The past few days have been really special. Last night we were overwhelmingly blessed by our family at Park Church with a baby shower. Our friends took time to pray over us and Baby Mac and shower us with gifts. We are so thankful for God's family here in Denver, and are overwhelmed with gratefulness to how He provides us with community. We look so forward to welcoming this little one into our family at Park. 

Full of thanks for our dear friends at Park! 

Before going to the party, though, one thing had to be done. Austin was more than ready to cut his hair. So, we did it. After months and months of growing it out, Austin's locks are gone. I have to say, he looks studly either way, but now I can see his neck. 

I mean, it was a lot of hair. 

Lookin' good. 

This morning our team met for our weekly development time. This is usually a team meeting set aside for looking into the issues and needs we have as a team working in a contextualized, cross-cultural scenario. Jason led us in a time of watching a speaker named James White, once on staff with CRU serving in the Impact Movement. The heart of Impact is to serve and minister to students of African descent. James White spoke on the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman, encouraging us with Jesus' often scandalous cross-cultural ministry. I was reminded that crossing cultures is all a part of the bigger picture and goal of making God known as the Savior of the world. This is ultimately why we do what we do. That Latino students, like we desire every person, would know that Jesus is the Savior of the world. That He is not just the God of white people, or black people, but of every tribe and tongue. So thankful for that time. 

We also had a great opportunity today to sit at a round table at the Auraria campus with 12 other campus ministers, pastors, and professors directly involved in serving students in Denver, specifically at Auraria. We were able to share stories of the semester and pray for each other. It was such a privilege to hear from men and women who have been praying and laboring at Auraria for 15+ years, long before we came! You can be praying for these ministries and faculty as they seek to share Christ with students and come alongside them in their journey. Please be praying specifically for those working with International students across the city, particularly as God continues to give them favor among students from the Arabian peninsula. What gifts those people are to us! 

Students now gather in our living room for the last Familia Dinner of the semester. I am typing from bed, as I am exhausted from a long day- and feeling more and more like I am only 3 weeks away from our due date! I can hear students sharing life, laughing, and enjoying one another. Thanks to God! 

Tivoli, the student union at Auraria, at night.

Austin works very naturally in the kitchen. We think it's because he is Italian. I (K) cannot say how thankful I am for this great feature of him - and he enjoys it! I hope our kids don't hold my lack of cooking skills against me, though I can pack a lunch like nobody's business.

I have recently been taking Mondays as a "rest/work from home" day, as the baby approaches. Everyone seems to think this is a great idea, but leaving me at home basically just means I am going to make a wreath (among other things). Here is my second wreath every made...Grandmom & Mom should be so proud.

And here is the first one, with my beautiful mama:

Yesterday was a full day for us! After our staff meeting, we had an appointment with an OB at Swedish hospital for a breech consultation. Baby Mac had been head down for several appointments until the last, which necessitated the visit yesterday to see a doctor about getting the baby in position for birth. Well, needless to say, Baby Mac just likes to do flips...so he/she is back in position! We prayed for the baby to turn, and the Lord did it! The night before we attended a prayer seminar at our church, learning from our pastor some great new insights about prayer. One thing that stuck out to me was from something John Calvin had written prayer. He said, among other things, prayer reminds us of the Sovereignty of God- that it is God who works all things for the good. Period. It was sweet to have prayed all week, and to praise God now for His providing for our family in this way. Added sweetness: the doctor high-fived, fist-bumped, and hugged me, all before we left.

We ended the day with some sweet friends for dinner and the Christmas parade downtown. (It's super dark, sorry!)


I (Kayla) got to sleep in today...yes! And Austin was able to ride his new bike to the climbing gym and climb for a while this morning. We are loving Saturdays this fall. We have a hilariously erratic tradition in our home of having breakfast with our roommate on Saturday mornings. After a great talk, I was reminded of God's desire to make us a community in the body of Christ- and how special it is. We are set free in the Gospel to love one another, provide for one another, and be the actual place that God dwells. Whew. I had some time to read to day too, and I am thankful for the mental energy to soak it in. Here is what I am reading, with a quote from something I read today:


How to Be Black by Baratunde Thurston

and

The Intimate Mystery: Creating Strength & Beauty in your Marriage by Dan Allender & Tremper Longman III


"Differences are meant to draw out the part of us that is frightened and repulsed by someone alien and to expose God's delight in the strange and the odd. When we re confronted with our ethnocentrism, or more accurately our egocentrism, and how far both are from being God-centered, we are on the precipice of transformation...God's plan is to allow us to weave a new and unexpected pattern from the threads that are different." (from the context of marriage) - Dan Allender