11th Move

Here we are, settled into our 11th different house in 13 years of marriage! This one is just down the street from the previous house. What is it about us and moving?

In the pursuit of simplification, and remaining mobile in the event that God leads us forward at the drop of a hat, moving much has benefited us. For a family of 6, we can pretty handily do a move in a week or less from start to finish. Each time, we get rid of stuff and junk, and keep ourselves pretty lean. Sure, we have our share of material possessions, but in a world where there is such an emphasis on getting more and better things all the time, we live fairly modest.

I wouldn't recommend moving so much to people. For us, though, it's adventurous and fun to experience change, and not get too comfortable. Most of our moves have been short distance. With the exception of our move to Houston and back, we have stayed in the same general area. So we've been able to keep in close relationship with people, as well as get to know new ones. Our current move has taken us about 1/2 mile away... still in the heart of downtown historic Globe, AZ.

The main reason for moving this time was for a fenced in yard! We were on top of each other in a little Globe cottage for 8 months without a yard. So, we found a little Globe cottage with a yard to move into. It's a cute, old place with just as much character as the other. It's still walking distance to our coffee house, friends houses, and many small town happenings.

Speaking of happenings, how are things going in Globe you ask? We are still adjusting to the small town way of life, and we are continuing to discover the things God wants us to be about both internally and externally. He is shaping our community here, and we are excited about the current opportunities, as well as the future possibilities. We have embraced the City of Globe as our church, and we are activily embracing citizenship here so we can be a light for Him in this place. Globe is literally a "city on a hill," and we are about bringing God's light to the people here.

Tara has been Superwoman this past year! She's been working on her BSN through Grand Canyon University and will be finished in May. She is teaching CNA classes at Gila Community College this year, and just finished her first semester of that. She and I have been homeschooling Noah and Isaac through Arizona Virtual Acadamy, and she is doing home health visits for the elderly here in Globe! Through these things, she has been able to express her gifts to the young and old here in Globe!

I (Bryce) was able to teach GED classes toward the end of this past semester at Gila Community College in San Carlos, and have been invited back to continue that part time next semester. This has been, and is, a great opportunity as we have been praying for a practical way to be out on the Rez since we moved up here! There may also be an opportunity to start GED classes at the Detention Center in San Carlos as well. I'm excited to help in this area as San Carlos has merely a 20% high school graduation rate! I am also working with adults with disabilities in the area by either helping them find work, or tutoring them educationally. Also, I have been continuing to help manage our coffee shop alongside Dezi and Jordan.

Emily and Joshua have been doing really well! Emily just had her 5th birthday... hard to believe! She has been doing great in pre school. Her teachers love her and she has made lots of friends. Her specialty is art. She loves to color and paint, and is so good at it. Joshua will be 4 in February. He loves physical activity- jumping on the trampoline, punching, kicking, climbing... he's all boy! He has also been doing great in pre school, and was pretty much the class leader by the end of the semester!

Noah and Isaac learned so much in home school this year, as did Tara and I helping teach them! Isaac just turned 8 and Noah will be 11 in March. Their favorite activity is hanging out with Stuart and Bennett Kim. We are real excited to be a part of Inspired Learning Academy next semester, which is a K-3 school and a home school Coop. Isaac will be attending the school, and Noah will still be doing AZVA, but with others inside a classroom. As parents, we'll take turns assisting those who are doing virtual academy. Friends in our community here in Globe have been working hard to put together this creative school opportunity for families here in Globe. And now, we'll be able to be a part of that as well!

So much to share... sorry it's been so long. Please be praying for some of these things:

-Inspired Learning Academy- The school is continuing to grow, and we want to really help create a positive, encouraging, and creative learning environment.

-For us to have wisdom and discernment as we continue to be heavily involved in things here in the city, as well as on the reservation. The resistance to the work God is doing in and through us is strong.

-We are looking for an inexpensive, quality, 7 passenger vehicle (hard to find!). Our van is about to go... it broke down on Tara the other day on the highway with all the kids on board. We've had trouble with it this past year, and have put too much money into it.

-Continued community growth with those who are here for the same purposes- Baker Family, Kim Family, Eric and Chris Shin, and Josh Wilshusen.

Thanks for reading all this. There's a lot more to share too, so I'll try and update more frequently. We hope you have a great Christmas and blessed New Year. Please let us know how things are going with you!

Recent Pics

Beliefs Get Talked About, Values Get Done

Having special needs children has been the greatest test of my capacity to love. Brain damage due to meth exposure in the womb has affected my two adopted children in ways we continue to discover everyday. One of the foundational issues that resulted from the exposure was the near severence of the connection between cause and effect. For instance, after moving Noah from a crib to a toddler bed, it took roughly a week to teach him to stay in his toddler bed and go to sleep at bedtime. Noah is our oldest biological child. We worked with Joshua, our youngest, for over a year on the same situation. He seemed lost in the ability to understand that if he did not stay in his bed and go to sleep, there would be consequences. We tried every technique in the book, and welcomed advice and ideas from others. To this day, he still has trouble connecting getting out of bed at bed time with consequence. This is just one example of the disconnect between cause and effect that is confronted everyday having meth exposed children.

Unless a person spends 24/7 with our adopted children, they may not see the effects that we encounter as their parents. Of course we love our adopted children... there is no question about it. But to truly understand the need for unconditional love they have, a person would have to be there and involved with them around the clock. Having these precious gifts from the Lord has not been easy, but it has been good and has taught us much in regards to love.

What do we know about each other in our expressions of community? Do we know each other- REALLY know them? If so, do we still love them?! One of the foundational values the Lord placed on our hearts when we first endeavored into BigFish was to be about the building of friendships rather than to just be friendly. Are we truly trying to relate with and understand each other to the point where it goes beyond just being friendly? Tara and I made the choice to go from "being friendly" to special needs to kids, to "building friendship" with them by making them a part of our family. Friendly gets talked about, friendship gets done! The thing about friendship is it becomes difficult! You see the true side of yourself and others, and what is seen is usually pretty hard to handle. In authentic community- whether with my children, or with my extended spiritual family- I have had to face vices I didn't know I had inside- anger, jealousy, pride, envy, etc... Those things couldn't be hidden under the atmosphere of friendship like they could in the superficiality of only friendliness. However, through those things coming into the light, I've been able to grow in virtues- love, humility, joy, patience, etc...

Choosing to place ourselves in a vulnerable, available, and authentic situation by doing foster care and adoption has brought about tremendous depth and transformation in our lives and the lives of our children. It has been one of, if not the, hardest journeys we have set out on, but well worth it! A journey into authentic friendship involving unconditional love for each other results in true living and transformation into righteousness. This is all something that most would agree with, and talk about, but is it something that is getting done in our community expressions? Are we talking about love, or are we loving?

Gramps Goes to be with the Lord

My Grandpa lived life to the fullest. Being 32 years old, my remembered experiences with him began when he was in his mid seventies. Spending time with him as a kid every summer in Colorado make up the fondest memories I have of Gramps. Within those memories, I realize that Gramps gave me a picture, an example, of how to live the full life in body, soul and Spirit.

In body, Grandpa was always active. He’d wake me up in the morning jogging around my bed singing, “Wake up, wake up in the morning it’s time to rise and shine…” Or he’d whistle it in his trademark vibrato whistle. He’d get me up before dawn and put me to work- shoveling dirt, moving woodpiles, working on the roof, or other labor intensive activities. Then later in the morning, when most people were still sleeping, he’d take me golfing, to play tennis, or even water skiing. I think he was still water skiing when he was 80. He taught me by example about the importance of physical activity and taking care of the body.

Soulfully speaking, Grampa knew how to have fun and enjoy life. When I speak of soul, I’m talking about the emotional and relational part of life. He loved people, he loved his wife, his kids, his grandkids and his great grandkids! Time spent with me was priceless to him- you could tell- he was proud of his chubby little red headed grandson as he introduced me to everyone. He was always goofing around with people at the grocery store. He was always playing with kids whenever he came across them. He loved to teach me things. A highlight for me was when he taught me to drive his 1949 Ford Pickup, and he still loved me even after I rammed it into the garage door pressing the clutch instead of the brake! Soulfully, he really taught me how to live, and he seemed to know what really mattered in life- family, people.

I think the reason Grandpa was a great example in physical and soulful living was because he lived for Christ. The Spirit of God was clearly alive in my Grandpa. He was a great witness to Jesus. I remember golfing with him once, and a guy joined us because we only had a twosome. The guy with us would get frustrated with his game, and used a lot of swear words. The guy would say something like, “to hell with this game.” Grandpa would respond by saying, “What about you? Do you believe in heaven and hell?” Then he would go on to witness for Jesus. Grandpa was a prayer warrior. He and Grandma would pray for all of us every morning, and morning devotions were a staple. He loved to sing too. I remember him singing along as we listened to the a-track of “I am a Promise, I am a Possibility, I am a Promise, with a capital P” over and over in the old Cadillac. Grandpa was a great example of living by the Spirit, and with passion!

I thank God for Grandpa. He had an amazing life, and he was an incredible example to me of true living. There’s so much more I could share about my experiences with Gramps, and I’m grateful to have so many joy filled memories. It’s a greater joy, though, to now know that he is in the presence of the Almighty, his true home.

Family Pictures