Not in Control

  This week has been exhausting. Emotionally and physically tiring. Early mornings, stress-induced dreams, crying at drop off, half days and off-days, lunches to be packed, things to be remembered, a house to be cleaned, work to be done. I had certain expectations of the week, and let me tell you, being tired was not one of them. 

  Our kids started school. We are so thrilled to have them at an incredible international school that has a nurturing environment, great staff, excellent eduction, and most importantly, air conditioned classrooms (well, it was important to our kids at least). God promised it and He provided for it, and we knew we could trust Him to be in all of it. But the enemy still whispered awful things to our hearts; This was a terrible decision. They won't be ok. This will leave scars. He isn't ready. She won't know what to do. What kind of parent walks away when their kid is afraid? Everything will go wrong.

  I raced to the car when it was time for pick up. I hadn't been productive all day, and instead I set in my messy mind, going back and forth between worry and prayer. Praise the Lord, the kids had a WONDERFUL first day of school! They like their teachers, enjoyed their classes, and had fun with their friends. It was as good as anything we could have hoped for. 

  So the next day we set out with lighter hearts, ready for a week of getting-all-the-things-done, and for our kids to adjust to their new routines. By 11am we got a call from the school. Water had been shut off, due to road work, so the kids couldn't stay. In fact, the construction shut off water for the entire next day, and half of the next as well! I could really feel Proverbs 16:9, "We can make our plans, but the Lord orders our steps." 

  We made the most of it; we played games, had play dates, and went to the movies! Aaron and I still got our work done (enough), and God blessed us with extra family time.   

  This island-life has such a way of reminding us that we are not actually in control anyway. God's plans are so much bigger than ours! In August, we had to say goodbye to two amazing people who have been a big blessing to CR St Kitts (and us!). We didn't want to, but we know that it was God's timing.

Success, Aaron's co-leader at New Horizons, finally got his opportunity to head to New York to complete his medical licensing. We are excited for him, but so sad to see him go. He has been an answer to pray for the last year and a half!

Amelia was back on the rock again in July and August! Her help and input at the prison with the women is something all of us cherish greatly. She also graciously shared her testimony at our CR meeting one week. We love every minute that get to have her on her visits to St Kitts!

  One of the best "hellos" we said last month was to my sister!!! Olivia and my parents came down to spend a week with us and I'm not sure there was a moment where someone wasn't hugging or cuddling with Liv. The hardest thing, hands down, about living far away is not seeing our family very often. This visit help to fill us up until the next one!

   A few other August adventures included:

 Aaron hiked with friends to the top of Mt Liamuiga, the volcano!

 I had the privilege to visit baby H whose mom takes my class at the prison! She is waiting at the hospital for the day her mamma is able to take her home. I was able to pray over her and see the mom during her visit.

 Our dear friend, Amanda, spent an evening taking new family photos for us. She had her work cut out for her because we are not easy to capture! It was a blast posing in front of the mural in Cayon and dodging rush hour traffic to get the best pictures.

 We had a church game night! This photo is from a game called fish bowl during the "act it out" round. We were in stitches all night!

 I got a flat tire! Ugh! And I pulled over and parked in the sand. Which is apparently SUPER had to jack up a car on. Thank God for the incredible and creative husband he blessed me with who was able to rescue me and get me back on the road.

One of the last days of summer break we had a cookout with the Graysons (our missionary friends) and Pete. We grilled out, made s'mores, played, and got to see all kinds of planets through Brandon's telescope! It was the perfect way to close out one season as we headed into the next.

  As far as CR goes, God has been so faithful! Aaron has had a lot more consistency in the prison, so that is a huge answer to prayer! New Horizons, the juvenile detention center, asked Aaron to teach an extra class on Fridays over the summer, and so he got to teach a sports class with devotions in addition to CR class on Saturdays. Our Tuesday night group has been growing like crazy, and we were able to start 12 step groups for both the men and the women. 

  Thank you to each of you who follows along, prayers for us, and supports us in so many ways! If you want to receive our newsletter with specific prayer requests and ministry updates, you can sign up here: Comer's e-Newsletter. 

We are also look for a few more financial partners to:

- Get us fully funded ($66/month away)

- Provide food for CR meetings ($80-100/month)

- Purchase a Mini Van next summer. We are often picking people up for church and celebrate recovery, or asked to help our friends with errands or other vehicle needs. When you put all 4 of us in our car, it only leaves room for 1 more person! We are hoping to purchase a 8 passenger van in late June 2019 so that we can offer more rides and help more people while sharing Christ's love with anyone who gets in! ($7,000)

If you are able to be a part of helping us meet those goals, you can donate online at: Shepherd's Staff

We love you all! Thanks for reading!