We just celebrated Christian's 8th birthday with a mega-games party! The kiddos played giant Pictionary, human Trouble where they were the trouble pieces, and human Hungry Hungry Hippos where they were the hippos gobbling up balloon marbles. Christian has a fun time celebrating his 8th birthday with his friends!
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Our website has been transformed from a simple blog to our new ministry website! If you have our blog posts emailed to you or subscribe to our blog via an RSS feed, we would be so honored if you would take a few moments to check out our new website at www.vrugginks.com and sign up to receive our monthly ministry newsletters. We will continue to update our blog regularly with ministry and family news.  Today was a special day for Greg and I as we were official appointed as ABWE Missionaries!
There were some amazing moments throughout this process - forming some incredible friendships with 24 other missionaries, sharing our heart with the ABWE board, learning how to share our vision with other believers so they can partner with us, but one of the most meaningful times was yesterday when our Pre-Field candidate class wrapped our arms around each other and sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness." "Great is Thy Faithfulness" is a particularly special song to Greg and I as we sang it at our wedding and we would like the song sang at our funerals, so it seemed incredibly fitting that our Pre-Field Director asked us to sing this special hymn as we concluded our training and began "the middle of our journey." On July 8th Greg and I celebrated the blessing of being married nine years! We've been blessed to serve in full-time ministry for eight of those years - two years as missionary English teachers in China and six years in pastoral ministry. Over this time God has blessed us with four beautiful children, and our oldest turned eight-years-old today (how did that happen?!?). Now it's time for us to begin the next phase of our journey as we raise support to serve God by training church leaders in Southeast Asia. God has been faithful in bringing Greg and I together and providing us with all we've needed throughout the past nine years as we began our ministry journey. God will be faithful to provide for us as we seek to minister in Asia. And God will be faithful to provide us with His grace when it's the end of our time on this earth. From beginning to middle to end we will praise God for "Great is His Faithfulness!" “Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-- “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-- “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-- “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! |
