fall break

Kari and me on a walk in Duluth, I LOVE fresh air!!


the beginning of a beautiful midwest fall








the draw bridge in Duluth, MN


SCSU campus


the student center at SCSU

This week I have a week off of work b/c of fall break. The district I work for has a two month summer instead of three so during the school year we get a lot of extra time off one being a fall break. Ben has class and work this week so I took the opportunity and cheap flight deals to fly out to MN and see my college roommate Kari for the week.

It has been a great break from work and BIG city life. Funny how Minneapolis seems "small" in relation to LA, it's all a matter of perspective. We spent time in Duluth at a friend's lake house, AMAZING relaxing. We drove through our old stomping grounds at St. Cloud State on our way back down to the Twin Cities and we watched some EXCELLENT Major League baseball. The Twins just won the division title and are in the World Series starting today in NY. I grew up going to Twins games having lived in ND for 9 years and then went to several in college. This is the final season at the Metrodome. The team is moving to their new "home" at the Target dome next year.

It's been a fun walk down memory lane and a great week of R&R and girl time! I miss my man for sure and am looking forward to seeing him on Friday but it's been a fun break from the work scene.

fall in So Cal . . .

tiny piles of leaves in a dry and barren desert land . . . thankfully its cooling down this week to the upper 80s, it was 106 last week!





neighbors expecting :)





Dinner date to Claim Jumper . . . AMAZING food and AK type atmosphere, our favorite restaurant

Teagen

fish and chips anyone?


Teagen and Ben . . . notice the big flock of gulls and pelicans behind, the boys had fun chasing them shortly after this was taken, it was a mass exodus




Yesterday Ben and I connected with a long time friend of mine from Wasilla, AK . . . Teagen Kroon. I've known Teag for years as family friends and through ministry at Wasilla Bible Church. He's living in southern LA now b/c he got the lead role in a major upcoming Broadway production!

He is super pumped about it and we are excited for him too! It was awesome to reconnect and hear first hand how all of this has played out. We got caught up over lunch at a fish and chips place in Santa Monica then we swung over to the beach for a little ocean time.

He'll be in LA the next two years preparing for the show and then performing. The show opens in LA December of 2010 so we're bummed it wasn't one year earlier while we are here but we may have to swing through sometime next year. We'll see! Best of luck to you Teag!

nesting . . .

We have had some new additions to our home over the past week so I am posting this for the moms and grandmas that are interested in seeing our place. :) All of our bedding was a gift from the Burdine family (my mom's side). Aunt Tammie mailed a package to us a few weeks back with the matching sign "As for me and my house . . ." Thanks for helping make our house a home guys! We love you!


We bought a couple of tables for our living room with wedding money and hung up the amazing Alaskan quilt Ben's grandmother Laura made for us. We love it! It makes our place much more homey! We also bought a few more games for our collection b/c we enjoy having game nights with our friends and with the Korean youth group students.

Alaska bound!

Once the school year started our schedules have gotten busy as usual with a new year and my blogging has gotten a bit back logged. Soooo, the post is long overdue but better late than later. :)

I think it's been a month ago now, Ben got a phone call from Jim Leach the chairman of Faith Bible Fellowships elder board asking us to consider coming on full time next summer as the youth/associate pastor. Both of us have talked at length about how we would LOVE to end up back in Alaska or the Rocky Mt. area somewhere. Alaska was our number one desire and hope but we weren't sure with timing, opporunity and the economy what would open up where.

As you can imagine we were blown away by the call being that it's still almost a year out, but elated that FBF would ask us to come on board the ministry there. After talking with each other and praying more of a, "Thank you Lord for this dream job for us." than a "Do we take this job?" prayer Ben called Jim back and accepted the position.

SO, we will be moving back to Alaska permanently next June/July! We are thrilled to be heading back to Alaska where we can serve in full time ministry in an area we LOVE! I can't WAIT to hike, smell FRESH air again, blueberry pick, grow a garden (eventually), and yes learn to hunt with friends and family all over the Valley.

The timing of this job is also a huge blessing for Ben (and me) because it takes pressure off him having to candidate in the spring and wondering if and where jobs will open. It's ideal for me as well b/c I can work for the Mat-Su Borough School District again and transfer in my years here in CA. Thank you Lord for your continued provision!

We can't wait to get back to Alaska!

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.