Maxwell Family Scrapbook

Travel Pictures

2009-09-16T01:25:00.000-07:00

I know this is out of order, but . . .

here are some pictures of our departure from GA,

and unexpected stay in Paris .

Airports

We have seen a lot of airports and said a lot of good-byes over the years.

Airport good byes are never easy.

We were glad though that my mom and dad could come

from California to Georgia to say "good bye".

We spent lots of time waiting at the airport in Paris

as our flight was "adjusted".

(Due to an airlines strike in Casablanca we were

rerouted through Paris and given an unexpected 4 day stay

while we waited for a flight to Niger . )

Paris in July

Leaving Paris - Niger Bound

At the airport, we met up with Noah's former 1st grade teacher,

Miss Botheras, on her way back to Niger. WOW!

First Sunday in Niger

2009-09-15T04:37:00.001-07:00

Our first Sunday back in Niger we found our way to

the ACEN church of Niamey they had been praying 2 years for our coming.

It was a special day to be sitting in the cool

shade of the church listening to the ladies & children sing.

We were introduced to the church ( sorry no picture) and Phil was able to share, in French, a brief testimony of our arrival to work with them as well as his history

with the founders of the church.

The boys enjoyed the children and playing

the drums after church.

Pray with us that in time, we will build strong relationships with the people

of this church that will lead to greater

spiritual growth in all of us.

Pray that we will grow to love one another and serve

side by side.

Happy Birthday Micah

2009-09-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Micah!

We are so thankful for what a special and gifted boy Micah is.

He has brought us 9 years of joy.

Micah celebrated is 9th birthday pretty low keyed.

After church on the 16th, we went out to eat at a

new restaurant (for us) in town.

Micah ordered pizza and cake.

Yummy!

He hopes to have a birthday with his new friends, cake & presents when

we are more settled in.

In Case you are Wondering

2009-09-15T04:09:00.001-07:00

In case you are wondering - Is she trying to catch up on blog sites today? Yes, that is why so many are being posted on the same day.

In case you are wondering -Why is the spacing is weird on these blogs? I don't know. Must have to do with my Internet connection.

In case you are wondering - Why aren't these blogs posted in event order? I do not have all the my pictures on this computer, thus I am doing them as I can.

In case you are wondering -Will she ever update the Maxwell Ministry blog ? Yes, Those pictures are on another computer that I can not get Internet on. It's coming.

In case you are wondering - Have you finished unpacking yet? No

In case you are wondering - Shouldn't you be unpacking? Yes, but I am tired of doing that.

In case you are wondering - Are you done yet? Yes.

Saving August

2009-09-15T03:26:00.000-07:00

Micah had always wanted a kitten.

Little did we know that he would find one our first week at

the guest house, nurse it back to health and

have a new kitten to move into our new house with.

Here is the story in pictures:

A sick little kitten rescued from under a shipping container

Nursed back to health - hand fed .

Given the name "August" in honor of the month she was found.

Friends who helped care for August - Hannah another guest house resident watched August while Micah was a school. We were not able to keep her at the guest house so Mrs. Banke and her family kept her for about two weeks until we moved into our own house.

Today, strong and active!

And VERY LOVED!

Playing Softball

2009-09-15T02:55:00.000-07:00

Noah was so excited about the opportunity to play softball at the American Recreation Center. ( This is a center connected to the American Embassy with a school, pool and ball courts. Many from the missionary community come here on the weekends for swimming and softball. )

With some help from his team mates,

he hit the ball, got to base and even

helped catch a couple of balls in the field.

We were very proud of Noah.

Ready to bat

Made it to First Base!

On Second!

On the bench with his team

GO NOAH!!!

Back to School

2009-09-12T03:57:00.001-07:00

It is another new school year for the boys and another new school.
Both boys were excited for school to start even with the early schedule; out the door at 7:15 AM.

Sahel Academy, it a mission run school here in Niamey. Phil and I met at the school over 15 years ago and Noah attended both Kindergarten and 1st grade here during our previous time of service in Niger. Micah could hardly wait to be a student at Sahel.

Noah, now in the 6th grade is back with several of his 1st grade buddies. This was a great encouragement to him, that they could meet back up and still be friends. His teacher his year is Miss Miller. She has taught for many years in Mali and just moved to Niamey this year.

Micah started 4th grade this year. With a combined 3/4 class he has 12 students in his room. He is making lots of new friends and loves playing wall ball and soccer after school. His teacher is Miss Bloomquist. She has taught at Sahel for many years and has lots of exciting teaching activities for a class with 9 active boys. At present they are caring for a garden they planted the first week of school.

We are thankful for the good transition the boys made to Sahel. They have been positive and like the way that the school includes all grade levels in activities. We continue to pray that they will make good friends and be a witness to the children that go to their school who are not from Christan homes.

New House

2009-09-12T03:39:00.000-07:00

We have moved!

This is nothing new to any of our readers,

as we move about every 18 months,

but I must say it again.

We have moved.

After about a month of guest house living,

we are moved into our own "rental" house here in Niamey.

God had actually found this house for us, through our African friends,before we arrived in Niger. After house hunting for several weeks and being brought back to this same house time and again, we prayed and felt that God was saying "stop looking, start moving."

After numerous repair; new doors, electricity, locks and plumbing (that are still on going) we are slowly settling into the house and neighborhood.

Pray that this will be a home of peace for our family, as we transition back to life in Niger and begin to minister to those we are called to serve with.

Noah and his favorite Lunch

2009-09-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

Noah has discovered a favorite in Niger. SPAM. He can eat a whole can of it for lunch. Must be getting close to those teenage years.

First Pitch

2009-06-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

Two boys who never even played baseball, got to throw the first pitch at the Green Jackets minor league baseball game.

This was a special treat arranged by a friend from church. Phil and the boys were invited along with another dad and sons to attend a Green Jackets game on family night. It had been arranged that the boys would get to throw the first pitch .

It was announced over the loud speaker that the first pitch would be thrown by Noah and Micah Maxwell, who were going to be leaving for Niger to serve as missionaries with their parents.

Noah made the first pitch

The boys were both

surprised

and

nervous.

Nervously waiting to go to plate

Both pitched well. Noah had one bounce and Micah made it over the plate! WOW!

We hope this will be a lasting

memory for the boys.

What a treat!

Micah's pitch

Packing Up

2009-06-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

By now we are pretty good at packing and moving. When you do it every 2 years, you know what waits till last and what goes first. Of course there are still all the decisions that are made about, keep, toss, store and give away.

Our house is now littered with tubs, garbage bags and a few boxes.

Trips are being made to the container where Phil and Micah are carefully stacking the items for later shipping.

Our Container

Filling up

Only 24 days and we will be out of the house.

We are packing up.

Sharing a Day of Blessings

2009-05-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

A Day of Blessings

As school ended on Friday, I found myself more blessed than sad. I was sure that I would be in tears; having to say good bye to my 1st grade class, watching Noah Graduate from 5th grade, watching Micah say good bye in his class and having my last time of prayer with some very wonderful ladies.

Instead, I was blessed;

*I had a beautiful time of prayer with my dear friends, much of the prayer focused on our family and our return to Niger.

*My desk was covered with gifts from my little class.

*I was escorted to the teachers lounge and found my class standing at the door singing "Happy Birthday".

*As the door opened the room was filled with teacher friends, school staff, banners, food & gifts. What a surprise!

*The graduation was a nice tribute to hard work put in by the 5th graders & their teachers.

* Micah received not only "A" Honor Roll, but the Principals Award for Citizenship, (even his teacher cried).

Why do I share all of this? Because I felt so blessed all day long and can hardly contain it. I also think we should share our blessings, not in a gloating way, but in a thankful way.

Not many people leave their jobs feeling that they have been loved. But I sure did. I was sure that God had opened the door for me to work at the boys school last year, but little did I know that it would open opportunities to help start a staff prayer time that would be so life changing. Or that I would be allow the opportunity to teach about Niger to a class of 1st graders.

I still leave wondering what seeds have been planted, and where and when they will bloom? I still have tears as I depart. But I am leaving with more than tears, I am leaving blessed. And I know those blessings came from the Lord.

Grateful for all that God has given to me today.

Ice Skating in April

2009-05-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ice Skating!

What better thing to do on a hot spring day.

We had lots of laughs and the boys all had fun!

What's more fun than seeing daddy fall?

Micah was really good on one foot.

Even Phil remembered how to skate.

Noah did great!

Wish they would build a rink in Niger.

SMILE!

Robot Builder

2009-03-21T12:59:00.001-07:00

Micah built an awesome robot

for his math class.

They were studying shapes and had to explain,

each shape used and make an

ad for a magazine to "sell" it.

Micah even finished his project before

the due date so it was an example to the

rest of the class.

Job Well Done!

Notice all the awesome things that Micah's robot can do.

Happy Birthday Noah!

2009-03-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Noah turned 11 !

We are so proud of him.

Morning Birthday Greetings

It was a beautiful spring day

(the first official day of Spring).

He celebrated with 2 friends and his brother.

It was very low key, and just what boys enjoy;

Bionicles, food, video games, candy and being loud.

Cardboard Testimonies.

2009-03-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
I was searching though some web sites for info on Niger and came across a web site that the West African Southern Baptist missionaries put together. It has an awsome clip that you should see. Hope you can log on this way.

http://www.gowestafrica.org/cardboard/index.php?mvautoplay=true#video

BOYS!

2009-02-15T14:26:00.001-08:00

Nerf Wars!

It's all fun!

(Note protective eye gear)

Taking a Step of Faith

2009-02-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

For many, this will not be new news.

But for others it will be.

We have decide to take a step of faith and move forward -

we are returning to Niger this summer.

WOW!

It's a long story, and though we told it briefly in our

recent news letter (you can find it on our other blog site)

for this blog I will keep it brief.

God has been working in my heart,

and Phil's heart to move

forward and trust God to provide.

Since making this decesion to return to Niger in July,

God has supplied our tickets (paid in full) an $18,000 gift,

and an increase in our monthly support.

That is a big praise!! NO A HUGE PRAISE!

What an encouragement after almost 2 years of waiting.

Now we must continue to raise our monthly

support, start packing and look to the Lord to

provide buyers for our vehicles

(we are not shipping them this time)

and either a renter or buyer for our house.

We know that ALL of this will be done in his time.

Thanks for praying. I hope to add more updates in the

months to come that show God at work.

Taking a step of faith is scary- but it has opened

many doors to share our testimony;

for me at work for Phil in his men's prayer group.

By the way we already have at least 7 people

who are ready to come out for a short term trip! WOW!

STEP OUT! SEE GOD WORK.

Snow!

2009-01-26T17:20:00.000-08:00

SNOW!

Is doesn't take too much snow to get us

excited here in GA, especially when

we still have CA and Niger blood in us.

So it was lots of fun to have a day

of snow flurries last week.

I took the boys out of class for a few minutes

to get a few pictures fearing it

would stop before we got home.

Sure glad I did.

When the school bell rang,

the snow stopped.

It was fun while it lasted.

Ahh, SNOW!

After the Excitement - Happy New Year

2009-01-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Wow, Christmas this year was the best!
Family, friends, great weather.

We could not have asked for a better season of celebrating.

Yesterday, we spent the last day of the year

eating at a great Mexican restaurant,
and then heading out the to nearby lake.

Though it was windy, it was beautiful.

The boys loved playing in the sand, building and getting as wet

as they could without getting in trouble. SMILE!

We enjoyed the last day with my parents and had much to be thankful for.

We can only imagine what this new year will hold.

We continue to pray that that God will meet our needs for a

return to Niger, as we wait we trust that he has a plan for us

that includes continuing to share about Niger, the people and the needs there.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Day

2008-12-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day was filled with Joy.

We shared the day with Shannon's parents.

Starting with breakfast and a time of devotions.

Reading of the Shepherds who first heard and

shared the news; the first "missionaries"!

Then many special gifts

to celebrate the Birthday of the King.

"Santa" Grandpa arrives!

Breakfast with the family

Passing on a family gift-

Grandpa has had this airplane for over 25 years.

Grandma & Grandpa with the boys

For Noah, there was lots of Star Wars gifts

Micah received a skate board ramp.

Another chance for a family picture.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T17:27:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to you.

We are celebrating with Shannon's parents here this year.

Lots of fun. So much to be thankful for.

Vacation Begins

2008-12-23T11:08:00.001-08:00

School Vacation Began with a visit from my parents. They came to school to have lunch with the boys and visit my class. How Fun!!

Dad and Phil at recess duty with me.

Micah and the boys in his class ready for Christmas break.

Mom is the "Mystery Reader" in our class today.

SURPRISE!

My class, waiting to see "Santa".

Noah was having a fun day too, after lunch with Grandma, Grandpa and Daddy,

his class made ornaments and watched a Christmas movie.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T16:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

"Thanksgiving is a time of quiet reflection

upon the past and an annual reminder

that God has, again, been ever so faithful."

Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life

Psalm 105:4-5

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Remember the wonders he has done.

Fall Activities

2008-11-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

We have been celebrating fall the last couple of weeks;

Harvest fairs at church, dressing up at school,

and even "Trick or Treating" around the block.

Pulling out our coats, and long sleeve shirts

as well as adding a few quilts to the bed.

It has been fun to celebrate this season.

At the church harvest party

Micah coming back to earth

Shannon and Miss Whisenhunt,

dress up for our class book share

as "African" women.

Micah at his school fall party

Noah with his yummy "loot"

A Trip on the Canal

2008-10-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day for a field trip.

I was able to join Micah on his class field trip to the Augusta Canal.

We toured the museum, and road a boat 3 of the 8 1/2 miles of water.

It was a cool crisp morning; we saw the many textile and gun powder factories.

Turtles sunned themselves along the water,

and the kids kept a look out for snakes and "gators".

We learned a lot about this important canal, how it helped

Augusta during the Civil war, its length ( 8 1/2 miles -all dug by hand)

and 15 feet deep in most places.

If you ever come to visit us, we will take you to see

this historical and lovely place.

Proud of our Boys

2008-10-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Today Awards were handed out at school for

Honor Roll and Attendance.
Both Noah and Micah received these awards as well

as excellent report cards for their first nine weeks of the school year.

We are proud of how well they are

doing both academically as well as in

building relationships with other students at school.

We know that prayer is a vital part of our children's

lives and want to thank all of you,

especially grandma and grandpa,

who pray daily for our boys.

Fall Is In The Air

2008-10-21T15:44:00.001-07:00

Fall Is In The Air

It is starting to feel cool in the evenings and crisp in the morning.

Ahh, it feels great!

The leaves are turning colors;

red, gold, orange, tan.

Beautiful.

We took time over the fall break from school

to spend some time outside.

We visited a not too exciting, but local, corn maze

where the boys ran through

the fields and enjoyed climbing on

some big hay bales.

It was nice to just be outside,

as a family,

enjoying fall together.

The Corn Maze
Boys on the hay bale
Noah getting so grown up
Micah sliding down the bale

Class Birthday Moments

2008-10-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

School has been keeping me away from the computer,

but not away from the camera.

So . . . I have decided to add a few pictures of my class and the

teacher I work with .

We have celebrated a lot of birthdays! FUN!

Especially when you are only 7 years old,

or even when you are turning 27. SMILE!

The first celebration was Miss Whisenhunt's

(the teacher that I work with ).

We surprised her with a song, signs, and cake. Oh and a gift as well.

We celebrate the students birthdays once a month.

Here are our August Birthday bunch.

Only 2 in September!

October has a bunch, but so far just Jamerson!

Fun Days!

The kids get so excited when it is their special day!

I love it.

Praying in the Waiting Room

2008-08-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

We are still in the waiting room of God. It is full of hard chairs that are not too comfortable. I consider the chairs questions, wonders and concerns:
Why is it taking so long for our flight to arrive?
Will we ever get to our destination? Lord, how long must we wait?
What am I to learn while I wait?

What am I talking about?
Our return to Niger.

We have been so thankful for those that have continued to support us both in prayer and finances as we are in the waiting room. Even when departure dates get changed, and support drops & it seems so unlikely to happen any time soon. We can hardly blame those that ask: "When are you going"?
"Why not give up?"
" Are you sure this is what you are suppose to do?"
We can't blame them. Serving takes a lot of faith.
We can only answer; "Yes. We are sure we are to go, we are to serve.
But we do not know when we will go."

As we wait, on the money to come in, that allows us to be 100% financially supported, God is giving me a ministry in my class room and at the school.

God has opened a door for prayer.
Several staff get together to pray before school every morning. What an uplifting time this has become. He has given me a position in a classroom that has children and families that need to be loved and prayed for. We have one parent dieing of cancer, another in Afghanistan, a grieving child who lost her mother last year. These are just some of the needs of the children, in just my class. Imagine how many more have needs in the school of 800!
The school is a mission field in itself. I must allow God to use me here.

We wait. We pray. We see God answer.

Two weeks ago we met with a local church that is looking for missionaries to support who are serving in Africa and Asia. It was a miracle meeting that brought this about. God's timing was perfect as I met the mission pastors wife at a women's meeting I attended with my aunt and cousin about a month ago. In a small group I shared our story, she said, "call my husband tomorrow", and a week later we were speaking with the pastor about our work in Niger.

A week after our first meeting, we met and shared with the church's mission committee; we have been added to next years proposed budget. We are now awaiting the budgets approval. Though we are not sure of the amount of financial commitment the church will be able to make, we are excited about partnering with them, as they are a very mission minded church, that sends out short term teams about 10 times a year to various parts of the world. Awesome!

So keep praying for us. As we sit in the waiting room we know God has a plan. And though He has redirected our plan, and we are still waiting on the departure date for Niger. We are confident that He is continuing to do a good work in us, and in time, we will be reunited with friends and ministry in Niger.

I really like this quote that is sitting on a "to be sent" newsletter on my desk; "peace is the ability to wait patiently in spite of panic brought on by uncertainty." Swindoll

Yes, waiting can make you wonder and question yourself. But we are at peace that God is in control and we will continue to pray for this peace, that we will be ready to go when he says -
"Get packing! GO!"

From the waiting room,
Shannon

Turning 8

2008-08-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

Micah turned 8 two weeks ago.

I can hardly believe it!

We had an end of school, summer, birthday party in May with lots of school friends, for Micah, since we were not sure if we would be in Niger, in transition,

or still here when his real birthday came around.

So his real birth date was celebrated pretty low key.

A few gifts from us as well as grandma and grandpa (their gift was a hit! Guitar lessons! Those will start soon.) and a sleepover with his second cousin John Dalton.

His birthday lunch was a new favorite, " flat iron steak" on the grill, with

corn on the cob and strawberries.

His cake was sour cream coffee cake

(it was a bit of a crumbled mess -

but it sure tasted good. SMILE!)

He also celebrated at school. His birthday was announced on the morning news and he went to the library to pick up his birthday badge from the librarian, Mrs. Rigdon.

We are proud of Micah. He is growing up. Still full of lots of spirit and willing to try just about anything. He makes friends easily and is learning to

have a heart for the Lord and what is right.

Happy Birthday Micah!

First Day of School

2008-08-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Ready for School to Begin

The boys were ready with all their "back to school stuff".

On the First Day of 5th Grade!

Noah is all ready- new shoes, Mario T-shirt and an old red back pack! Ready or not here he comes!

On the First Day of 3rd Grade!

Micah was excited to have his 2nd grade teacher again (she moved up to 3rd grade!) All ready with his guitar t-shirt and new shoes.

Same back pack for him too.

First Day as a 1st grade Para Pro!

A new mug, new bag and a few nerves. SMILE!

The missing picture -Its me!

It was a busy first day, and we all came home very tired -

but full of lots of positive memories.

"I like my teachers!"

"Lots of my friends from last year are in my class!"

"I have a great class of students!"

Back to School

2008-08-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

August 11, 2008.

The day was marked on the calendar.

The supplies were purchased.

The new clothes were laid out.

Clean shoes set beside the bed.

We were ready for school to begin again.

And it did.

August 11th came bright and early.

No more sleeping in.

Everyone was anxious.

Mommy was even going back to school for the first time in a long time. Full time.

Now with one week behind us we know the schedule.

We know the teachers.

We are making new friends.

There are planners to be signed.

Notes to be read.

Homework to be done.

Lunches to be made.

Back packs to be packed.

Ah, Back to School.

Summer Memories

2008-07-19T09:56:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming to an end.

Here are a few of our summer memories.

The Laurel & Hardy Museum

Pool Fun

Swimming with Dad

4th of July Fireworks!

Making 4th of July Rice Crispy Treats!

New Friend & Green Jackets Baseball games!

Cousins with colorful hair!

Making French Toast

Trips to the Lake

Ahh, Cool Water

Building a bird house with dad

For a stay at home summer, we still had plenty of memories.

I guess I should have got a few shots of all the movies, video games and army men battles that took place as well.

Ready or not.

Summer is ending and school is about to start again.

Your Lucky Day! Smell the Roses.

2008-07-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling guilty for not writing for some time.

Its summer so, the computer is not my top priority. Isn't that a good excuse? Almost daily I check my friend's blog sites and hope for something new, so maybe you are one that checks my site from time to time and just hopes I will have added a new picture of two. Today is your lucky day!

A letter came in the mail today reminding me that school will be starting, for me in 2 1/2 weeks ! I have only 17 more days of summer vacation! What have I filled the other 54+ days with? Let me see . . .

Staying up late -( past 11:00PM),

Sleeping in -( at least until 8:00AM),

Swimming with the boys- (watching them more than swimming with them)

Scrap booking - (Getting caught up and going back to old albums and this week working on a heritage album. )

Reading books (this week I am reading a biography on David Livingston to Noah, Holes to Micah and Saucers to myself! Fun and Interesting.)

Watching Lots of the Home and Garden Channel (wishful thinking & idea forming)

Baking (cookies, Cinnamon rolls, Carmel popcorn & more cookies)

Praying (about our future - Niger, US, jobs, support, timing)

Movie Watching (free kids movies once a week, lots of freebies from the library, and the dollar theater.)

I know, it doesn't sound to thrilling, but it has been pretty restful with a stress filled day thrown in here and there.

It really has been great to just be home as a family. To rest, to do things we enjoy and not feel too stressed out about much of anything. I guess those are what they use to call the "lazy days of summer". Ahh, for more of those slow down and smell the roses kind of days. I think that I will miss them in a couple of weeks. Glad that I had them, to help me slow down and prepare for the year to come.

So what has your summer been filled with? Hope you had a day or two of rose smelling.

Funny Guys

2008-06-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of those funny guys Laural and Hardy?

Well we had, but our boys had not.

Too old, too black and white and too silent. SMILE!
Well, they know who they are now. And they had a few good laughs over their silly antics. SMILE SOME MORE! LAUGH A LOT!
We visited the Laurel & Hardy Museum in Harlem, GA, about 10 miles away this week. This was the birthplace of the 14 pound (Yes it is true!) Hardy back in 1892.

We all had fun watching a couple of their silly movies.

Wow, it sure took a long time to get to the punch line back then. HA!

We bought a DVD to take home and only Micah had the patience to sit through (well, he did get up a couple of times to do somethng else) an hour long silent movie with the same repetitive piano tune.

That was not funny.

Fun day!

Great Memories!

And best of all, it was free!

(except for the gas- and that is definitely not free these days.)

HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!

Now What?

2008-06-20T12:04:00.001-07:00

Many have asked about our return to Niger. At this point we can not say when we will be leaving. We are in a "wait on the Lord" time in our lives. Back in April it still looked possible for a summer departure, but events of the last month have made this not possible. Due to a large support deficit we will not be able to leave in the time that we had hoped.

Maybe I should add here, since it may not be clear, we set a July date so that the boys would be able to start the school year in Niger, in August. We knew this was a quick time frame to raise the needed funds, but desired to not make the boys change school mid year. Thus July.

Not being able to go now, does not mean that we are not involved with Niger and its needs, specifically with the orphanage and church. In fact we remain very involved through prayer, communication (phone & email), financial gifts and the recent trip of a young girl from our home town to work with both the orphanage and church. We are also excited about the upcoming visit of Hassane Dan Karami, our Nigerien friend to the US. He will be stopping in CA to speak at 2 churches before continuing on to Hawaii where he will be teaching a course at the Hagai Institute. WOW!

Though our heart is ready to go, our paperwork is in order and we have a container ready to pack, we need the finances to get there.

We are tired yet determined that God has a plan. Perhaps, just as our coming back to the US in 2005 was a total God Thing and a testimony of His care for our family. Our return to Niger will be added to the other pillars that have been placed along our path of obedience to God. We will wait on Him. In His time, we will go.

So, how can I answer people when they ask " Now what?" All I can say is we are waiting on the Lord to open the door and we are ready to step though when it does. And in the mean time, I have a job at the school for next year. It does not pay a lot but it will help, and keep me close the boys for the year. Phil is looking for additional work and continuing to care for the daily responsibilities that Maxwell Ministries has.

Your prayers are appreciated as we walk in the steps of others that have gone before us, being confident that He who began a good work in us, will complete it. In His time.

Shannon

Last days of school

2008-06-20T11:46:00.001-07:00

The last days of school were full of activity.

The boys enjoyed several end of the year events. They were both awarded the year end AR party, for their reading program this year. This was the best. They had a huge water slide party. Lots of fun for each class.

Noah's was towards the beginning of the day, so the water was still pretty clean.

By the time Micah got to the slides, it was a mud bath at the bottom. As you can see it did not seem to bother him. SMILE! YUCK!!
Micah received a class award for most improved on the STAR testing. He had a great year with his teacher Mrs. Guley (he has even visited school a couple of times since summer to say hello and help Mrs. Guley move into a new class. She is moving up a grade. Micah may have her next year!)

Noah's last day of school was celebrated with a Mexican Fiesta. They had fun playing games, dressing up and eating nachos.

It's getting hot here!

2008-05-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

It has been over a month since I last wrote on the blog. Sorry to those that check me out regularly. I guess between work and life, I have not found myself on the computer much.

As we wait on the Lord for the timing of our return to Niger (more on that in another blog). We have begun to feel the southern heat and humidity. So . . . we made a Niger purchase early(thanks to an awesome sale and a tax rebate) and bought an Intex pool to set up in Niger, but are trying it out here first! SMILE!

Our boys love the water and it is great for our whole family on those warm after noons. Here are a few pictures of some of the pool fun.

Keep cool as summer approaches.

More later, Shannon

Family Time

2008-04-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

School was recently closed here for the Augusta Masters Golf Tournament. It was amazing to us, being new to Georgia, how much time and effort was put into preparing for the masses that came to watch this golf match. The roads were repaired, signs put up around town ("Golf Traffic This Way"), golf carts were parked in front of businesses, and the newspaper printed a whole 10 page section every day just for golf/Masters fans. As our pastor said if only people would put that much time and effort into preparing for the true MASTER to arrive.

Anyways, because of all this hoopla, our family and other GA families got a whole week off of school! YEAH!! Many people left town, but we stayed close to home. We used this time to be together as a family. We rarely answered the phone, we did some day trip events, watched movies, went to the park and tired to relax.

It was a good time, to pretend we were away and just do nothing if we didn't want to and do something if we wanted to. Don't we all need times like this? We sure did!

Here are a few pictures of some of the fun we had during spring break!

At "EdVenture" in Columbia SC. Huge children's museum. This 5 story boys behind us was made to scale and the kids could climb inside him; through the brain, intestine, heart. Awesome!

Can't take the "African" out of the boys! Great display about West Africa. Boys are playing drums and dancing along with a green screen African band.

Playing with bubbles. Fun!

( Look on top of Micah's head. These were long lasting bubbles.)

A free spot that we love to visit. A small fall along the Canal. The boys played for hours, I even left to get lunch and came back for some more time in the water.

This is what is is all about. Rest. Being together.

The water was irresistible. Micah went in clothes and all. SMILE!

One Of Those Days

2008-04-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

As most of you know we are in the final months of our preparation to return to Niger. Though it seems that the goal is far off and the money is slow in coming, we know we are heading in the right direction. Why? Because we are under attack. Some times we are attacked by big things, sometimes by small things.

Last week the attack was small, and ended up somewhat humorous, but it was annoying.

I had an appointment in the morning. I stood ready to dry my hair, plugged in the blow dryer and my blow dryer would not work. Nothing. Not even turn on. It was dead. This was not a good situation. I could not walk into my appointment with wet hair, and did not have time to go to a store, buy one , do my hair and get to my appointment. This was discouraging.

Thankfully , Phil was given an inspiration. He got out the air compressor from the garage, and though the air was cold, it did blow it dry enough for me to look presentable at the meeting.

Why do I share this as anything other than an annoyance? Because, another blogger reminded me that Satan likes to disrupt the good things that God has planned. To discourage us when we make right choices, when we want to serve. She wrote in her blog about a "bad day" or two that she had and concluded by saying . . .

"It seems that when you are actively involved in ministry, the enemy tries his best to hinder, discourage or interfere where ever possible. Often we think to pray for those who are in leadership or are ministering (which is very important!) , but when was the last time that you prayed for those close to them. Take a minute and pray for your pastor's family this week. You may even want to write them a note of encouragement or do something nice for them. They really need it, especially on Sunday!"

Amen Jennifer!

Please pray for me, the boys and Phil as we move forward in service. We know that God is moving us in the right direction. There is too much opposition (in ways I did not share) for this not to be the way we should go.

God will hear your prayers and surround us with his protecting hosts.

I Was Tagged!

2008-04-02T13:05:00.001-07:00

My friend Richelle, sent me a blog last week that said;

"Look Out! You Might be it!"

And guess what - I got tagged.

This sounded like a fun game so I am going to give it a try.

I was asked to share Seven Random Facts about me. SMILE!

These were the rules - read them - you might get tagged next.

Here are the rules:
1. Link you tagger and list these rules on your blog

2. Share 7 facts abut yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people (I do not know 7 bloggers) at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. (this is a fun way to get on some other interesting blog sites)

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My Seven Random Facts:

1. Strawberries are my favorite fruit.

2. I have been accused of getting people addicted to the scrap booking hobby. (Those that have said so spend much more money on the hobby then I do.)

3. I like to stay up late at night - when the house is quiet - but I do not like to get up early in the morning.

4. I have moved every 2 years or less for the past 13 years.

5. I never imagined living in a house with only boys. I grew up with one sister so I am learning a lot about boys.

6. I like to play games; cards and board games.

7. After not teaching for the last 11 years, I am back in the classroom as a substitute teacher and I love it!

I tag you:

Lucia at http://loukia.wordpress.com/

Cindy at Chats with Cindy http://www.xanga.com/malamacindy

Maxwell Family Reunion

2008-03-27T06:45:00.001-07:00

Maxwell Family Reunion

March 24, 2008

Evans, GA

After four years the Maxwell family; brothers, wives and children, were able to all be together at the same place. WOW! Thanks to Tim & Sharon and family having a spring break this week, they made the effort to travel south and spend time with extended family.

On Monday, we were greeted by a house full of family. The boys loved being with cousins. The kids ranged in age from 17-41/2. There was lots of action around the house. Most of their time was spent jumping on the trampoline, or playing Wii and Webkins.

The adults sat around sharing about our new homes, new jobs and how the kids have grown. It was an encouging time, and especially good for the Maxwell boys since this was thier first reuion since the passing of Mom Maxwell, 2 years ago.

We are grateful for the way that God has brought us all together, and made this reuion possible by us all living much closer to one anther than we ever had. We are thankful for their support of our family and the direction that God is leading us; to retun to Niger.

We hope that we will not have to wait another 4 years for such a visit.

The Maxwell Brothers

Phil, Tim, Daniel

The Maxwell Families - all 13 of us

Carring on the name - the Maxwell Children

The Maxwell Wives

Easter Sunday - He is Risen!

2008-03-26T12:59:00.001-07:00

He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Celebrating the risen Lord is a privilege for each Christian.

So today, we took time to reflect on our risen saviour and to spend time rejoicing with family and friends.

Saturday night my Aunt Phebe brought over baskets filled with

fun items to celebrate for the boys. SMILE!

On Sunday, following our church service and a light dinner we returned to church for the Spring Fling. A church family celebration with food and fun for everyone.

It was a beautiful spring day, we all enjoyed being out side and sharing the joy.

Double Digits - The Big 10

2008-03-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Noah!

Today, March 20th was Noah's real birthday.

We can hardly believe that we have a 10 year old boy living in our home. WOW!

We are so proud of Noah and the young man that he is growing into.

At school Noah received a birthday ribbon and shared Twizzlers with all his class.

After dinner we celebrated with just extended family.

My aunt, uncle, cousin and her children.

This was a decision that Noah made. He wanted a small family party.

Once again I made chocolate pie -SMILE!

"Happy Birthday to you . . . ." What did you wish for?

Blowing out 10 candles

There was a very small egg hunt, and a few gifts.

Celebrating with second cousins

A few fun gifts made the party extra special.

This shirt has a guy playing a video game, it says " practice makes perfect".

Noah wore this to school and bed the next day. It is so him. SMILE!

Cards with money and Lego's - both were great!

There are so many that we wish lived closer that could have been a part of this family celebration. I am just thankful that we at least have this way to share this memory of joy and celebration with you.

Noah Turns 10 - Celebrating Early

2008-03-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Noah Celebrated his 10th Birthday

(a little early)

Noah wanted just a small party this year.

After a full day at school, we all walked home and celebrated till 7:30 tonight.

When only one friend could come, Noah decided that would be OK.
Emily was his special guest.

The party was simple fun . . .

There was jumping on the trampoline,

a treasure egg hunt,

Webkin fun,

hamburgers,

and chocolate pie.

All fun and tasty.

This was great for a tired mom, who had worked all day. It was great for the kids as well, the party was very low key, yet filled with memories.

We are so proud of Noah and his choice of friends. He had a great time celebrating his birthday a few days early, with one of his new GA friends.

Georgia History

2008-03-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, Noah and I took a 3 1/2 hour bus ride, with 80 other 4th graders and parents to the southern boarder of Georgia. We walked along the beach at Tybee Island, (wow the sand is sure soft on this coast!) We also visited Fort Pulaski in Savannah, GA. Wow! The civil war comes to life when you walk where the people really walked.

Tybee Island shore & pier

Noah loved the sand and waves

Fort Pulaski

Inside 7 foot thick walls of the fort.

Noah and class on a civil war cannon

Original fort doors - as you pass over the draw bridge there are two sets of doors. Beautiful. And to think that they were touched by men of the past.

Listening to the history of the fort, and watching a musket be loaded and shot. It was very loud!

Though the drive was long, the sights were beautiful.

We could not have asked for a nicer day squeezed between 2 wet days.

Wish you could have joined us.

Micah's School Solo

2008-03-01T06:22:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, February 28th, Micah performed a solo in his school's second grade musical. The program was all about books and stories in song. Micah performed a verse from "Puff the Magic Dragon". He had lots of fun!

Pre-performance, a little tired & a little nervous

Pre-performance with classmates

The 2nd graders performed 3 times during the day; twice for all the students in the school and once in the evening for the parents

Micah and "Puff" after the performance

Here is a clip of his evening performance . The song Micah sang a verse in was "Puff the Magic Dragon"

To view the movie clip, double click the "Play" symbol below the lower left hand side of the picture

A Day at the Swamp

2008-02-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day and I was able to spend it with Noah's class at a swamp, well really a "wet land". It was great!

After a 40 minute bus ride with 50 very loud

4th graders we

arrived at the Phinny Swamp.

Even though it was winter, there was beauty in the Spanish moss hanging from the trees, and the duck weed floating in the water. We learned about some of the animals that live by the swamp. We saw a turtle and some beautiful birds.

Maybe we will visit again to see the beavers, and alligators. SMILE!

There were lessons on wetland soil. YUCKY!

We had a great lesson on the life cycle of the wet lands and the importance of each living thing in the "web".

The group of kids that I brought around had lots of fun.

Noah had lunch with some of his school friends, and invited me to eat with them.

It was a fun day. Lots of kids, lots of learning and enjoying God's creation.

Celebrating in California

2008-02-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

Who would have guessed that we would be back in

California for Phil's 41st birthday?!!

We have come to California for a time of sharing in our home church and our first official business meeting for our new non-profit. It just so happened that the timing was a Valentine departure and arrival and the next day Phil's birthday!

Happy Birthday Phil!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

He still looks so young. SMILE!

Presents that bring a smile.

The boys with Grandma, lots of hugs!

Visiting Dad the morning after his surgery.

Our visit conincided with some much waited for surgery on Dad's hand. After 6 months of waiting and much prayer, dad was able to get in on a cancelation. We are thankful to be here to help and encourage dad as he begins his recovery.

Bragging Just A Bit

2008-02-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

I have to brag a bit about Noah and Micah.

They have gone through several school transitions in their short lives, and one mid year as we moved to Georgia in October. Today I had the first Georgia "official" Parent/Teacher conference and well . . . they passed with flying colors!!

Noah's teachers commented on what a good friend he has been to his classmates (and he is the new kid!), he recieved the "Principals Award" for Friendship last month as well as A/B Honor Roll, and that he is so bright! Noah loves Social Studies and is really enjoying

learning about the Revolutionary War. SMILE!

Micah is doing great as well. His teacher says that he has caught up with the class, (they had a 5 week head start on him), she wouldn't know it now. He is always helpful and loves to read.

Praise the Lord. We are so thankful that God has given us healthy, flexible and bright boys.

Thanks for letting me brag a bit. SMILE!

So Handsome

2008-02-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

Micah loves dressing up.

Saturday, February 2, he found a suit on sale at Target and had to have it. He changed in the car to surprise dad. Last night he dressed all up tie, jacket and shoes for a photo shoot. Here are some of his favorite shots.

Discovery Zone

2008-02-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

New Years Day, January 1, was a fun day of "discovery" for our whole family as we visted the Discovery Zone in downtown Augusta.

The boys enjoyed acting like astronauts and helping with experiments

It was a "hair raising" experience for me. SMILE!!

Phil built an arch.

Noah was thilled with the robot class. He especially enjoyed R2D2.

It was a fun day for all of us. Best of all, for the first 2 hours we had the whole museum to ourselves. WOW! We love making these kinds of memories.

Family & Ministry Update

2008-02-03T06:15:00.000-08:00

This is my (Shannon) first blog entry. I am excited about this new way to communicate with family and firends. Hope you will enjoy checking out our sight from time to time to see what we have posted.

Many of you know that we moved from Carlsbad, California to Evans, Georgia in October. It was a bit of a whirlwind and over 2,000 miles of driving from sea to almost shining sea. (Noah is learning more about Georgia than I know, 4th graders get really smart, quickly. Today he informed us that GA was one of the 13 oringinal colonies. Was it? WOW!!) Anyways, we are settling in and though friendships are slow in developing we are grateful for the time that we are regaining with our boys.

The boys are growing so fast. With one in 4th and one in 2nd, they are becoming so capable. It is such an answer to prayer that they have been healthy and able to adjust to our moves. The boys are settling into thier new school. They commented last week as we walked to school that it seems so "normal" now and they were so afraid just a couple of months ago.

I am now spending lots of time at the boys school as I sub there on a weekly basis, almost a daily basis. It has been a great way to be close to the boys, get to know the school and staff and help supply for our financial needs.

We are now serving under Maxwell Ministries and are minister in partnership with our prayer and financial donors. We are commited to serving the Lord through ministry with the CSEN orphanage and the ACEN church in Niger. We are anticipating a July return to Niger, Lord willing. We have been receiving most of our monthly support but still have a ways to go in one time gifts for travel, container shipping, satalite internet system expenses.

We have been grateful for the increased communication between Niger and the US. Between e-mail and cell phones, Phil is in contact with the ACEN church Administrative Pastor, Etienne Ouoba, in Niger at least once a week. Phil is also setting up operations on the administrative side of Maxwell Minsitries, improving means of communicating with everyone (thus the new blog sites).

Please continue to pray for our family as we look towards our summer return, another move, packing, sorting and fincaial preparations. We are confident that God will supply when the time is right. We are willing to be flexible, but would like to set a target date for both our family's sake and those that faithfully support us. Well, there it is. Blog one. A bit of an update on what is happening. Hope to do this on a regualar basis.

I am excited about this new way to communicate with family and friends. Hope you will enjoy checking out our sight from time to time to see what we have posted.