Believe 2015

Believe is a weekend event that is just for middle school students put on by Christ in Youth.  Every year in April this event is held at the DeVos Field house at Hope College.  This year Belay took 11 students and 5 leaders to Believe. 

The whole event centered around being "after" God's heart, using the story of David.  The speaker was great, his name was Jeff Whalling, he is from Pepperdine University.  He has been in Youth Ministry for 20 years and you can tell.  The minute he got on stage the kids were locked in.  He was funny and a good story teller.  The coolest part of his talk was at the beginning of each session he would say, "what do you care about?" and all of the students would respond in unison "what God cares about." 

The band was great also and kept the worship high energy and loud so the teens really enjoyed it! My two favorite songs that they did was a Jeremy Riddle song called furious and one of their own songs called Found! 

Friday night we stayed at Camp Geneva.  We had high hopes of doing a bon fire but unfortunately it was raining when we arrived!  I know that several of the students were so excited to get to Camp Geneva to find out where they will be staying for a week this summer and have a glimpse of what awaits them later this year! 

Overall it was a great weekend!  Thanks to all who helped to make this event possible!  

Happy Birthday Jackie! (a little early)

Jackie's birthday is April 5th which happens to be Easter this year!  Kelly and I decided that we were going to get her a bike this year.  The next couple weekends I am the Easter Bunny at Tip Toes (come on down to Holland and see the Bunny (me!) for free, bring your camera 10a-2p) so we decide to take her last weekend to get the bike.  When we picked her up she was so excited and SURE that she wanted a Rainbow Dash bike.  We went to Target and she talked the whole way, as we turned the corner to the bike aisle she saw the Disney Princess bike and it was over....that was the one she wanted and there really was no need to look at anything else!  We got the bike home and Adam helped put it together and off she went.  I was surprised at how fast she picked it up!  Hopefully the weather will warm up a bit so that Tara and Adam don't freeze standing outside watching her!  Happy Birthday Jackie!  Aunt Kate and Aunt Kelly love you tons!  So fun to watch you ride your bike!

March Already!

In some ways I can't believe it's March already, (those days are sunny ones, and don't involve the words snow or arctic blast).  I always know we are getting closer to Spring when my parents go to Florida, they go the same time every year, and usually the weather here is not good when they are gone.  My dad will call and say things like it's beautiful here, and we are in paradise, meanwhile I'll be looking out the window at snow and sleet trying to be happy for them.  Here is the picture that they sent yesterday in the middle of the snow.....

 

Glad your having fun Mom and Dad and Paul and Cheryl... Dad put on some sunscreen and a hat!  My sister Tara has had a rough last couple weeks, Jackie was home sick with a stomach bug and then it passed to Grace and now to Adam, praying Tara doesn't get it and they all return to being healthy real soon!  I saw 50's in the 10 day forecast this morning and the sun is shining so I'll take it!  Hang on Michiganders, I think we are through the worst of it!