Swapped :: Clicked :: Shopped :: Pricked

The past few months have been quite the adventure in the life of the Stepletons! Here is a quick synopsis on what we've been up to:

• November 1 was our last day as Canyon Ridge staff members
• November 5 we moved out of our house and in with the Edwards family
• November 9 we officially closed on our home
• November 13-20 we visited Sean's family for an early Thanksgiving
• We also met with several potential supporters

The month of November was busy, but we felt God's hand of blessing on many different occasions and have much to be thankful for. Our house sold within 3 weeks of initiating conversation with our buyer, without a realtor, and despite the fact that the Vegas market has been slow. We've been able to share conversations, meals, and financial patnership with many of you as God has laid it on your heart to support the work we want to do through Youth With A Mission (YWAM).

Here is what has most recently been happening as we have been making preparations to leave...

SWAPPED ::
For those that don't already know, Sean and I have swapped schools and dates. We had initially applied for a Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Nuneaton, England (near Birmingham). We were to leave January 3 with our school starting on January 5. However, the school we applied for recommended Sean and I attend a Crossroads Discipleship Training School (CDTS) which begins in April. Through some counsel and prayer, we decided it was best to maintain our January departure time frame and we were able to do so by switching school locations to Cuckfield (about an hour south of London.) The property we'll be stayin on is in the country and is a beautiful place called Holmsted Manor. Sean actually visited this property back in 2001 when he went on a youth mission trip to London.

CLICKED ::
Once we had the official acceptance from Holmsted Manor, we hopped on line, researched flights and costs, and finalized the trip by clicking "purchase tickets." We found great round-trip tickets that have us leaving Las Vegas on January 17 and returning July 4. Buying the tickets was another mile marker to our journey. It became more of a reality that we really are leaving.

SHOPPED ::
What better way to get your mind off of saying goodbye than to shop! The reality is that the average temperature in England ranges from 39F in January - 57F in June. In addition to cooler temperatures, it rains quite a bit. We had to turn in our tank tops for raincoats and our flipflops for sneakers. We've added sweaters, scarves, beanies, pants, and thicker socks to our wardrobe. We have a few things left to buy and then we should be set.

PRICKED ::
I hate needles! But as part of our training, we will be visiting a third world country to experience serving others and sharing our faith in a cross-cultural experience. Because there are places in the world that have not overcome particular viruses, we had to be prepared. Today Sean and I had to have a TB skin test done along with a Typhoid, Polio, Hep A, and a Diphtheria/Tetanus shot. I was scared to death but Sean was a huge comfort and actually went first! When all was said and done, we hardly felt the needle prick, however, our arms are a bit sore now! When we were done, we celebrated with a root beer float from A&W.

This month has also been spent talking to and meeting with potential supporters. God is so good because to date, we are at about 85% of our monthly budget. On top of that, we have "special gifts" that have been given to help pay for our vaccines, our airline tickets, and most of the cost of our school. Thank you to everyone who has committed to support us both prayerfully and financially.

A few dates to keep in mind are that Sean and I will be at the Events Table at Canyon Ridge January 16/17 and January 30/31. We hope to answer questions, hand out prayer cards, have people sign-up for our e-newsletter, and maybe even talk with potential supporters.

Cheers everyone!
Sarah and Sean