Easter 2011

Me on Easter morning two years ago. Keep in mind Ellie is only two months old here. But I was at my biggest size 18 before getting pregnant with her.

Justin on Easter morning 22 pounds lighter!

The kids

Me on Easter morning 27 pounds and four sizes smaller than two years ago (size 12)!! If I drop one more size I will be the size I was when I got married 10 years ago (size 8/10).

I decided to post some pictures of our family from Easter as well as a video of the kids hunting Easter eggs for our family and friends who do not see us on a regular basis. I hope you enjoyed celebrating the reality that Jesus is alive and remembering why He came into the world to die for our sins!! I also have included before and after photos of me and my journey with weight loss. I still have one pound till my half way point but decided to go ahead and put the pictures on now!! Have a great week!!

Are you a spectacle??

The craft we made a kids club

Ellie and Daddy at the Zoo

Kayla and Braeden

Ellie

All three of my beautiful gifts from God!

I chose to name this post by asking if you are a spectacle because this is something I have been having a hard time with here lately. I guess it is the number one thing that is the hardest thing for me to adjust to living in another country. My family is not normal here. We really are like exhibits in the zoo or something EVERYWHERE we go. At first I began to think, well it would be so different if we were in America. We could go out and speak English and no one would look at us funny. We could let our kids be kids without getting strange looks from others. But would it really be that different. Then I realized that no matter where we were we would never be normal because we have been forever changed by the love of Jesus Christ and there is a reason we are different. So does this mean that my frustration with being an exhibit all of the time just goes away with this thinking, no. But I am trying to look at it from the perspective that I want to stand out in this world but I want to stand out by letting God's love and hope show through my daily actions to let others be drawn to Him. I know I am not the only one that struggles with how others view them. Such as when we tell our kids no and maybe they decide to throw a fit. We do not give in but some view this as something bad. To me this is a form of love. Kids need discipline and need to know that their parents have authority over them and will help them make good decisions. How else are they supposed to grow and understand that God has authority over them and will guide them.

Now I must be honest this disciplining of our kids and trying to be a role model is a hard thing for me. I have been tested many times recently because Elaina is in the fit throwing stage now and I can tell you I fail almost every time. I react because I let my temper get in the way as well as my feeling that everyone is watching and ridiculing me, because of course the fits are always in public! I have been trying my hardest to not react in anger but to just simply tell her that fits are not tolerated and I will be glad to listen to her is she tells me what she needs or wants but I will not listen to the fit. I am trying very hard not to be the screaming mom that I sadly have been in the past. That is sadly how I deal with things when they get out of hand. I tend to raise my voice. I have been working hard to break that habit and take a step back when I feel the impulse to yell coming on. I used to get down on myself because of this but then I realized no-one is perfect. Each of us have some area of our personalities or traits that we would change if we could. This is one for me that I am working on and I felt the need to share with you so that you could see that I am real. I am just being honest and real. So the whole point of sharing this was to bring up the question again. Are you a spectacle? If you are, are you a spectacle for good reasons or bad ones. I hope that I am a spectacle for the good things in my life most importantly the love and hope I have through Jesus. That is my desire!!

Spring arrived here in Tallinn and we have been enjoying it. We have visited the zoo a few times. Elaina has taken off and just wants to run and explore the world. She loved the zoo both times we went. She is a really sweet spirit and even with her tantrums she is just adorable. Braeden is still the budding artist. We literally cannot keep paper in the house because he loves to draw so much. He wants to keep every drawing too. Kayla is such a wonderful big sister. She loves her brother and sister and helps me with them. She is going to be a great mom.

We found out a few weeks ago that we will be moving. God provided a wonderful place for us just a few miles up the road from where we are now. It is like the best of both worlds. It is not a house but not an apartment either. It is a duplex like building with a storage room and small fenced in yard. The kids can still ride their bikes and everything like now too!! We are so thankful. We will begin to move next week sometime. Please pray for the adjustment to the new place particularly Kayla's adjustment. She has friends here in the neighborhood. She at first was reluctant to move but since seeing the new place she has began to like the idea more. My heart breaks to think that maybe moving so much will effect her. But I know as long as we stay strong together as a family and continue to follow God's will for our life then He will take care of us.

I was hoping to be at the half way point of my weight loss by now but I am not. I have lost 27 pounds in 16 weeks though so I am very proud of that. Ever since I hit the 20 pound mark the weight was slow to come off. I have changed things up a bit and lost 2lbs again this week. So we will see. I will get Justin to take a picture of me when I get to my half way point of 28 pounds. Just one more pound away!! I will continue to press on towards my goal of 56 pounds. As we are packing it amazes me to see how little of my clothes actually fit anymore. They are all too big. I can't wait to get home in October and go shopping!!! The best part of the weight loss is how great I feel. I can actually go jogging while the kids ride their bikes and not be exhausted after five minutes!!! I love being healthier and I hope I never go back!!

The kids club has been growing. One week there were 20 kids there!! I ran out of craft supplies there were so many kids. For Easter we made butterflies that said "Jeesus Elab" or "Jesus lives". They learned about the story of Easter and Christ's Resurrection. It is such a joy to see the kids and be a part of their lives. Pray that God will continue to send more kids to learn and grow with Christ!

Thank you for your prayers and support. We will be home for furlough from October 14 2011- July 16, 2012. If you are interested in us coming to your church and sharing God's work here in Estonia please contact Justin @ estoniamissions@yahoo.com

We love and miss you all!! I pray you have a very blessed Easter as we celebrate the gift given to us through Jesus!

This is a video of Happy birthday Daddy!!

Spring are you coming????

Ellie after swimming at the Hotel

Giving Daddy Kisses

A beautiful plant Justin gave me for Valentines Day

Ha!! I just had to put that title because would you believe it is still SNOWING here!!! I am so ready for Spring!!! The snow has melted a lot but just as more grass begins to show down the snow comes again :0( On the bright side we have all been well and enjoying our time inside.

The kids are still doing well in school. Kayla and I finished with our radish growing in Science and are soon moving towards growing corn and beans. I do not know how growing corn int he house is going to work but I told Justin maybe we will put some corn stalks on each side of the upstairs bathroom (AKA the warmest room in the house) and the we can have a Hee Haw theme in there!! Ha!! Should be interesting to say the least. Braeden just finished learning about the human body and how everything works. He learned on day about babies and how they grow inside a woman and such. He was fascinated. He kept asking all week, Momma do babies have brains when there growing? Do they hear when they are growing? It is great to see them learning and being excited to learn. Elaina is talking more and more. She tries to keep it a secret that she can talk. I heard her one morning just talking away to Braeden, she did not know Mommy was up listening. Ha!! I told her I knew her secret and she needs to talk to me too!! She just smiled.

We recently went on a trip to one of the islands here in Estonia for Justin to do an evangelism conference there. We had a great time. About 15 people came to the session. We were invited to come back this Summer and help with a camp for youth there where more than 50 youth are expected to be there, to help with evangelism training. Justin was adding up how many he has trained through these session so far and 77 people have been trained in evangelism. This is only possible through the hands of God bringing these Christians to the realization of the need to tell others of their faith. God is working here to reach His people. Justin also had the opportunity to preach at the church we attend here. He preached on the importance of being a multiplying disciple for Christ. He did well. Justin is also continuing to meet with a young man one on one, in which they study God's word and learn about discipleship together. This young man has already started reproducing himself in the lives of two other people. We are still praying for others to be led into our lives to grow and learn about discipleship with.

We recently had to begin to face the reality that we may have to move again. We are not thrilled with this situation but we have decided to leave it to God. We will know soon whether we must move or not and will probably be moving in Summer if we have to. The house we are renting is for sale and if our landlord does not want to continue to rent it then we will have to move. The reason this is difficult is we have already moved three times in the past four years. That is a lot of moving and adjusting and we were worried it is taking a toll on the kids. But after prayer and getting perspective we have decided that as long as we are in God's will, He will take care of us. Life is not easy at times but we are very blessed and what matters is we stick together and stand strong in Christ. So please join us in prayer that the right decision is made about our living place here in Estonia.

I am 12 weeks into my journey of loosing weight and have lost a total of 22 pounds!! Yay!!! Six more pounds to go until my half way point. I have had to buy a new pair of pants because the ones I bought at Christmas were falling off of me! I am glad to see the changes with my body. Justin has lost about 18 pounds.

Thank you for continuing to pray for Estonia and for hearts to be changed here. Thank you for praying for our family. We love and miss everyone. Have a great week!!

Ellie is two!!!

Is that Handy Manny, or Handy Ellie??

Movie time!!

Minnie Mouse Cake!

So we had a birthday in the Owens house this past month. On February 15th Miss Elaina Grace turned TWO!!! I cannot believe it has been two years since God brought her into our lives. We celebrated with just our family here at the house with a Minnie mouse cake I made her. The cake turned out pretty good, and I enjoyed making it. We also took all of the kids to a play place here in Tallinn to play for a few hours that day. She got a Minnie mouse toy and a Jessie doll for her birthday.

We are almost finished learning the days of creation with the children's club. We have been learning the days of creation by doing crafts for each day of creation. It has been great to see the kids explore the days of creation hands on by making crafts to remind them of what was created on each day. Many of these children do not have much exposure to the Bible so this helps reinforce what they are learning. We also put each day of creation on the craft to help them remember at home as well.

We will be traveling this weekend and next for training seminars on one of the islands here in Estonia. Justin will be teaching Evangelism training over these two weekends and the church that will host the sessions has a lot of youth that are interested in this. Please pray for safe travel and for those that come to take on the task of being a multiplying disciple for Christ.

Soon Justin and I will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. It is on March 10th. I truly could not have picked a more wonderful man to have in my life. He truly is the man God made for me. I love Justin more than words could possibly say! We continue to grow with each other through every obstacle and miracle along the way. God has richly blessed us through these past ten years. We have three beautiful children, awesome supportive parents, wonderful friends and family, love and friendship from each other, and a Father who loved us so much to send His only Son to die for our sins and purchase a place in Heaven for us!! Who could ask for more?

Sure life is not always easy. In fact really I do not have many easy days, but I know that with the help of the Holy Spirit I can do anything. I know God knows all of my burdens and what I will do before I do it. I know that He will never give me more than I can handle. Sometimes this alone gets me through the day. I try to stay positive and focus on things I can change and give the rest to God. I do not always succeed, but I try. Justin is really the more level headed one between the two of us and he helps me a lot. I am trying more to control my temper and reactions. I see that I need to teach my kids the right way to react to adversity, and reacting by raising your voice or getting angry is not what I want them to learn. It is a long process and I still fail, but I continue to try and with God's help I will become more patient and less reactive.

Kayla and Braeden are still chugging along with their schooling. We are growing radishes right now in Kayla's science class to learn about plants and how they grow. It has been interesting. She is excited to be doing experiments in her science and learning hands on. Braeden is learning about the human body and how it works. He is fascinated by the bones and muscles. He had me draw him a picture today so he could decorate it. He is the budding artist.

I am through week eight of my weight loss journey and so far have lost 14lbs. I am at 185 now. I have also dropped another size in clothes. I hope to reach my goal of weighing 143lbs by the middle of August. I am still working out to Slim in Six, five day a week. I have been doing the third level of the video for the past four weeks. This is a big accomplishment for me because before I could not even make it through this part of the video. It is still not easy, but I make it through. Justin has also lost about 12 pounds just from the diet changes we have made!!

Thanks for continuing to pray for Estonia and God's work here. Please continue to pray for the hearts of believers here to be burdened to reach their friends and neighbors for Christ. Please pray for our family as we seek to raise our children in a friendly loving environment and that they would see Christ in us. Pray for us to be the parents God wants us to be. We love and miss all of you. Have a blessed day!!

It's a new year!!

Mom pulling Braeden on a sled.

Dad, Mom, Kayla, and Braeden

The sun shining the other day. Oh sun how I have missed you!!

Ellie let Kayla fix her hair. She of course left it up since Sissy did it!! But when Mommy does it she pulls it right down ;0)

Ellie and Papaw

Well 2010 has left us and now it is 2011. So far it has been a great year! We have set our dates for coming home for furlough. Furlough, for those that do not know, is the time we come home to travel to our supporting churches and share God's vision and the work we have been doing on the mission field. We will be coming home on October 14, 2011 and staying through July 16, 2012. This will give us about nine months to travel, raise ministry support, as well as share about God's work here in Estonia. I am excited about this (if you could not tell ;0)) So much that I am posting about it now, eight months ahead of time!

If you are a pastor of a church or interested in us visiting your church during our time home please email Justin at estoniamissions@yahoo.com with the date and time you would like us to come. We will be taking appointments from November, 2011 through June, 2012. We will start emailing churches to start getting our schedule filled up soon. We would love to share with you about Estonia and the ministry here.

School is going full force right now. The kids go to school four days a week. We usually are done by lunchtime. Then Justin and I both have our own school work for a few hours as well. I am only taking one course at this time so it is not too tough. Three more sessions to go and I graduate!!

Kayla wrote her first research paper! She did great! She had to choose an animal and research it. She chose dolphins. We looked on the internet and found two sources there and then she used two of her school books as well. I cannot remember doing research papers in the third grade, but she did perfect!

Braeden is learning more and more each day. He is learning to put sounds of words together to read 3-4 letter words. He loves art! He can draw pretty well too! I may have an artist on my hands.

Elaina is still her bright lovely self. She will be two soon! I cannot believe it has almost been two years. It has flown by.

My parents came for a visit a few days after Christmas. We really enjoyed our time with them. We did not do too much due to the weather, but we got to spend time together. I enjoyed seeing them it really meant a lot to me!

I have began a journey to becoming healthy myself. I started on January 3, 2011. I decided it was time to make a change and start taking better care of myself. I am soon to be thirty and all of my grandparents are dead. They each died of heart attacks or cancer. I do not want this to happen to me. So I have been making small changes and sticking to them.

I have been watching my calorie intake and trying to keep it to around 1200 calories a day, but no more than 1600 calories even on a splurge. I also have been working out to a video I have had for years and used occasionally. It is called slim in six and it is very intense for me. It is a cardio and muscle strengthening workout and has three levels. It took me several months to finally be able to just do the second level. When I began my workouts on January 3 I started with the second level and did that 47 minute workout five times a week. This week I began to do the third level of the program and am still going five days a week. The third level is 59 minutes. I started out at 199lbs and now I am at 192! Seven pounds down in four weeks! I am proud of these results and will continue on till I reach my goal.

My goal is to loose 45-50lbs to be in the normal weight range for my height. I know this will take a while so I plan on achieving my goal within 9 months to a year. As a family we have been eating better as well so this is impacting the whole family. I want my kids to know how to take good care of their selves and know how to eat healthy. This is the beginning of that.

Each day working out is not easy. Sometimes I do not want to do it, but I cannot give up! I will continue this until I reach my goal. Then I will make a plan to maintain my weight which will also include exercising as well. Exercising has been a hard thing for me to keep a commitment to in the past. Now, after four weeks I can tell you I feel a difference in my body. I have more energy and feel better.

I will post each month where I am at and what my weight is doing. The good and the bad. This will help keep me accountable. I am not willing to let another day go by that I say "tomorrow is the day". Today is here and the time is now to make a change!

Justin and I have been reading the Bible together as well. We chose a plan to read through the Bible in a year and this plan is in chronological order. We are on track so far. This is another goal of mine. I have yet to read through the whole Bible and next year this time I will be able to say I have!

We continue to help with the kids club here in Estonia. Justin is continuing to have evangelism training seminars as well. We still have about two feet of snow on the ground here as well.

Thank you for the prayers and support! Please continue to pray for Estonia and for God to continue to work in the hearts of believers here to have a burden for reaching their people. Please continue to pray for safety as we travel for seminars. Please pray for me to have strength to continue towards the goals I have set physically and personally. Thank you again for all of your love and support.

Merry Christmas!!

So it is Christmas Eve here in Estonia, and the past few days I cannot help be a little home sick. Okay a lot home sick. Holidays are not the same without all of our family, but with the help of Skype and the fact that my parents are arriving here two days after Christmas, that helps. We have been on Christmas break from college and home school this past week. We have been sledding with the kids and enjoying our time together. Today we watched Toy story 3 (an early gift from us to the kids). Here are a few highlights from this year:

Kayla is learning how to write in cursive and how to multiply. She loves to listen to music and can sing Psalm 8 by memory. She is a bright loving child and very helpful big sister.

Braeden is learning to read and write. He is learning to add. He loves to listen to stories and even though he does not sit still during them, he can tell me everything that happened. He is a lively bright little buddy, but also a loving little man.

Elaina is learning her shapes, she loves to say circle over and over again! She likes to sit and listen to stories as well and still loves to dance to music. She is a bright, silly, little angel.

I am halfway through my schooling. Only seven more classes to go! Justin will finish his schooling shortly after me in December 2011.

We helped with the Christmas party at the kids club of the Hope church here. The kids made candy trees for their parents, played Christmas games and sang Christmas songs. These kids are such a blessing to my heart. To see their smiling faces really makes my day! We gave them each a little gift for Christmas, and look forward to seeing them next year in the kids club.

Justin is continuing to do seminars in conjunction with the Seminary here in Estonia, about how to Share Jesus Without Fear. Many have come to learn how to share their faith more effectively. Justin is also going further with not just teaching evangelism, but also praying for God to lead him to men that would like to learn more about what the Bible says about discipleship and how to become a multiplying disciple of Christ. Justin has began meeting with a man who feels led to work with the youth here in Tallinn. They have been meeting once a week and learning together.

We are grateful for all of the blessings God has given us. This year has been challenging at times but very rewarding as well. God has shown us that He can make us much stronger than we could have ever believed we could have been. God also revealed His mission for us here and it feels so good to understand the bigger picture now.

Thanks you for continuing to pray for Estonia. Thank you for praying for our family. We hope that each of you have a Very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We wish you many blessings this next year as well. We miss and love you all!!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!!

What I am thankful for

The first snow!! Yes we have had enough snow to make a snowman!

The volcano Braeden and I made, then we made it erupt!

A cell model Kayla and I made.

First day of school!!

First day of school!!

Camp out

Baseball

Kayla had a birthday!! She is 8!!

The boys made cars at Kayla's party

The girls had a spa party and painted their nails and made glitter lotion!

I decided to make a list of things I am thankful for and put it all together. This list is not really in any order, except the first thing. So here it goes!!

1) First, and foremost, I am thankful for Jesus Christ, who came to earth to save me from my sin, and offer me eternal life in Heaven! Even though I did not deserve it, He died for me, and only through Him, am I saved.

2) I am thankful for the wonderful man God placed in my life. Justin is my partner, my friend, and my soul mate. I am truly blessed to have him in my life.

3) I am thankful for each of the wonderful children God has given me.

Kayla is a beautiful, smart little girl. She reminds me of myself. She has a warm heart and is sensitive to others. With one look into her sparkling blue eyes, you can see to her heart. Oh how I love her.

Braeden is a handsome, bright boy. He is a little (okay a lot) wild a times, and loves to explore the world. He also has a sensitive side, and loves to snuggle. I see Justin in him, especially when looking at his beautiful hazel eyes. That boy will melt hearts, he already has mine!

Elaina is a beautiful little doll. She is funny and loves to dance and play. She is a little stubborn at times (which I have been told I was too!!). With one look into her beautiful brown eyes, you can tell she is filled with love. She sends joy to my heart.

4) I am thankful for my parents. Who have guided and supported me no matter what. My mom is my best friend and stood by me when the world failed me. My dad would always tell me never to give up on my dreams; I could do anything I put my mind to. I love them very much and am very excited about their upcoming trip to see us here in Estonia. December 26^th cannot come any faster!!

5) I am thankful for my sisters. Even though we did not always get along (what siblings do?). We love each other very much.

Debbie, my older sister, is who, I have always admired. Every little sister wants to be like her big sis, and I did too. I still admire her for being who she is, going to school while working, and still maintaining her family. She is a good mom and wife. She has a genuine heart that not everyone sees. I miss times like the ones we shared when we were young. I love her so much. Maybe more than she knows.

Jamie, my little sister in the middle, is also someone I admire. She is also taking school right now along with taking care of her family. She is a good mom and wife. We used to stay up on the weekends playing Barbie’s, school, and doctor. I miss those times as well. I love her very much as well.

April, my youngest sister, is ten years younger than I am. She is also in school, and I admire her as well. She had a heart condition as a child that kept her from many things, but she did not let it hold her back. Instead, she has chosen to become a doctor and combat heart problems. I remember sharing a bed with her right up until I got married! She would come down the hall with her blanket and ask if she could sleep in my room. I did not mind the extra company. She was always like my real live baby. I miss times with her. I love her very much too.

6) I am thankful for my in-laws. How many people can say that?? I have two sets of in-laws and I am very blessed to have them in my life. They all love my children and me, just the way we are. They love us and support us. They have raised an awesome son, who is wonderful to me. I love them very much.

7) I am thankful for the rest of my family. I come from a close family, so family to me is just not my immediate family, but aunts, uncles, and cousins too. I love holidays because I get to see all of them and catch up. Oh how I love all of the wonderful times we have shared!

8) I am thankful for my friends. I have many friends in different categories. Those from Baylor, Mother Francis, here in Tallinn and church family. They are all dear to my heart. I have special memories from both of the places I worked, Baylor and Mother Francis, and with our church family as well. I was truly blessed to work with such awesome people who let me into their lives and continue to pray and support me. Our church family is dear to my heart. I love that we come from a praying body of believers. Here in Tallinn, I have met some wonderful women too, who also have welcomed me and support me. God has provided special people along my path, and I am very grateful for them.

So that is the list. It really turned out not to be what I was thankful for but Who I am thankful for! I hope you enjoyed it! I hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, we all have so much to be thankful for!

We have just finished our first six weeks of homeschooling, and it has been going good. With Braeden we have learned about fossils, made a volcano, looked at dirt, read 6 books, and much much more!! With Kayla, we have learned about Indians, I read 3 books to her, and she has read 3 books on her own! We have learned about animals, and how to use them in an apologetic way to prove against evolution. It has been quite interesting and fun! Elaina also likes to join in on the science experiments and readings. Justin is also teaching the kids this year. He has been a huge help.

The kids have also started playing baseball, once a week. They are learning the basics right now, but are enjoying it. The team is a group of kids from the international school here in Tallinn, so they all speak English. It has been a good way for the kids to spend time with other kids.

Justin has started the training sessions for the evangelism training. The first one went well with five people coming. Each of these people had a heart for evangelism, but needed better tools to use. Please continue for these sessions throughout this year and next.We continue to help with the kid's club at the Hope church, and are enjoying that as well. We do games and crafts, we have had about 8-10 kids coming each time.

Thank you for continuing to support and pray for us. We love each of you. That is all from our neck of the woods. We would love to hear from you, write if you have the time!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!