Merry Christmas from Wyoming !!!

We are wishing all of you of a Merry Christmas and A Blessed 2011!!

Check out our Christmas letter at this link...Blessings the Smiths

November 2010- Newsletter

Hey Everyone!!!  We are so thank-FULL for YOU !!!

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another."

John 1:16 NIV

You are a blessing to us and we want to share a little of our lives with you in our November 2010 Newsletter !!  Check it out !!!

Happy Thanksgiving !!!
Love and Hearts Filled to Overflowing,
Waldo, Melanie, Shannon, Allison, & Caitlin

God is at work

So far, Melanie has done all of the updates on our blog so I thought it was time I contributed something.  We officially began this journey on January 3, 2010.  Many people have wondered what we were thinking and some just plain don't understand.  Matthew 7:13-14 says "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.  For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it."  To put it in plain English, we have chosen the road less travelled.  But it's not about us, it is about what God has gifted us for and called us to do. 

The journey so far has been an interesting one.  Those of you who know me, know that I am very independent and do not like to ask for help.  I also dislike talking on the phone.  So now I spend quite a few evenings calling people on the phone to ask if they would like to help us by being a part of our support.  As Moses found out at the burning bush, don't argue with God as He has all the answers. 

It has also amazed us at how and who God has used to provide for our needs.  Very early on the journey, our washing machine broke down and we were provided a dependable machine at very little cost by a couple I had worked with through my job at the bank.  Several times, I have hesitated to call on someone because I either didn't feel I knew them well enough or didn't want to  "put them on the spot".  And these folks have been more than interested in helping in whatever way they could. 

It has not been easy by any means.  I was discouraged a few weeks ago because I felt support wasn't coming in fast enough.  Melanie has a daily devotion calendar and this is the verse from September 19th:  Hebrews 10:36  "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."  Verse 23 in that same chapter says "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."  Yesterday afternoon, a friend called and said I have a check made out ready to send, where do I mail it to.  Then last night, another friend called and said God has placed it on my heart to call you.  Do you have a specific need for $500 at this time?  God is good all the time.  Please follow along with us in this journey.  We pray that you will be as blessed as we are.

Table in the Wilderness -Fall 2010 Newsletter

Check out the Fall Newsletter !!!

"TABLE"-FALL 2010-NEWSLETTER

August 2010 Newsletter !!

Check out our Aug 2010 Newsletter !!!

The link is on the left side bar...

Have a great weekend !!!

What's going on at "the Table"....

I just want to share the link to Kyle Bond's Blog so you can read about and see what is going on out there !!!  God is moving hearts and lives !!! 
Kyle Bond's blogspot

We have been all over in the past month and I will write more soon, but I wanted to share some pics of our time in Wyoming last weekend.
Enjoy...

Lake Marie-Snowy Range Mountains

Glacier Lilies and Climbing Wall at "The Land" near Centennial

Stream running into the pond near the shower house

Great place to dangle your feet in the water and soak up God's Word...

"My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek."~~Ps 27:8

Rain...rain...rain...and then some more...

Life has been crazy.....

• Sundays are filling up with trips to churches to share our ministry with Table in the Wilderness
•  So thankful for the friendly people at the Elsmere Bible Church for opening their church to us to share our story.  What a welcoming group of believers !!!
• Had a great weekend with Allison last weekend in Lincoln-my1st time at Buffalo Wild Wings-fun evening hanging out with her at her apt-Awesome worship at New Cov-KFC in the beautiful Sunken Gardens and a walk through the rose garden on 27th St.  All in all a fun get-away to be with Allison and get to see her summer apartment and meet a few more of her friends. =}
• High Seas Expedition-VBS at Burwell Baptist this week !!! I was a crew leader again this year and had a very energetic group of mostly boys all week.  What a fun bunch, but I am exhausted. Awesome week with lots of seeds planted in young hearts and great leaders to share about Jesus and God's Word
• Lots and lots and lots of rain-Road and bridges out all over in this area.  Pray for sunshine and safety for all involved...especially for the road crews putting in extra hours to keep an eye on all of the water cutting under roads and bridges.
• Oh...in the middle of the week Waldo and I went to visit Caity at Camp Witness near Long Pine !!  What a beautiful place and a fun evening with the High School Camp. We got to join them the evening chapel service. As an extra bonus we finally got to meet the Badjes and visit with them for awhile too. What a neat godly family !!  God is moving in camp ministry and we are excited to be a small part of that !!!

I hope to find time to post some pictures and more info soon.  Look around our blog I have updated it a little added tabs for pics and prayer requests !!!

Have a great week and don't float away !!!
MJS

Gratitude, Nichole Nordeman

Hi, we've been busy busy !!!  I wanted to share a video and song that has been speaking to me in the past couple of weeks.  Listen to the lyrics!!

I hope spring has sprung wherever you are and you are enjoying God's richest blessings. It has been cooler than usual here, but we haven't had the snow or really cold weather as some of SD,CO, & WY have had recently.  All is green and beautiful in our "neck of the woods".  We got a gentle spring rain this afternoon, which was great for Sunday afternoon family/napping time !!!

We listed our house with a realtor this week and will be heading to Laramie soon to look for housing there.   We will also be visiting the school and hanging out with TWM staff to get better acquainted and see how we can help this summer even though we will still be in NE during most of the season.

Please keep praying for us as we share our story with friends, family, and churches.  Pray that God would provide just the right support at just the right time for us be able to join the Table in the Wilderness staff fully funded by fall.  Each day God provides small steps of faith to help us grow and be able to take that bigger step of faith farther down the road.

Our prayer for you is as we step out in faith that you would be encouraged to step out and trust God to do BIG things in your life as well !!! =}

In Christ Alone,
Melanie
Isaiah 43:18-19

Happy Easter !!!

Hoping this Post finds you Rejoicing
in our
Risen Savior !!!

(Click on picture to view card)

We are All in this Together !!

 I've come to realize more and more, that this life was not meant to be lived on our own.  If you are in a family of any size at all, you learned as a small child to share and that life wasn't ALL about YOU. Even though at times we wished it was !!!  Independence is praised in this world, but God has a better plan.


I am in a bible study with a bunch of awesome Christian ladies and last week as a part of Beth Moore's, A Women's Heart-God's Dwelling Place, we studied from Exodus 17:8-16.  Verses 10-13 talk about Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' hands while Joshua and his army fought the Amalakites.

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

 Are you getting the picture ?  None of them could have won this battle without God, but God made them rely on each other for the battle to be won.  It makes me think of our move to Wyoming.  We can't do this on our own !!   That is very very clear !!!  We have a vision of what "we think" God wants for us as Waldo takes his position as chief financial officer at Table in the Wilderness Ministries, but only when we team up with the other staff, our friends and family will we be able to take that first step toward God's will for us in this adventure !! 

My prayer request today is that God will lead us to people who will be not only a part of our team as we go to TWM, but also that we would be encouragers in their lives as well.  We feel so blessed by all of the encouragement we have received thus far and are excited to continue to see God's hand through his people as they step forward in faith with us.

God's Richest Blessings,
Melanie

God is doing a new thing...

Where to begin ???  We have been challenged to put down things we are doing and learning as we start our journey to join the staff at "Table in the Wilderness Ministries" in Laramie, Wyoming.  Sort of a laying down of "memorial stones"  for us and you as we travel on this road of faith.  Our hope is that as we share what God is doing and has done in our family, that you will be encouraged to take that step/leap of faith that maybe God is calling you to take.  
Come and Join us at the Table !!! 
The journey begins...