On December 31, 2011, Samantha and I were talking and praying pretty close to midnight about 2012. She and I both prayed that I would be able to travel more in 2012. With no trips scheduled so far, this was an area that we knew that we just had to trust the Lord with. Well, we didn't have to wait too long for Him to show up in 2012. I received a phone call from Gateway the second week of January asking if I would be interested in traveling with a ministry team to Sri Lanka in February. Well, let's just say that Samantha and I were very excited about this answer to prayer (although she is sad she can't go with me)!
I will be leaving February 15 and will return on February 23rd. While in Sri Lanka, the team will work with orphanages and schools run by an American organization. We will be building soccer goals and work with the students, including putting on a VBS for the orphans.
Sri Lanka is about as far from Dallas as you can get. It is an island just off the coast of India. Their culture is very different and the travel will be quite long (about 30 - 35 hours).
Sri Lanka is a fascinating country, and I look forward to sharing more about the country with you in a blog next week.
We want to give you and opportunity to "go" with us on this trip by praying for us during this time.
Garrett's prayer needs:
1. Safe and restful travel for the him and the team
2. Safety against injury and sickness while in country for the team
3. Favor with the orphans and people we will come in contact with
Samantha's prayer needs:
1. Protection and safety while Garrett is away
2. Pray for favor with her co-workers and knowledge to come to her kindergarten students
Another way you can go with us, is through donating items for the kids. We could use soccer balls, crayons, jump ropes, chalk, coloring pages without words and travel size hygiene items. If you would like to donate to the trip, please send us an email at bonnettefamily@gmail.com and we can give you more information.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Holidays
The past month and a half have been incredibly wonderful. I love that the Lord sent His son for us, and we get to celebrate it with our friends and family. This season has been a full and blessed one at that. Our friends Josiah and Cindy had their sweet baby girl. There were Christmas parties, tacky sweaters, and some fabulous home-made treats. Garrett was inspired to make some AMAZING Cinnamon Candy.
Here is a little rundown of our Holiday travels.
December 22
Garrett and I went to the picturesque Beaumont Ranch for our anniversary, even though it was a few days early. You would think the ranch was in Beaumont due to it's name, but it actually is just south of Fort Worth. The cabins were set up in a little village around a lake on the ranch, and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Here are a few pictures, including the overlook of the ranch.
December 23-26
After we left the Beaumont Ranch, we traveled to Georgetown, TX and had Christmas with my (Samantha's) family. Our time mostly consisted of me beating my sisters at Bananarams, and us laughing hysterically at our silly sentences from Telephone Pictionary. Oh, and we ate FABULOUS food. It was a great, refreshing time.
December 26-28
After spending Christmas in Georgetown, we headed to Kemah, just south of Houston for the day with my family (My parents, sisters, and grandmother). It was a cold day on the water, but we enjoyed walking around the boardwalk. We also stopped by the Battleship Texas and the San Jacinto Monument before heading to Garrett's parent's house. We love how our two families get along so well. We enjoyed getting to play and hang out with our nieces and nephew, although it was sad that Alyssa's family was sick so that we couldn't see them. It was a really relaxing time with all families together.
December 28-29
On our anniversary (4 years!) we traveled back to our apartment in Bedford, where Samantha's family stayed with us before departing for Amarillo. The boys headed out to a gun store, while the girls made a much-needed trip to Sam Moon.
December 31 - January 1
We celebrated New Year's eve by attending the weekend services at Gateway and then we headed to dinner with our great friends, Jeff and Jean. After that, Garrett treated us to a wonderful night at the Hilton by the Galleria. We left around 8 so that I could join my friend Ginger and little Avery for a trip out to Canton for the 1st Monday trade days. We had so much fun spending time together looking at arts and crafts and making a few purchases.
January 4
Back to reality...My students showed up at 7:30 am ready for the new semester. I am really praying that the light bulbs will come on during the next few months.
Garrett just received some great news!! He was blessed with a trip to Sri Lanka with Gateway Church in February. I am slightly jealous he gets to go without me, but I know that the Lord is going to bless everything the team does while they are there. He will be posting a blog shortly to share more details about the trip, as well as how you can join with us to bless the children there.
We hope that your holidays were as blessed as ours. We also pray that 2012 will be your best year yet!
Here is a little rundown of our Holiday travels.
December 22
Garrett and I went to the picturesque Beaumont Ranch for our anniversary, even though it was a few days early. You would think the ranch was in Beaumont due to it's name, but it actually is just south of Fort Worth. The cabins were set up in a little village around a lake on the ranch, and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Here are a few pictures, including the overlook of the ranch.
December 23-26
After we left the Beaumont Ranch, we traveled to Georgetown, TX and had Christmas with my (Samantha's) family. Our time mostly consisted of me beating my sisters at Bananarams, and us laughing hysterically at our silly sentences from Telephone Pictionary. Oh, and we ate FABULOUS food. It was a great, refreshing time.
December 26-28
After spending Christmas in Georgetown, we headed to Kemah, just south of Houston for the day with my family (My parents, sisters, and grandmother). It was a cold day on the water, but we enjoyed walking around the boardwalk. We also stopped by the Battleship Texas and the San Jacinto Monument before heading to Garrett's parent's house. We love how our two families get along so well. We enjoyed getting to play and hang out with our nieces and nephew, although it was sad that Alyssa's family was sick so that we couldn't see them. It was a really relaxing time with all families together.
December 28-29
On our anniversary (4 years!) we traveled back to our apartment in Bedford, where Samantha's family stayed with us before departing for Amarillo. The boys headed out to a gun store, while the girls made a much-needed trip to Sam Moon.
December 31 - January 1
We celebrated New Year's eve by attending the weekend services at Gateway and then we headed to dinner with our great friends, Jeff and Jean. After that, Garrett treated us to a wonderful night at the Hilton by the Galleria. We left around 8 so that I could join my friend Ginger and little Avery for a trip out to Canton for the 1st Monday trade days. We had so much fun spending time together looking at arts and crafts and making a few purchases.
January 4
Back to reality...My students showed up at 7:30 am ready for the new semester. I am really praying that the light bulbs will come on during the next few months.
Garrett just received some great news!! He was blessed with a trip to Sri Lanka with Gateway Church in February. I am slightly jealous he gets to go without me, but I know that the Lord is going to bless everything the team does while they are there. He will be posting a blog shortly to share more details about the trip, as well as how you can join with us to bless the children there.
We hope that your holidays were as blessed as ours. We also pray that 2012 will be your best year yet!
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