House For Sale!

Hello family! We thought it was about time to update everyone about our situation. To be honest, we meant to do this a long time ago. Due to organizational challenges, I was slightly unsure of how to log into this wonderful family blog. (Yes sisters and mom... I lost the password again!) So we apologize for the tardiness of this news. I think many of you have heard through the grapevine that we have moved in with my (Jen's) parents and are selling our house.

Background Info: (Thought we may have to catch a few of you up...)
Mark and I have known for many years that we are called into business ownership. We know that we have a call on our life to create wealth that we can funnel into God's kingdom. To be honest, we used to be slightly afraid to tell people that. Try as we may, us humans are prejudiced. There were some wonderful Christians who did not understand how owning a business and becoming wealthy could be equated with godliness. It even collided with some of my religious materialistic nerves when I was a "new" business owner. But as we grew in the business world, it was so obvious that it was a perfect fit. Then the search was on. Which is the right kind of business for us? We have tried everything. Currently we have two businesses: one we are trying to shut down and one that is truly where God has placed us.

Current Situation:
About six years ago we started a real estate business. It was a great business plan: We would buy low, fix up properties, and sell on a rent to own program. Through this program, we would help people qualify for home ownership through a two year program. To be honest, this would have worked wonderfully if the real estate market hadn't changed a couple years into it. But it did and we have been working to dig out from under a mountain of debt ever since. Since the market is so tough, it has been kind of rough. But God has been faithful providing miracle after miracle to see us through. Within the last two months, it became apparent to both Mark & I that we needed to do some big changes. So that is when we decided to sell our house. We are living with my parents while we sell our house and look for a place to rent temporarily.

The Good News:
God is so faithful. While we were in the middle of our real estate mess, we were led to start our Quixtar business (called Redline). This was pretty amazing. When God first told us to start our Quixtar business, we fought Him. We were quite negative about the idea, but had to listen to the Lord. As we researched the e-commerce market, it was apparent that the business climate was moving to the internet. It also seemed to be where the Lord was guiding us. So we began our journey. I tell you all this for one reason. We are selling our house and it was rough at first. But the truth is that we know what we are called to do and our financial struggles are just additions to our testimony. Our Quixtar business has doubled over the last few months, and it is doing so well that the stress of our real estate debt is starting to lessen. It is amazing how God works out His perfect timing.

We could really use some specific prayers. We know what amazing prayer warriors you all are. We are believing that our house is going to sell quickly and easily. We had a couple come through that seem to be "the ones". Their house needs to sell and we need to work out the details. So we just pray that God will work all of this out in His perfect timing as always. Also, if you could pray grace over our family. The girls have started having bad dreams every night. Maybe it is transitioning or new beds. Pray for peace. And hopefully we won't be too much of an inconvenience to my parents. :)

Thanks for the prayers. We love you all dearly!

Love,
Mark, Jen, Tori & Elli

Uncle Nick

Merry Christmas wonderful Family

Just wanted to let you all know that Uncle Nick's Mom went to spend Christmas with Jesus this morning. She went peacefully with family around, and now we know she's spending the day with Dad and Snooks (Uncle Nick's sister) in Heaven.

Please keep him in your prayers along with the rest of the famliy. They lean on him pretty hard cause they know he has a strength they need.
Thanks for being THERE when we need you . I love you all.
Aunt Barb

GRANDMA TERBEEK'S CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE!

You are all invited to Grandpa and Grandma TerBeek's for the annual Christmas Open House.

Christmas Day

1:00 pm - whenever the last person leaves!

Please feel free to come and go according to what fits best in your schedule! Grandma will provide goodies.

TO ALL THE PRAYER WARRIORS IN THIS WONDERFUL FAMILY

Hello family,
Because I believe in the incredible power of prayer I am writing to all of you to make a few prayer requests that I know you prayer warriors will cover with great dilligence, so thank you in advance.
As some of you may have heard through the grapevine adam and andy have decided that running a business is well, tough business. So, they have decided that after a incredibly successful summer, that they are not going to landscape anymore. God blessed their business for three years and we praise him for that, but the sacrifices for adam and andy to be sucessful and balance family and business was hard, at this time they felt it was for the best.
However, that also leaves them with the need for new employment. Adam is currently working for Integrity Tree service (praise God they had work for him!) but he will be needing somethiing permanent. So I am asking for prayer that Adam (and Andy) find jobs that they can enjoy, that pay well enough to support the families and that have benefits ( we currently purchase our own insurance which is VERY expensive) Specifically Adam applied at Buist Electric in Byron Center for their Underground Division which he is very well qualified for, (we have a friend who is the marketing/Human resources guy there and has been bugging adam to apply for a while now). Please pray for an opening in the Undergroung Division for Adam. This is a wonderful Christan company and we would be so blessed for Adam to get a job there.

My second prayer request is for my brother Jim and his wife Sarah. They just had twins ( a boy-Quinn and a girl- Allie) on Tuesday. Quinn was 4lbs 1 oz and Allie 5lbs. They were supposed to be born on January 8 but as is typical with twins they came early. Both are in the neonatal unit at Spectrum and doing well. Allie will most likely be able to come home this weekend but Quinn had to have a feeding tube put in because he is so little and most likely will lose weight and be in the 3lb range. I am asking that you pray that they grow and stay healthy. It was a long road for my brother and his wife to even get pregnant for these two little miracles and they are just itching to take them home. Please pray that Quinn will learn to suck and that mommy and babies will be strong and healthy quickly.
Thanks for all the prayers I know you will send up to our heavenly father, the giver of every good and perfect gift.
Love you all.
lindy

'Lovin on Levi!

Hey fam! Levi just emailed and said he's feeling a little lonely and could use some 'lovin :(...if you get the chance he would love to receive a package, letter, or email.....thought we'd pass it along! :D....Thanks!

Address: SKSR Scott Levi D.
USS Harry S. Truman
FPO AE
09524 2875

Email: scottld@cvn75.navy.mil

Movin South!

Hi family! We just wanted to update you on some big changes coming up in the Valladares family...about a month ago International School offered Carlos and I both positions along with some great benefits...and within a few days a school in Lansing offered me a Spanish teacher position as well....SO, with all of that came some major decisions...Carlos and I prayed about everything and we both agreed that moving back to Honduras is/was the best decision for our family right now. The school is offering us housing, car, gas stipends, paid utilities, nursery for Andres at the school, insurance, roundtrip airfare, and of course our monthly salaries...AND best of all Carlos can finish his degree he has started in Tegus. Lansing was a great offer, but would require an apt, setting up house (expensive!) and Carlos would still not be able to work because of paperwork...When we move back to Honduras we'll be able to file the paperwork without the stress of NEEDING it to work right now...overall, for our new little family...this is a huge answer to prayer...

OF COURSE, I'm sad to leave my family and support system here...but I know that where God opens doors, He also provides and will take care of our needs...He is faithful!!! And...once Carlos finishes his degree (about 2yrs) we'll move back to the States...much more stable and prepared to transition to life here...Overall, for me it's a bittersweet move...I know what I'm leaving behind (ouch!)...but I also know this is the right move for us...Here are a few things I'm looking forward to in Honduras in no particular order...-weather!!! (i will NOT miss winter ;)) -Lela, our wonderful 'cleaning lady' who takes care of your house 1/2 times a week for SOOOO cheap (i'm spoiled!), Carlos' family and friends meeting Andres for the first time, -cheap, but quality pedicures (again i'm spoiled :)), -our church, Tabernaculo de Sion, -seeing my husband back in his element and doing what God created him to do (protect, provide etc...)), -stability (financial, emotional...) JUST to name a few...;) We already know the house we are going to live in (3bed, 2bath), it is right in the neighborhood where we used to live- about 5min. away from the school, and we can't wait to move our things into it that we left in Honduras when we came to Michigan...YAY! I think the hardest part will be getting us ALL out of the house on time in the mornings :D. I'll post pictures when we are settled...

Right now the plans are to travel down to DC with Leah after Christmas to spend NY's Eve there and so Carlos can see DC...and then fly out of DC on Jan. 3 or 4...we will start classes at IST on Jan. 7! ALSO, our plane tickets will be roundtrip to return to MI for the month of July!!! (one major perk with the 'teacher schedule')

THANKYOU for all of your support and prayers so far, please continue to be praying for our transition back to Honduras, especially for me...this is requiring a lot of trust on my part...and as much as I KNOW this is the best/right decision....it is still very hard...:)- Thankyou!!!

We dedicated Andres at Iglesia Vida (Life Church) in Holland (it's affiliated with Resurrection Life Church- Grandville) on Dec. 9...so here are a few pics from that, and a quick trip to Fred. Mejier Gardens to see the Christmas trees and lights....

We love you...Merry Christmas!

Tashina and Carlos :D

A long update from the lakeshore Polavin's

Hello,I am writing you today coming from a thankful place, a place where I have experienced some holy moments recently. A couple of weeks ago I was at a funeral home spending time with a family whose daughters are in YL because their Dad passed away. We hung out with the daughters, their friends there to support them, we met more of their family and community members, and we hugged. It was a holy moment, God was present, I felt at times that I should take my shoes off(I didn't don't worry) because I was standing on ground where God was present. I was at club the other night and I watched someone's heart grow and accept someone in a tender way that she would have never done at school, the safe environment and the fact that the Holy Spirit grew her heart allowed her to able to do this, holy moment. Listening to my daughter laugh and watching her crawl up into my wife's lap and giving her a hug, holy moments. I spent a few hours Sunday listening to stories from leaders about how they are spending time loving students and then participated as a community members gave them presents, told them they were valuable and prayed for them, holy moment(I actually did have my shoes off then.) I think that I have recently had eyes that see these moments, and it might have something to do with my perspective I guess, and that is another reason I am writing here today.
I have decided that this has been my last semester on young life staff. I have a heavy heart about that choice, yet it is the right decision for me. The heaviness comes from understanding that I won't get to see or hear from these folks I have come to love as often as I may like and the reality that these connections will be missed in my life. I have loved YL staff and I will miss the experiences that this job affords. However, I am leaving and feel peace and excitement about what is next for me. The details quickly are I am going to be selling color to injection molding companies. Robin has a family connection that offered me the job in passing and little did she know that she was answering a prayer I had been praying for awhile. Many of you know that we had Avary last December and before that and since I have been praying that God continue to show me how I could be a selfless father and husband. How I could step into the role of husband to a mom and father in the way God created me to fulfill that role. I felt increasingly uncomfortable in the job I had, not because I was doing it poorly, but mostly I was watching Robin's heart ache to be with Avary more and watch her sacrifice her sleep, time and health to be a great mom, hold up the financial burden of our family and still try to fulfill her other roles of family and friends. I felt like I was not being the husband God created me to be. I was trying as hard as could to take things off her plate, but what I was doing was removing things she needs to do and God created her to do. So, that left me with this ache and question of how do I remove the burdens from her that will free her up to be the woman God has so carefully crafted. This had built itself up to such a crescendo in my head and heart that when this job offer came in passing, almost joke like, that it was as if God was shouting that this is the new direction I have chosen for you, this is the path, this is your new call, so I leaped.
Now, I am full of sadness at what I am leaving in so many ways, yet I know that God doesn't need me to be on staff to do great things through me and YL south of Holland. In fact, I believe this was in His plan all along as I look back through my life, to be a community member who understands that for a ministry to thrive in a community, the community must own it and not just pay for it, whether that be a church or any ministry. So, I will be continuing to seek God's guidance in how I fit into what that looks like. I am excited about that, I am excited to learn more about myself and through other people I will meet in the course of this new job. I am worried about the transition for YL, my family and me. I am full of apprehension about this new career, stepping into the unknown is not something I have been great at. Yet, I know God is by my side and I am by His, I know my wife will be freed up to continue to blossom into whom God created her to be, I know my daughter will benefit from this, I know I will be missed(b/c those who I have told, have shared that with me.) and I know I will miss them. But, one of the beauties and struggles in life is that change is always present. So I am going to continue to adapt to this one in my life.
Quickly, we are doing well, Avary continues to amaze us and we are relearning what an adventure the world can be through her eyes, so full of wonder and curiosity. Robin's job is going well and she has worked out a great schedule so she can work from home two half days and friday every week, this has her working until 11 or midnight most nights after Avary has gone to sleep, but she gets to spend more time with Avary then. We are looking foward to the holiday season and Avary's first b-day. Love ya,
Ben
oh yeah and Tina I am honored and feel privledged to share my birthday with Graham.

The Latest Stickney Has Arrived!!

Well our precious baby Graham Maxwell Stickney has arrived!! He weighed 8lbs 2oz and was 18" long. His delivery was quite delicate and the operating room was ready for me, and a pediatrician was standing by to recitate (sp?) Graham. We and many others were praying for a normal and healthy delivery for both he and I and... he came out with great color and was crying w/in seconds!! All our delivery staff were Christians and we all celebrated his safe delivery!

Gotta go! Love you all! Tina

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA JOY SPEYER!

Dan and Kim Update

Hi Fam,

I wanted to fill you all in and ask that you add your prayers to ours. Dan is in Missippi right now,Kim is at our house. Dan's Mom collapsed last week (Tues I think), anyway her breast cancer had moved to her spine and brain. She changed residences last night at 9:30. Heaven is now where she lives, and in Makayla's words, "Jesus is taking good care of MeMaw". It's really difficult for Dan and Kim to be apart during this sad time, but it just wasn't practical for them to go together, so please keep them in prayer.
Thanks so much!!
Barbara Grace

Another See ya Later...

Hello Precious Family,
I wanted to update you on the latest with our family for those of you who heard the news....and catch everyone else up on those that hadn't heard. Dan's precious Mom went to go see Jesus last night at 10:35 p.m. after a rather sudden bout with spine/brain cancer. She was only diagnosed 8 days before she passed away. Needless to say we're sad to see her leave because she was such a great Me-Maw (that's Makayla talk for Grandma), a loving mom and the best mom-in-law a girl could ask for!!! BUT Dan was able to fly down there (they live in Mississippi) and be with her before she died....he had lots of time to pray with her, cry with her, laugh with her and just "be" with her. He was alone with her when she peacefully just drifted off to see our precious Savior.
Dan is scheduled to fly back this coming Sat (the 8th) and I'm staying at mom & dad's with the kids until then. I didn't think being alone at home was such a great idea! Thank heaven for a family that just says "whatever you need, we're there" - - you guys are priceless!!!!
All your prayers are welcomed with open arms.....we love each and every one of you.

The Velderman Family