Pouring of all sorts.

We started pouring the floor on our house this week. The first day was PERFECT for pouring- overcast, cool and just fabulous. The second day started out well and the guys got a good bit accomplished... and then just after everyone had left for the day the heavens opened up and it POURED. The kind of thunderstorm where you run and hide and wish you had earplugs. Rick tried to get plastic over the newly poured floor, but fearing for his own safety  (in a lightning storm and standing on a mesh of rebar) he only got MOST of it covered... the very edge where he wasn't able to secure actually washed away, so we will have to repour there, as well as drain the remaining rooms that are waiting to be poured as they literally filled to the brim with water. It was nuts. 

Please pray with us as we try to get the rest of the floor poured next week. We need several days of non rainy weather in order to finish. Once the floor is done then rain wont be such a issue. As long as it isn't pouring like crazy work can continue, though at a slower pace.

Here are a few pictures from the last few days!

Rick helps to level out a stubborn "low part"

 Tendai learning a thing or two from Peter.

 Nearly half way done!

 We train em young out here!

Looks like she needed a bit more instruction.

One of our workers wheels a VERY heavy load of cement.

 Finished product-(the top part at least)

 wow. good thing we just got them new boots.

Tendai's boots after her hard five minutes of floor smoothing.

 This is what the foundations looked like today after the CRAZY thunderstorm. Totally flooded. Completly. ack!

 our foundations aka the lake. the rooms on the right were supposed to be poured today but we couldnt due to the rain.

Rick made a little hole in each room right by the edge of the foundation that we will repair later, but it helped to drain nearly all of the water in just a few hours.  In this picture you can see the waterfall off to the left if you look closely.

Starting tommorow, (Saturday the 26th) the Pastor Monitors begin arriving for this week of Intensive Training Seminars. Rick will be teaching two books as well as a shorter one hour seminar, and trying to keep everything going at our house as well. Please pray for him and the everyone else participating in next weeks busy activities!

God Bless,

Rick, Heather and Tendai Neufeld

November Update Video

Hey All, We posted this update video last week, If you havent already checked it out then here is your chance! We hope you enjoy it!  ( if you do enjoy it.. or even if you dont, take a moment to let us know!) :)

Tommorow (Nov 23rd) after several delays and much dirt packing and rebar tying... we are starting to pour the floor on our house! Please pray for good weather and no hiccups! We are so grateful to those who have donated thus far to our house fund and have made it possible for us to get to this point. We look forward to having this part done, and starting on the walls soon. We have enough funds to start the walls, but will need additional funding to finish them and for the more costly project parts such as roofing etc. Thanks for your prayers, we appreciate them so much! 

Rick, in addition to pouring our house floor with the guys will also be prepping for and teaching two books during next weeks intensive seminars! Please pray for us as this is a busy few weeks coming up!

God Bless,

Rick. Heather and Tendai Neufeld.

Bubbles of Blessings

** Note- this is a bit different than my normal posts... but I really felt I needed to post it anyway, maybe there is someone out there just like me who needs to see it.- Heather**

Every once and awhile there is a moment where I capture pure Joy on Tendai's face. You know the kind of joy we all long to have.. where you throw your hands up in the air and giggle and chase bubbles and dont care who looks at you or what they think if they do?!? This week I caught a few pics of Tendai chasing bubbles, and though they arent in the best of focus, they spoke to me. 

I long to remember that feeling. Ive caught myself at home lately lifting my hands in worship as I listen to Casting Crowns or Chris Tomlin and then lowering them quickly, not wanting to look "silly." Shame on me. When did it become silly to raise my hands to my creator? When did I become scared to look silly when Im the only one home? (or in front of others for that matter!)

I hope these pictures remind you (and me) to look for those moments, the ones where we feel free, to laugh, to giggle, to lift our hands, to twirl around, to passionately worship our Abba Father.. and chase those bubbles of Blessings. 

God Bless,

Heather

Very Busy Semana (week)... otherwise known as VBS!

Ok, for the past week we were running the annual DVBS at the mission school, and for the week before that we were prepping for it! It was a lot of fun this year with only one of the five days being ridiculously hot (in the 40's!)! The rest were nice and cloudy and cooler and we had so much fun playing and teaching the kids. Here are some pics from the week- hope you enjoy them!

 Tendai Helps us prepare by loading up the water balloons for day one of VBS

 We filled nearly 200 balloons every day. We love waterballoon games!

 Tendai made this face everytime she threw a balloon in. I have no idea why.

 A wet sponge game! More fun!

 Who doesn't love a good sack race?

 Balloon games... we love em.

 Rick telling the story of David and Goliath.

 and... more balloon games. (have i mentioned these are a highlight for just about everyone?)

 some of the lovely faces we get to see!

 Balloon toss game.

 Oh how I love these smiles!

 On the driveway to the school is this tree. I really wonder how it got that way.

 More amazing faces.

 The kids painted rocks to help decorate outside the school for their closing ceremonies this coming week.

 One of my favorite smiles from the week. He has mischeif written all over his face dont you think? :)

 Rick tried his hand at some face (arm) painting.

 So did some of the kids. :)

 On Friday morning we got to watch a Bible Story Movie... and we got to use the wonderful new projector we had donated by our supporting church in Morinville, Alberta. The kids LOVED the video, and we loved that we didnt have to tape up the whole room and turn it into a dark hole to see the picture on the screen. Fantastic!

 Kids and Teachers intently watching the video on the "big screen" !

They sat perfectly still for at least half an hour. Everybody loves a good movie out in our neck of the woods seeing as they rarely, if ever, see one.

Tendai helped out by feeding the duikers every so often while Mommy and Daddy were getting ready for VBS.

We thank everyone who prayed for cooler weather, as it really made the week so much more enjoyable! Its hard to have a lot of energy to play and keep up with 170 some kids in plus 40 degree weather!

Currently we are in South Africa, for a very quick one week trip to get supplies and errands done both for our house and also for the mission. Everything from electrical wires, to truck axels, replacing stolen mirrors to uploading update videos! Please pray for good health, safe travels, safety while in an around town (as there is a lot of crime here, especially when you are driving a truck with Mozambique plates!), and that the funds will continue to come in for our house fund. Thanks so much!

God Bless,
Rick, Heather & Tendai