February Newsletter '12

Greetings,

How wonderful it is to see February; amazing how those winter months can drain on even in the beautiful Bahamas. January was a flurry of basketball games and practice, you can read about our dismal failure below, however appearances are not always as they seem. Everyone is finally healthy and doing splendid and we thank you for your love and support.

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Hoosiers, We Are Not

It was the best of times and the worst of times (what a sad way to start anything)! Our 2011-12 resurrection of the Windermere Boys Basketball Team went down in a blaze of glory. Our record: 0-4; non-conference 4-10. There comes a point when you're loosing games where strategy wears out and you can only say to the boys, "Ok, go out there and have some fun."

Mind you, we had some close ones. One game against Rock Sound, if we had another 6 minutes in the game we might have actually pulled it out. But time after time, our Windermere Boys Team, made up of 7th-12th grades, was routinely hammered by towering teams of only seniors, and talented seniors at that.

My greatest goal with our boys was to try and impress upon them the importance of learning to play as a team and the strength that can come with everyone supports and pulls with everyone else. There were times where they exemplified this goal perfectly, but the deficit on the scoreboard always proved overwhelming. There's always next year… and the one after that!

Click HERE to see our Season Ender
Click HERE to see our Opener
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Update

January was quite a month. We adjusted to life back on the island quickly as we anticipated coming back, but it wasn't long before the challenges of the school and never ending disciplinary issues became overwhelming. I'll even voice a prayer concern in our update - please pray for the children of Windermere and that God would cause them to soften their hearts towards Him and harden them towards the evils of the world. Music, movies, peer drama, drugs, hormones, gossip, slander, envy, discord, hatred, sloth and laziness, and sloth… its a veritable "sins of the flesh" from Galatians 5! If ever there was a place where love and faith and hope were needed its here!

Micah is growing so much. Not only is he getting bigger, but he's figuring out everything so fast. He now takes the time to instruct his mommy and me as to how thing are to properly go. I couldn't be prouder - a little teacher! He is having fun getting stickers for dressing and undressing himself too. And he loves digging holes and playing with his toys as usual. He is really looking forward to turning 4 in a couple months! We are enjoying him being 3 though, so hopefully time passes slowly. We praise the Lord for his health and the joy he is to us and everyone around him. It's a blessing to be able to teach him about the Lord and watch him grow more and more every day!

Emily says that January is typically a slow month. She pretty much spend January looking forward to February. She was busy with Sandy working through a Bible study on the power of words - something that is magnified in this culture! And we are helping her prepare for the future, which we are praying will be college at a Christian school. Please pray with us about this! School has been going well for both of us and we love working at Christian school where we can incorporate God's Word in everything we teach. But Emily is mostly looking forward to February, and Valentine's Day and all the pink flowers!

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Prayers and Praises

Praise for the completion of our Basketball Season. As great as it was… it wasn't that great! But seriously a huge praise for the time with the boys and an injury free season. Even with no wins, we got to see changes in the boys' behavior and attitudes a lot! I am proud of them!
Praise to be back at work with safe travel and a sweet time with family and friends over Christmas and New Years
Huge praise for our sending churches, they've stepped up and prayed for us when we've needed it most and have been that support net we need out here

Again pray for our students and the many challenges they face
Begin praying for our summer teams as those will come as the Lord raises up those who would serve
Pray for us, that we would find the Lord's strength our joy!

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Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers and your involvement in our ministry with God's mission. To find out more about support CLICK HERE.

- Ryan Emily and Micah Flunker