Almost Over

Summer is nearing its end, although you would not guess that judging by the ninety degree weather we are having.  Yesterday we watched a baseball game in Fargo and baked in 98 degrees F.  Our sweet Gretchen has begun seventh grade already at a new school and appears to be loving it most of the time.  Her Junior High picture is classy.  Gretchen is in the front row, the fifth from the left.

Peter John is also beginning fifth grade at a new school.  We met his teacher two weeks ago, and she made a very good impression on us.  I cannot wait to get him back into school.  His summer boredom is about driving me up the wall! Thankfully, he has discovered the game of chess, courtesy of his cousin, Mark, who spent a few weeks in this area in July.  He is a chess nut who taught my little girl, Lizzy, to play last year.  Now Lizzy likes to teach others.  The kids know how to play it on the computer, and we have a great board called "Quick Chess" that is good for amateurs like me who need to play much younger "experts."  At least I can get through the game when I play this version.

Well, one relief to our children's summer boredom has been the presence of their cousins (four of my nieces and nephews) and another friend whom I have been babysitting during the month of August.  There are all kinds of activity going on around here!  It is a challenge keeping food on the table and in their bellies and keeping enough dishes clean for eight kids!  I think I spend most of my time in the kitchen these days.  Along with preparing meals, I have also been canning and freezing veggies that were given us by our very kind and generous landlord.  So far, I have frozen about 45 quart bags of sweet cord, about 15 jars of salsa, and 3 jars of tomato juice last week.  I will have to take a break this week to put on a garage sale.  Hopefully we can get rid of some of the excess in our home through this sale.

This is a busy life, but we pray for God's glory and for a heavenly perspective every day.  Jesus, be our Lord, save us from our sins, and comfort us with the presence of the Holy Spirit who is with us.  We love you, Jesus. Amen.

What Is Going On With The Larsons?

Some of you may be wondering what we are doing these days?

1.  Today we move into a different rental house here in Fergus Falls.  We will be renting a house about a mile from here until we are finished with our support-raising efforts for our mission work with Training Leaders International.  We have a lot to move still from this house and plenty to do to clean up around here.

2.  Some of us have the flu!  Peter, then Gretchen, now Ethan. Amy just got over a cold and Lizzy is starting up with a cold.  I guess that leaves just me who is currently healthy.

3.  Ethan has been traveling and continues to work hard building up our support in order to teach and train God's people around the world, so that they may lead and teach their churches with strength and trust from the Bible.

4.  We have enjoyed a wonderful Christmas holiday and break from homeschool.  The kids start up at School of Choice on Thursday, but I think I will need to take a break from the homeschool part and start next week. The move continues to be quite consuming.

5.  Today begins a new year to grow in our relationship with God through our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We love God, and look forward to reading His word and delighting in Him and His goodness this year.  I love to share what reading the Bible has meant to me.  It has changed my life and given me daily hope and comfort.  I encourage everyone to seek God in the Bible and read it daily.  Here are some wonderful Bible reading plans that you can start the New Year in a great, fresh way:
http://www.esv.org/resources/reading-plans-devotions/

Happy New Year!

The Latest

So much has happened in the last few weeks. Ethan graduated with an M.T.S. a week ago. The ceremony and Open House all went very well. We were especially blessed to have Ethan's dad, Luther, give the Commencement Address. He gave the graduates much practical wisdom from his experience of almost fifty years of ministry as a pastor. Luther also showed the graduates the importance of showing people Jesus Christ rather than pointing to themselves as ministers. Ethan's mom and Uncle Laverne and Aunt Kathy were at the graduation. We also had Ethan's sister, Sharon, come all the way from Colorado to celebrate. I enjoyed her company so much after almost two years have passed since seeing her. We will see all of the siblings in July to celebrate Ethan's mom and dad's fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration. That will be a joyous day. My parents, my sister, Melissa, and brother-in-law, Erik, were all at the ceremony. It was so fun to visit with friends and family at the Open House afterwards. Two of Ethan's uncles came to the Open House, and several friends. All in all, the day went very smoothly, and we are so amazed that it is finished! God sustained us and helped us through that entire two year process. Every need was provided for and every class finished. Soli Deo Gloria!

Less than one month ago we had snow and freezing weather, and now as of yesterday, I have 99% of the garden planted for the summer! It has been quite a dramatic transition since last month. We went from snow and ice to summer shorts and flip-flops in a matter of a few short weeks. The kids have been begging me to get their summer clothes out, and finally, this past weekend, I got all the clothing switched out. The hand-me-downs came out of the boxes, and I was able to find some great buys at the garage sale last weekend for Amy and Lizzy. I finished planting the garden yesterday! It has been such a long winter/spring that I was not able to get anything planted early, but we now have radishes and lettuce growing, as well as rhubarb. All the other seeds and plantings are in the ground and we hope will grow. I let each of the kids plant some things in a space about 2 feet by 4 feet per child. I hope they are happy with the results. It was so fun to see which seeds and plantings they chose.

Today was our last day of homeschool and tomorrow the kids will have their last day at School of Choice. We made it! All in all, I am happy we chose this option. It has been a challenging year, but we all feel much better than last year's schooling. I am seeing a lot of growth in character in the kids, as well as academic advances. Praise God for growth! It has been a work of grace. At school, they each received a certificate called "Recognition of Character" from Mrs. T and Mrs. H. Gretchen was recognized for "Initiative" and "Orderliness." Peter John received an award for "Creativity" and "Boldness." Lizzy was recognized for the characteristics "Truthfulness" and "Decisiveness." I must say I am quite impressed at the time their teachers took to identify these qualities in each of the children and then write a certificate for each one. We are blessed with some awesome teachers.

Things are busy, busy around here. This weekend is full with Ethan preaching for our pastor who will be taking a break, I am accompanying the service on piano, and we have a big garage sale planned for my Grandma who has moved in with my parents recently. We decided to start the garage sale one day early because they are forecasting rain for Friday, so tomorrow will be very full. I also have a sister who is moving this week into my Grandma's house, and my other sister is super busy remodeling their house. We are running around trying to get our mower and the garage door fixed in the meantime. Ethan is working several part-time/temporary jobs, so it will be a very busy summer for him, but I am happy for God's provision.

Lizzy reminded us of a wonderful verse today they she had memorized:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
and also the verse we memorized this week:
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Psalm 100:1-2
I was so grateful for that refreshing word from God from the mouth of a little child. God is so faithful to show us His truth. Amen.

Hi from a Busy Mom

Since starting homeschool this month, I have had very little time to do anything other than the basics. That is beginning to change as we have established more of a routine. My three oldest kids are in Kindergarten, Second, and Fourth Grade this year. I am teaching them at home three days a week, and they attend a Christian homeschool co-op that meets at Adams School twice a week. The School of Choice has been a great time for them to be in a classroom and interact with other children and teachers. They enjoy the hands-on, creative environment, and we are very thankful for this gift to our family.

Lizzy is really taking off with kindergarten! She is really learning her numbers and reading, so I am thrilled. I think she enjoys the other kids, and drawing too. The other kids are getting adjusted to this new experience. It is very hard some days, and at least every day we have our very difficult moments, but I am reminded of God's strength and help as I come to Him in faith. He gives grace every day. My two-and-a-half year old child, Amy, is taking this really well. She is so good at entertaining herself (hours of mom busy gardening, canning, and cleaning this summer put her in that position pretty easily) so she is taking my involvement with the other kids during homeschool very well. Plus, I get to spend some one-on-one time with her every Tuesday and Thursday when the other kids are in School. I just signed her up for the library story hour on Thursday mornings, so that will be fun for her.

Ethan is back at seminary for this year. He is a "senior" this year, meaning that if he completes the right number of credits, he will be able to graduate with a Master's in Theological Studies this upcoming spring. This is both thrilling and terrifying as we continue to seek an answer for a job for Ethan. This would be even more terrifying if we didn't have Jesus Christ in our lives. He has promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." He has also said that "He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young." (Isaiah 40:11) We are held by a big God who will guide us into this next step. Until then, we have a LOT of work ahead of us this year. Meanwhile, the kids and I are studying Russian using Rosetta Stone and putting forth a language effort while we study many other things! It has been thrilling to study Early American History this year as well. We are enjoying studying Life Science with an emphasis on plants, as well as improving our skills in reading and math. My kids never cease to amaze me in their artistic, creative abilities, so they are continually pouring forth art projects. It has been fun in that way this year.

This weekend we are excited to renew friendships with Danny Foote, Olya Velichko, Jake and Anya Knotts. My children are staying with my parents, and Ethan and I will be meeting our missionary friends at the Desiring God conference in Minneapolis, MN. These missionaries from Ukraine will be hosting a booth for In Lumine, their Ukrainian publishing company. Ethan will also be helping out with the Training Leaders International booth at the conference. Please pray for these ministries as they are impacting the world for Christ. I pray that they will make great connections with people and increase their financial support through this conference. May God's great name be proclaimed and His fame go throughout the earth.

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! The name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
‘Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and, listening to his voice,
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.

Hear Him, ye deaf, His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

Look unto Him, ye nations, own
Your God, ye fallen race;
Look, and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.

See all your sins on Jesus laid:
The Lamb of God was slain,
His soul was once an offering made
For every soul of man.

(Charles Wesley)

Mission Trip and other news

A short-term mission trip is in the works for Ethan this summer! In July, Lord willing, he will be heading to Kenya for two weeks with Training Leaders International and then afterwards will go to Ukraine for another week. He will be flying through Europe for the Kenya trip so it will not be too much of an expense to add a trip to Ukraine. We are excited for more teaching and learning opportunities that these trips will open up.

Thankfully, more work has opened up for Ethan through his landscaping job, as well as a new job working for the U.S. Census. The census job will take 8 eight weeks beginning Tuesday. Seminary classes will end the middle of May, but we are hoping he can take an "independent study" class during the summer to keep things rolling. We were invited to stay longer at Ethan's parent's house as they will be working out of town for the summer and fall at a church in ND. This will provide an opportunity to continue his seminary classes for now. Praise God for His provision and direction for now.

Recovery

I had surgery last week to hopefully help with some of the pain that I have been experiencing for two years now. I am grateful for the help that many have given us. My family has been a great dependable help with our kids this past week. My sisters and parents have really stepped up to help. Our church has also been so good to us to provide meals and help with prayer and childcare when needed. A few days ago Lizzy and Ethan got really sick with the flu and were incapacitated for two days. It was tough for me to be up and working more with the kids than I expected, but we made it through with the strength of prayer and help of family and friends.

The best part of my surgery is that it was done partially through a tube/scope (laparascopy) which helps with the recovery time. It has been very painful though with the carbon dioxide still stuck in my abdominal cavity. The bubbles roll around whenever I move. The most painful is when they reach my shoulders and it hurts a lot. I tried to go for a walk outside last night, but by the time I came back from the short walk, I felt pretty badly in my shoulders. I am going to try to walk a little outside each day so that hopefully the air bubbles will go away eventually.

I have enjoyed all the reading time I have had since last week. I have read biographies and some theology. It has been very nourishing to my soul, and has given me a new perspective. Being in bed also gives lots of prayer time. I am praying so much for my family (husband and kids) right now. Recovery from surgery has its advantages.

Let the Studies Begin

I am very proud of Ethan. He did great on his Greek pre-requisite class in August. Tomorrow the semester begins, and he is taking a full load: 16 credits. God has made lots of provisions for this to happen, so we are taking it one day at a time.

The kids had a good first week of school. They rarely give me all the details, but at least they are happy when they leave for school, and they are happy when they get back. That's a good sign, right? Now if I could just make some friends here in town so that Lizzy and Amy have some other kids to play with once in a while. That is something I am praying about. It was so easy in the other places we have lived because everything was all together. At Calvary in Boise it was a "one stop shop" where we had school, church, Bible studies, mom's groups, volunteer opportunities, etc. all in one place. And in Hungary, well, that's a whole different reality. The Bible College was friends, fellowship, Bible study, prayer, etc. all in one. Now we are in a smaller town so it is harder to find what we need. We are also still praying about what church to join. That is a new and interesting experience (looking for a church). God will open the doors for what His will is for us. I am praying and trusting in His guidance.

Studying

Some of you have been wondering what we have been up to since moving to Minnesota in June 2009. Well, God has given us the opportunity to stay with Ethan's parents while he continues his education. The goal is to receive a master's degree at some point. Ethan is currently enrolled at a small seminary here in Fergus Falls. He is in the world of Greek right now as he takes a refresher course required to take further classes this fall. He took Greek 15 years ago when he was at the Calvary Chapel School of Ministry, but it has been such a long while that this course has been a great start again to thorough biblical study. Our friend Larry Krum really drilled the importance of that in expository preaching, so we are grateful for his zeal reminding us of this importance.

The kids are enrolled in school beginning August 31. I am glad for their sake as they are bored right now. It has been a difficult transition for them having moved again. They are growing a lot and it is hard to believe Gretchen will be in 3rd grade this fall!

Keep in touch!