Moulding Chronicle January 2013

Dear Friends,

It was encouraging to look back over 2012 and remember all the special blessings of that year with the safe arrival of Lucas, a great time back in the UK with family and friends etc, and returning to the warmth of friendships back here in Bolivia.  As we begin 2013 we look forward with great anticipation as to what lies ahead.

The year starts with many new beginnings and challenges, a new home (again!), a new work focus for Ed (again!), a new balance of home life and a new experience of homeschooling Alana.   

At the end of last year we took time to pray and talk with our Country Director with regards to our future here in Bolivia, the result of which was the decision to extend our contract until 2017. This has a cost both in terms of the sacrifice for family as we will be unable to return to the UK over the course of the next 4 years, as well as a financial cost. 

Over these last 5 years we have seen time and again Gods provision for all of our needs and beyond and so we have no doubt that He will continue to do so and so we want to ask you to be praying with us for Him to do just that as well as for continuing wisdom as to how we can be wise stewards of what He does give us.

During our recent visit to the UK we used up the last of our FH financial reserves. This combined with some of our regular financial supporters stopping their support leaves us in a position of needing to increase our regular monthly financial income by £400/mth so that we can cover our annual insurance, education and medical costs and begin to build up our reserves again so that come 2017 we have money set aside to be able to buy our return tickets.   

When we originally put the new budget together we did it in two parts, one with all the costs and the second with what we could just about scrape by with. Shortly afterwards we felt challenged by God 'do we have enough faith for £400 extra?' The reduced figure was one that seemed possible to us, not allowing for much faith in what God can do, the £400 didn’t seem achievable in human terms yet it is putting us in a position to once again completely rely on God to provide for what we need.

Thank God for:

• Our new home that suits our needs
• A positive and encouraging start to homeschooling
• 3 amazing children

Ask God For:

• Wisdom, and patience with all the ‘new’ things
• Continuing provision of financial support
• Continuing growth in relationships

Blessings

Ed, Sarah, Alana, Isaiah and Lucas

Tooth Fairy Treasure Trail

A long time ago we decided that we wouldn’t follow along with the normal conventions of Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy with our children, however we still wanted to mark such occasions as special in some way, (as losing your first tooth is really quite a big deal when you are 6 years old).  So we came up with the idea of a a tooth-fairy treasure trail where by the tooth-fairy’s fairy friends help to guide the way to the treasure.

For Alana’s first tooth we weren’t quite ready, moving house got in the way of that one, but for tooth number two we were ready and waiting, and we waited and we waited.  That second tooth had been well wobbly for that last two weeks, but Alana was refusing to wobble it out.  Today after a visit to the dentist it had just the right bit of persuasion to leave and so we were able to put our first tooth fairy treasure trail to the test.

I think she enjoyed it :o)