Fires

Yes, the fires are back again in Southern, CA. We hit another hot spell this past week of 100+ and the fires have taken off. This morning on the radio they said over 36,000 acres have burned this go 'round. We live about 20 miles from the closest fire, so far so good for us now. It has been smokey to say the least.

On our way to church this morning the radio station we were on said it was going to be in the hundreds the next few days with 35 mile an hour winds and 3% humidity. The broadcaster then commented that cardboard probably has more humidity than 3%. It is so dry and the wind is not helping.

I remember the fire in Big Lake in 1996 and how crazy that got. Our hope then was rain. In the 100 degree desert, however, there is no rain. Things are crazy to say the least in So Cal. Pray for families, schools and the people fighting the fires here.

Korean Ministry

The day after Ben and I got back to CA we had a dinner/interview with Pastor Lee about a youth pastor position at a small Korean church in Santa Clarita. We'd known about the opportunity since this past spring. Another seminary grad and friend of Ben's was the former youth pastor told us that they would need someone new to fill in when his sem buddy left this summer.

Long story short the dinner went well. We had the opportunity to meet Pastor Lee, his wife Michelle and daughter Sarah (who translated most of our conversation) and he asked Ben to be the new youth pastor of their church. It is a small church of about 11 families. They rent space from another church on Sunday afternoons and Friday nights. Most of the first generation Koreans speak only Korean and all of the second generation students that we work with speak English fluently.

So for the past month we have been settling in to a new ministry here. We go to our regular church Sunday mornings and then drive to the Korean church in the afternoon to do a Bible study with the youth. Every Friday night we have youth group with about 6-10 junior and senior high students.

Being that it is a small church there is not a lot of pressure to plan major events and/or keep office hours. Ben gets a small stipend each month but our main reason for taking the position was the ministry experience it will give Ben. He is enjoying the transition from preaching at the drug rehab center last semester. This job allows us to get to know and build relationships with the students and it is a more consistent ministry opportunity.

the little things . . .

Several people have asked me recently how I like married life. I have to say the longer I am married the more I love it. I know we are still in the "honeymoon" stage but every week we've been married, even on our honeymoon I have gotten to know Ben better and see aspects of his character that I didn't know or experience before that I love. He is SO patient, giving (to me and to others), tender, and helpful. I have marveled at how truly perfect we are for each other. We balance each other out so well.

Some of the people (friends, co-workers, family) that have been asking me, "How's married life?" have shared after my comments that it only gets better with time. I know marriage is going to have its ups and downs but it is a sweet gift from God. Those 31 years of waiting for the right man paid off in full. I have an amazing man of God that blesses me daily.

One fun "little thing" he did for me today was surprise me with an electric toothbrush. You may think no big deal, it's a toothbrush, but I've never had one and I commented a couple times about his saying it would be nice to get one some day. When I got home and washed my hands in the bathroom this afternoon I saw a new electric toothbrush plugged in next to his! That made my day!

I want to remember and enjoy even the "little things" in marriage. It's the "little things" that make things extra special. Thanks Ben! I love you!

family

Last week I got to spend a day with my cousin Jennifer. She was down from Northern California to stay with a friend that had surgery. We went out to lunch, spent the afternoon at the pool and then she came over to our new apartment to have dinner and play the bean game with me and Ben.

I love having family all over the country. I have now lived in three states where other extended family live, SC (near family in Charlotte, NC), MN (for college), and now CA. Ben and I are looking forward to the triennial Burdine reunion this coming summer!

Thanks for hanging out Jennifer! We hope to see you again while we're in CA!

Wedding pics!

the first time we saw each other . . . unforgettable, thank you LORD for the godly man you have given to me I am a blessed woman


fancy footwear!


some things never change


a personal favorite








Communion


Unity candle . . . being united as One in Christ


My dad coming up to do our vows . . . definitely an Eller moment


Lee and Trisha Mitchell the couple that introduced us . . . THANK YOU!!


the giving of the bride


Hedge of prayer over me just before the ceremony . . . thank you LORD for sweet fellowship


Our super sweet flower girls Charlotte and Morgan


Psalm 34:1-3 the passage Ben read to me when he proposed














Our wedding party


the boys


the girls
























I am finally getting to the BIG post of wedding pics! Katie "Tegeler" Anaya was our photographer and I have to say she did an outstanding job. We got a great mix and variety of color, black and white, sepia, and various tinted pics that are awesome! Thanks KT! I'll add more pics in the days to follow.

Provision

Some of you heard while we were on our honeymoon Ben got a phone call from one of his roommates letting him know that his car had been stolen. We literally had just gotten to Denali Park on the second stint of our honeymoon adventure and the call came. He only had liability insurance being that it was an '88 Thunderbird that well, did it's job of transporting Ben to and from class but wasn't the most reliable car in the world. So we were out of luck on getting any money back and out of a car that Ben needs to get to and from work and class being that we work in different corners of LA.

The great part came about a week later. Ben was online checking the seminary postings where sem. guys and people from Grace Church (where we go) post things online to sell like Craig's list only personal and REALLY cheap. He happened to find a car online that day for sale for $1700 OBO. He called to check and see if it was still for sale. Long story short, he knows the guy from class and after the guy heard the story of his stolen car he said he give it to us for FREE!!

Praise the Lord for his abundant provision! We definitely had not budgeted this early in the game for a new car and now we have one that is BETTER than Ben's old car! God is so good! We are SO thankful! We are now the owners of a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix.

Family

Grandma Laura (second from left) and her three siblings at the family reunion


Dorothy, Danielle and me


from left to right: Ben, Mike, Aunt Lori, Karly, Tyson (Lori's son)


Ben and me gettin' the gear ready!


Mike and Danielle


Dorothy (Ben's mom) soaking up the sun!

During our time in Washington we had a family reunion with Ben's mom's side of the family. It was great to meet the Conner side and get to know people better. We had amazing food and several rounds of the "bean bag game." It's a game Ben's great uncle made and it is addictive!

Yesterday we took advantage of the crazy warm weather and floated a section of the Spokane River with Ben's mom, Mike (his brother), Danielle (Mike's girlfriend) and the two of us. It was beautiful and relaxing. We even hit a couple sections that had some good rapids. We are sad to say good bye today but are looking forward to getting settled back in Southern CA. I'll post pictures when we get back.

Washington Reception

Brothers


Kristy, Evan (Ben's best friend from childhood and a groomsmen), Ben and me


Our "first dance" was at this reception, Thanks Tina!

We've spent the last week in Washington visiting Ben's family. This past Sunday his dad and Tina held a really special reception for us at their house. I got to meet a lot of Ben's extended family for the first time along with life long friends that he's grown up with. They also had a dance for us since we couldn't dance at our wedding. It was really special. Ben also got a personal favorite wedding gift, a new (to him) Colt Kodiak 44 Magnum. His close friend and surrogate dad Craig gave it to him as an "heirloom" gift. I don't know anything really about guns but his brother was drooling over it and is glad that Ben will be leaving it this year in WA b/c CA is so tight right now about owning and transporting guns.

Eagle

The night before Ben and I were scheduled to leave Alaska and fly to Washington to spend time with his family we were encouraged to change plans. We had dinner that night (July 14th) at Ethan and Chris Hansen's house and through conversation Ethan got excited about having us go with their church, Faith Bible Fellowship, the following week to Eagle, AK. They do a one week VBS and several service projects. This year in particular was a heavy service project year due to severe flooding in May when the Yukon River rose to a record high and chunks of glacial ice literally crushed a large part of the town. Eagle is a bush community with a population of 150.

We were excited to be a part of this ministry and Ben was put on a crew to replace/rebuild the giant cross at the top of a bluff that overlooks the town. Interesting bit, my last trip to Eagle was my sophomore year of high school when I floated the Yukon River from Dawson City, Canada to Eagle with Wasilla Bible Church. I clearly remember what the town used to look like but it has all been washed away now. I also remember floating down seeing the once HUGE wooden cross at the top of the bluff. That was our big marker that we paddled toward before we set up our last camp. It also had since rotted and fallen over.

Cool story, while we were there a couple traveling "through" (Eagle is on the way to nowhere) from Switzerland noticed and commented on the cross we errected and how awesome it was to have that as a symbol in their town. I hiked up the bluff with the boys on their final trip to get pics and I must say it is likely a hike I will never do again, crazy steep and scary!

I will post pics of the flood and cross when I can get my computer back online, until then I am catching up the narrative b/c SO much has been happening in our lives this past month!