Life Update!

Hello World,

It's been too long since we've talked. Much has happened in the last couple months. Just to save us all time, I will bullet point most of it and describe the highlights.

May:
- Finish Spring classes
- Prepare for wedding

June:
- Moved out of our apartments
- More preparation for our wedding
- Married the woman of my dreams (June 12th)
- Honeymoon to Costa Rica and Panama (20 days)

July:
- Spent the 4th with my family
- Enjoyed a wedding gift (trip to San Antonio, TX) by attending a Vision Forum Life Conference
- One month after our wedding we finally moved into our first apartment in Swiss Tower (DTS)
- Lots of work and catching up with friends

August:
- Attended one week of summer classes at AFLTS (SIT)
- Natalie led a one week family mission trip to Arkansas
- Trying to get fully settled into our apartment
- Started a new role with my work
- Classes start in under TWO WEEKS!


I will now expound on some of the highlights.

1) Wedding

To say it succinctly, our wedding was wonderful. We are so thankful for all the friends and family we had helping us throughout the process. Could not have been pulled off without them. The week before was spent preparing food (smoking brisket), setting up the church, coordinating people, and everything else that goes into planning a wedding.

The Bachelor party that my brother headed up was above and beyond what I expected, par excellence without a doubt. It was fun, encouraging, and challenging all at the same time.

The wedding day itself (June 12th) was a blast! The ceremony went smoothly and dad did a fantastic job with the message. The reception was a fun with lots of great food, dancing, and laughter. The one thing we'll never forget during our reception is how the AC went out! Boy did it get steamy.

2) Honeymoon

Our honeymoon was quite the adventure. Costa Rica and Panama are gorgeous countries with friendly people always willing to help. We experienced (saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt) the culture in full. No holds barred. Highlights include: volcanoes, horseback rides, zip lines, scenic mountain towns, beaches, Panama Canal, food, transportation, coffee, people, rainforest, picture perfect islands, and much, much more.

3) Life Conference

The Life Conference we attended upon returning to the States was informative and challenging. I have a lot more I could say on the matter but work is fast approaching so I'll keep moving.

4) Moving into our first apartment has been a blast! So much more work than what we imagined. Unloading all of our boxes and sorting through our doubles of everything has been very time consuming. However, with that said, it's been fun to see things slowly come together. We can't wait to start hosting gathering in our little home.


God has been so faithful in providing and protecting us in all our doings and goings. We praise Him for how He first loved us so that we could love Him back. It's exhilarating to watch how our heavenly Father is opening and closing doors before us as we seek Him.


Prayer Request:

1. That in these early months of our marriage, Natalie and I would start God pleasing habits in seeking and serving our Lord.
2. For mental and spiritual fortitude as we move into our fall semester.
3. For opportunity to be a light and witness of our God's love wherever we are.
4. For financial provision, especially in the area of tuition cost.


Sincerely,

Matthew