Fall and Family Time

It has been a fabulous and fun family fall weekend!



One (actually two) of our favorite things to do are being at an event where our girls share their talents. Saturday night Elizabeth and a band she plays keys with performed at a benefit concert for CURE International.

The music was great, the company was great too. We were joined by our friend (and resident repair man!) Brad Windemuller. Sarah Grace danced to one of the pieces the band performed, (that's how we got to do 2 of our favorite things at the SAME time!) It was so nice of the girls to give us such a special opportunity on a weekend that Andy was here!

After the benefit, we all attended a very fun 21st birthday party at Louis Benton Steakhouse downtown GR. Dave Geroux is officially an adult and a very wonderful one! Many friends were there celebrating the momentous event!

This morning Andy and I spent time trimming our very lovely oak and maple trees and then shared a family brunch and worship time with the kids. This afternoon we all drove to Grand Haven for pumpkins, checked out the beach, then came home for a cookout. It was so fun having a fire on our own patio (no firemen necessary this time!) cooking hot dogs and smores and just enjoying each other.

Tonight the girls are attending Evensong at Cornerstone and Andy and Ben went to a VERY SCARY movie - yuch! Great weekend!

Hudsonville - We are home!

Dear Friends and Family,

Just wanted to let you know that we have safely arrived in our wonderful new home.

We had the sweet opportunity for Val and Ben to say some YFC farewells as we were leaving town. Our staff and board were gathered for a potluck and prayer time, so we stopped by and were able to hug some necks (as Andy says!)

The trip was eventful/uneventful... As we were traveling we ended up watching 2 separate police chases - one right next to us in Miami as we left town heading for Orlando on Sunday and the other in Georgia headed the opposite way on the highway... Due to extreme exhaustion on my part, we only made it to Valdosta on Monday. This meant that we did a very long day on Tuesday getting in to Franklin around 10:30 p.m. We made one stop in McDonough, Georgia (just south of Atlanta) to see one of our staff girls, Jennifer Hartley and her fiance, Trey. It was GREAT to see them and we got a tour of the chapel where Andy will be performing their wedding next May.

I was thankful to my friend Lisa who talked with me Tuesday night, through a stretch of mountain road in Tennessee keeping me alert! We left Franklin again the next morning for another 12 hour trip, ending up arriving at our new home around 9 pm last night (Wednesday). So our plans for a day off the road with our friends in Tennessee, turned out to be a 6 hour overnight break we spent sleeping. Even though we didn't get to stop for the day, they were gracious, as always, and sent us on our way with yummy muffins and lots of love and prayers!

Last night it was a joy to come around the last corner to see our front porch all lit up and welcoming us home. We were greeted by our girls, my parents, and a team of guys ready to help Andy and Ben unload our U-Haul. My initial tour left me feeling like I was the contestant on Extreme Makeover Home Ediition. I toured our beautiful new home, and all my things were there waiting for me. It was overwhelming and awesome!

The guys and our girls unloaded the truck while I helped settle in our pets. Both our dog and our cat weathered the trip amazingly well - I think better than me! Ben also did a GREAT job keeping Andy and I alert and on the right roads!!! We were thankful. Our girls and my Mom had worked very hard to settle in the house ahead of our early arrival. They did an amazing job. We have a fully functional kitchen, all our beds are set up and made (it was GREAT to sleep in our own beds last night for the first time in 6 months!), our living room is comfy, the garage, laundry room and bathrooms are all set up too!

Andy and I had our coffee/tea on the porch this morning and it was chilly - 52 degrees! The sunshine was beautiful and our trees (mainly oaks and maples) haven't started to change color yet - so we are looking forward to seeing autumn from beginning to end this year! We did see touches of fall color as we were driving through the hills in Tennessee and Kentucky and we saw a pumpkin patch FULL of pumpkins as we approached Grand Rapids.

We had to say our first farewell to Andy already today, but we made our plans for his next trip (this time via the friendly skies of Delta!) We are already counting the days! He called tonight to let us know he had safely arrived back in south Florida, so he will be back at the office in the morning.

Andy will be welcoming home Martha on September 25 (she is the sweet woman from our church who had us house sit for her the past 6 months.) After that he will be moving to live with our friends, Mark and Ines, who offered a room for Andy in their lovely home. We are thankful for such a great transitional home for him til he is able to join is permanently next spring.

We thank each of you for your help, your prayers, and your encouragement. As we have some settling in and recovery to do, it may be a bit before we are ready for too much company or spending much time visiting on the phone, but we wanted to give you an update.

Love from Hudsonville and Miami,

Andy, Valerie, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Ben

Our Moving Story

It has been an amazing season of watching God lead us, provide above and beyond our expectations, and encourage us through His people.

This past week we have been able to share publicly for the first time the results of a year of prayer and seeking God's will for our family. Andy (my husband) sent out a letter to our family and friends that really tells so much of our story in a clear way. Here it is:

Dear Family and Friends,

At the end of July, Val and I met with our children and also with our Miami YFC Board of Directors to share where we believe God is leading us. Over the past 12 months we have been praying for wisdom and God's will in regards to our future plans. As a family, we unanimously agreed on the next steps in our process.

Val and the kids will be moving back to Grand Rapids between August and September of this year. Our reasons are based on important needs within our own family. Elizabeth has exciting opportunities to serve the Lord with her music and teaching talents in Grand Rapids. Sarah Grace re-established herself in the dance community in Grand Rapids this past year and has multiple ministry and work opportunities to serve with her dance. Ben began a program in Grand Rapids this past May that is very important as he looks to his future. Val's health is a major consideration. Val had rheumatic fever in her youth and over the years it dramatically has affected her ability to deal with illness. Rest is crucial to her ongoing health. Our years of moving (12 homes in 25 years) need to be over for her health's sake.

Our family desires for me to complete this coming year (my 5th) as Executive Director of Miami Youth for Christ. This will also complete my 35th year of ministry with YFC. I plan to work here in Miami through April 2009, help transition this ministry staff and board towards new leadership, and bring to completion some important projects I am currently working on. Our family has encouraged me to end my years of YFC ministry well.

We will be closing on a lovely home we have purchased near Grand Rapids in a couple weeks (Val attached a picture of it at the top of this post.) The family will settle in there while I begin 7 months of intensive service here in Miami. I will be staying with friends from our church. I'll be traveling to Michigan to be with our family for a long weekend each month. We will spend the holidays together as well. Val plans to join me in Orlando this February as I celebrate my 35th Anniversary at our national convention. She will also be in Miami for our YFC Banquets in March.

We do not take our time of being apart lightly, indeed we ask for your prayers as we face a time that will certainly involve sacrifice as I complete things God has called me to do here in Miami while we also meet the needs of our children and Val in Michigan.

When I make my move next spring, I will be helping to develop a new ministry that friends of ours have been praying for and working towards for the past 10 years. Moriah Ministries will reach out to the 23,000 students of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, right outside Grand Rapids. It is a mentoring, discipling, and evangelistic ministry that we, as a family, are so excited about. Thanks for your prayers regarding this new opportunity to serve. We will update you in the coming months.

God is leading us back to Michigan. We are very pleased to be able to be near family and friends there. We will miss our extended YFC family and the wonderful staff and board here in Miami. We know God has a plan for them as well. Thank you for praying for our family and for Miami YFC during these 8 months of transition.

Resting in God's perfect plan and His provision,

Andy (for Valerie, Elizabeth, Sarah Grace, and Ben)

This has been an amazing season to go through - lots of potentials came our way. It was always good to see God close the doors we wondered about. When we were married the pastor who married us was Dick Wynn, who later became the President of Youth for Christ USA. He charged us at our wedding to put the Lord first in our lives and then to put our family second with our ministry to follow. That wisdom has been our measuring stick over the years as we walk this amazing road of ministry.

We anticipate amazing things as we continue to walk the path God has designed for us.

I decided to follow my girls into the world of blogging. I enjoy reading my friends blogs when I have moment, so maybe others will enjoy (or not!)

Today Andy and the girls are enroute to Grand Rapids bringing a team of people to serve our friend, Nancy Goodrich and her daughters, at Horse Haven Ranch Ministries. Wish we were all there. I know it will be a powerful week. Another great friend, Dean VanderMey, is speaking 3 times, challenging the team with the truth of Freedom in Christ. I am praying specifically for my friend Bryan who is there. He is an amazing young man, gifted with brilliance in a life that is less than brilliant.

Last night the team camped out at my sweet friend, Stevie's, house in Franklin, Tennessee. They were sent off this morning with coffee and Egg McMuffins brought in by her husband Darrell! He also covered the team with his sweet prayers. What a great send-off!

Ben and I are here at home doing the basics. I caught up with Ben's school records this morning and am hoping to get some photos downloaded to my computer and then burned onto cds.

I was up late into the night communicating with our family on the road. I prayed them through Monteagle Pass in the middle of the night and waited to hear of their safe arrival around 1:30 am. So I was still sleeping this morning around 10 when "Help Me Howard Hurricane Tree Removal" was knocking on our front door. I didn't get there to have a morning visit with him before he left for his next stop - his loss! My morning appearance is memorable!

Tony Snow's death has impacted our news reports today. Even though it makes me sad, it is so refreshing and comforting to hear the words that are being spoken about his personal faith in Jesus and about his commitment to family in the middle of serving so well in his communication career. The words they are speaking are the ones I will hope are spoken about Andy and me when we head to Heaven.

Hurricane Bertha has headed out to sea and now we are watching a tropical wave that may be taking aim at our coast. Hopefully not...