A Good Start

It is always great to start the school year with a full week of teaching and then hit a three day weekend. It is a nice, calm way to adjust. Liz and I, along with four other friends, decided to go hiking on our Monday holiday. We went to Parque Chicaque (one of our regular hiking spots); outside of Bogota about an hour. We enjoyed a nice long hike over various terrain (10km) and a lunch at the main Refugio. Then we came back to enjoy a meal and prepare for our four day work week. Liz and I are enjoying the beginning of this school year much better than the last two years. Maybe we are veterans in how the school works now, maybe we are excited to see where this year will lead, or maybe we are content in what God has called for us to be and to do this year. Thank you for your prayers, calls, and contacts.

Summer Fun of '06

Liz and I are back in Bogota, Colombia for our third year of learning and teaching. We both had a wonderful time in the States this summer, even with the record heat in Michigan. It would take a rather long time to explain all that we did; so I am going to give some highlights of our summer.

Highlights:
1) The chance to go home for the first time in a year.
2) Our best friends in Dallas, Todd & Cat, are pregnant! Happily, they will not take the name Oak for their child.
3) Playing Phase Ten with mom & dad and then with Todd & Cat.
4) The 4th of July cookout at the Dyer's house.
5) Zidane head-butting the Italian team (Liz would disagree).
6) Taking Brianna to the wave pool & aquarium.
7) Gaston Oaks' worship service.
8) Swimming at the Henry's house.
9) The Ludington Macker tournament with Tim, Scoots, & David. (Playing Two on Three with David and holding the other team to one score.)
10) Beach days on Lake Michigan.
11) Having Pops work on my golf swing.
12) Sushi with Scoots & Amanda.
13) Grilling out! Grilling out!! Grilling out!!!
14) Going boating with Jay & Darci.
15) The Fantasy Football draft night.
16) "El Diablo," it means fighting chicken or something.
17) Chicago with Amy, Hope Academy, & Emmaus Ministries.
18) My (Al) talk with mom.
19) My (Al) talk with Pops (my father-in-law).
20) The talks and fellowship with all of our friends and family.

Liz & I had a wonderful time this summer. There is no way we can say thank-you enough for the hospitality, the meals, the prayers, the fellowship, and the dreams shared. I feel today that tomorrow has so much in store. Anything can happen. God is good. And, there is nothing better than a family member or a friend to laugh with, to cry with, and to hope for the future.

Note: See some pictures below.

Pics from Summer 06

From Top Left Clockwise: Al's mom, Brianna, & Liz at the Dallas World Aquarium (Always a cool place to go); Liz & Brianna beating the Texan heat at the Garland Wave Pool; Al, Libbie, & Tim at a friend's wedding (A great way to end the summer); Anders sibs- Tim, Liz, & Shaun at a BBQ hosted by Tim and Libbie & eaten by Al.

Note: These are just a few pics that in no way justify/represent our entire summer. We just wanted to show you a sampling of the goods.