The Last Quarter

                          (Written by Thais)                                   

Dear Family & Friends,

We pray that you all are well since we last wrote.  We have so much to share with you that it’s difficult to even know where to begin.  Our lives continue to speed along at a rapid pace. As classes start back up, here we go again. Yet this time is different. If we compared these last four years to a basketball game, then we’d be now be in the fourth quarter with the game winding down to an end. We can hardly grasp the reality of Terrence having just begun his last semester of seminary. Have we really been here almost four years? Evidently, we have. We are very excited as we consider all that this new year of 2011 will bring.

First up, we are greatly anticipating Terrence’s graduation from The Master’s Seminary on May 15th. What a joy it has been watching the Lord shape and mature him into a future leader of His church. There have been countless invaluable lessons, many of which have been gained from outside the formal classroom. But whether from lectures or life, whether pleasant or painful, we are eternally grateful for all that the Lord has taught us over these last years. Let Terrence tell it and he will say that we have not one, but two graduations coming up. Although not an official graduation, I will be receiving a certificate in April for completion of the Women’s Ministries Program at The Master’s College. What a blessing it has been for us to be students at the same time, learning and growing together.

@ 22 wks

 

 

Secondly, let us move on to what’s cooking at home. That’s right…yet, another bun in the oven! By God’s grace, our family continues to expand. I am currently 6 mths pregnant, which means the new baby should arrive no later than the first few days of June. We are looking forward this spring to welcoming a little sibling for Mataya (2 ½ yrs old and talking up a storm) and Sophia (now 17 mths old and walking all over the place). June also promises to be a special month because I will be turning 30 yrs old and we will be celebrating our 5^th wedding anniversary. What a great graduation/birthday/anniversary/Father’s Day gift a new baby will be!

 

Some of you are probably wondering, “So then what?” Graduate, have a baby, and then what? Friends and family, we are thrilled to officially announce that we believe the Lord is calling us back to Alabama. We intend to move by the beginning of July to a neighborhood on the west side of Montgomery, called Washington Park. A group of believers working in West Montgomery has invited Terrence to partner with them and to be the pastor of a brand new church named Strong Tower. The word “excitement” cannot even describe what we are feeling as we approach this transition. We have an opportunity to be a part of the Lord’s work in not only changing lives, but a whole community. Not to mention the blessing of working with a great team of godly men and women, some of whom are already close friends of our’s from college and Campus Outreach. The task will be great, but we believe it is the Lord’s will for us and that He is more than able to accomplish it.

Although May 15^th is quickly approaching, there is so much that needs to happen before we get there. Please pray that we would finish well our time left here in California. Pray for Terrence to be diligent in his studies and to be able to balance all of the responsibilities he is currently juggling (home, school, work, teaching this semester at a Bible training school in LA, planning for the future church). Pray for a healthy pregnancy and that I would also be able to balance the load of home and school. We appreciate your loving support more than you’ll ever know and are convinced that we could not have made it this far without you. May God bless you with His amazing grace and everlasting peace.

The Jones

(Also, please check out the last post titled, Double Trouble. It was written in May, but not made public for your viewing until now. Our apologies!)