!!

†        On Christmas eve last year Lance proposed to Caitlin and she said YES!!

†        A New Year’s Christmas was hosted at Caitlin’s place in Belton, MO with all of us taking over the Haskell girl’s home for the weekend. I hope they aren’t still in shock!! They were such gracious hosts and Kansas City over the holidays was wonderful!!

†        April 6^th at 12: 04 am, our sweet spunky little, Kaia Esther Poor Bear was born in Sioux Falls, SD. She is the light of our lives and has stolen more hearts than should be legal in her short 8 months!!

†        Spring turned to summer quickly and on June 10^th in Lenexa, Kansas surrounded by family and friends, Lance and Caitlin, got married! What a fun and very HOT day to celebrate these two and their marriage!! Waldo and I took a mini vacation the next week as we went back to play with little Kaia in George, IA and then to Buchanan, MI to celebrate Lance and Caitie once again with the Michigan family and friends at a beautiful reception put on by Lance’s parents, Tim and Tammy!! It was fun to see a part of the country we had never been to and to meet more of Lance’s family and friends! Lake Michigan was so beautiful in June!!

†        Summer was filled with time with Shannon and Kaia as Aaron started in June working for Indian University of North America at Crazy Horse Monument near Custer, SD.  It was ‘tough’ getting to spoil Kaia, but I think we did a good job!! What a joy it is to see our kids being such good parents and letting us help where we can!!

†        Waldo and I spent Labor Day weekend with Lance and Caitie at their new place in Bolivar, MO.  Lance is in an apprenticeship program with S.O.A.R.-Service Oriented Aviation Readiness. It’s a 30 month program that trains him to be to be a missionary aviation mechanic and pilot. Caitlin is working at the Bank of Bolivar and they have just recently moved to a new bigger home in town.

†        After so much activity and being gone so much of the summer, it was good to be back in Laramie for some fall hiking, beautiful fall colors and reconnecting with friends!!

†        Thanksgiving had us all at Allison and Jeremiah’s place in Lincoln! Our crew is growing and the weekend is always filled with games, food, movies, puzzles, Husker football and volleyball!!  Kaia couldn’t figure out why Allison and Jeremiah’s kitties didn’t want to play with her!!  Jeremiah is still a student at UNL and working fulltime on campus in information technology.  Allison continues to work as a scholarship specialist at Education Quest in downtown Lincoln. They love to travel and are counting down the days to seeing “Hamilton the Musical” in Chicago this March!!

†        Most of you know, but maybe some don’t… Waldo took a new job with Wyoming Women’s Business Center  here in Laramie in January of 2015.  He is the director of micro-lending and a business counselor for them and he just recently took up substitute bus driving a couple of days a week for the school district again.

†        Mel is still working in women’s ministry and helping with MOPS when she’s not off playing with Kaia!!  Being a grandma is the BEST!!

As each of you look back on your year and forward to Christmas we pray you will see God’s hand and heart all over your lives!! We are so THANKFUL for each of you and wish for you and yours a wonderful and blessed Christmas and 2017!!

Life is a journey...and now we take another bend in the road...

It's February and so many of you already know of the changes we made in December with Waldo accepting a new position with Wyoming Women's Business Center. Our time with Table in the Wilderness Ministries was an adventure of a lifetime with God! We are so thankful for the opportunities we were given to serve at Table and for all who have walked this journey beside us from near and far for the past 5 years! For the staff who who embraced us as family and those who came to camp who became lifelong friends we are forever grateful!! With God teaching us new lessons even in the waiting about HIMSELF and how we are to live this life of faith!

Waldo is now the Director of Micro-lending with WWBC and is loving it!!  Yes he is back in lending, but from a different perspective and a new venue that promises to be a challenge and a blessing. Here is the purpose/mission of his workplace from their website:

The WWBC, with an emphasis on small business development, was created as an alternative to low paying jobs available to Wyoming’s most marginalized people, women, people of color, people with low incomes and people with disabilities. In recent years our passion has expanded to working with artists who want to sustain themselves and their families through their creativity.


Thanks again for ALL who have supported and encouraged us in so many ways here in Laramie! The welcome mat is always out so please come and see us!! Let us show you around one of the most beautiful and rugged places on earth!

Blessings and Hope in Christ Alone,
Waldo & Mel

Merry Christmas 2014

Praying you have a wonderful Christmas and a Blessed 2015!!  

Check out our 2014 Christmas Letter.  

Our big news this year is 

Allison and Jeremiah Ourada's wedding on October 5th! 

What a beautiful day!! 

Christmas 2013/Aaron & Shannon's Wedding

Just catching up on Christmas letters and pictures! Here's last year!! The big highlight was of course Shannon and Aaron's wedding!!

Beautiful November Day...

I (Mel) spent part of this morning hiking and just enjoying the beauty of a sunny cool November morning around camp.  God is good and so present when I am outside and getting a larger view of who HE is and how we are loved with HIS UNFAILING LOVE!    Enjoy the view!

Mountain stream water giving me a picture of Jesus as our LIVING WATER!!!

but those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. John 4:14

Wild rose hips in snow

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.
Ps 37:23-24

Bare aspen against azure skies

Lodge-Well Cabin from Old Hwy 130

 Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens

    and makes its circuit to the other;

    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,

    refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

    making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right,

    giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

    giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is pure,

    enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

    and all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,

    than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

    than honey from the honeycomb.

11 By them your servant is warned;

    in keeping them there is great reward.

12 But who can discern their own errors?

    Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;

    may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

    innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

    be pleasing in your sight,

    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Prayer Pebbles and Ripples of Influence

So...this seems to have turned into more of a "newsletter reminder spot" and not really a blog.  Since my "Countdown to Walk to Emmaus" post in January much life has happened!!

I will be posting more pictures to help you see, but within the last week I received a note from a high school friend that started me thinking about how God blesses us and how we can bless others by coming to Him in intentional ongoing prayer.  

We got into a short conversation in a Facebook message about praying for a friend and she mentioned "prayer pebbles" and I asked her to explain and subsequently asked if I could share this great idea with you (my three faithful blog readers!!) !! 

She wanted me to let you know this was not her original idea and that she had gotten it from her pastor's family. They live in Oregon and we are blessed by all of them.  

Here is her explanation of "Prayer Pebbles" and a picture she sent of our "Table" pebble!!

"So, prayer pebbles. I have one for each family in our church (we only have about 35 families) and one for each missions family our church supports (plus you). If I know that families are going through something for an extended time, I will leave their pebble in the 'pool' for however long. Otherwise I will randomly select 3-5 families a week to blanket in prayer for that week. Then I set their pebbles aside until I have prayed through the whole group and start the process over again. Your mission field is especially active this time of year so I will leave your pebble in throughout the summer. Maggie (*her daughter*) and I spend so much time in the car that we keep the pebbles in the car and pray while we are driving. For those families with teens she is often more aware of prayer needs for the kids so it opens up a door for talking about those things. The visual reminder helps me to be more faithful to my verbal commitments to pray." 

Thank you dear friend and to ALL who have prayed for us!!

The RIPPLE EFFECT of those prayers bless our family, our ministry and those we serve!  The IMPACT on our hearts ripple way beyond today and into ETERNITY!

Blessed to Be a Blessing,
Melanie
Heb 12:1-3

Countdown...

WEBSITE COUNTDOWN WIDGET

I (Melanie) am signed up for Walk to Emmaus #120 at Camp Comeca near Cozad, NE, Febr 7-10th!! I am super excited to attend and would like prayer for the days ahead and through the retreat! I've heard so many good things about this 72-hour time with God and I would love to have you as part of my prayer covering!! If you want to know more about 'the Walk' check out the Nebraska Walk to Emmaus site! Blessings, Melanie