10 Suitcases in the Living Room

Family and Friends,

What weighs 450 pounds?

           A.  one sumo wrestler
           B.  one small motorcycle
           C.  one adult male gorilla
           D.  four Miss America contestants
           E.  the stuff we packed into 10 suitcases (with 50 lb. per bag airline limit)
           F.  All of the above

I think you know the answer.  Today we took the big pile of food, school supplies, and other misc. items in the middle of the living room and attempted to fit them into 10 suitcases laid out around the outside of the room.  It went pretty well, but we had to make some choices.  The size of the suitcase doesn't restrict you as much as the weight limit imposed by the airlines.  It is amazing how quickly cans of chicken, books, dish detergent, and jars of peanut butter can add up to fifty pounds. 

Yes, we are getting ready to go back to Haiti!  What an exciting time.  We can honestly say that we are 100% certain about returning for another term, however long that might be.  We have a deep sense of peace about continuing this Haiti adventure for the foreseeable future.  And to finish that previous sentence/thought, we don't know exactly how long it will be until we come back on another break.  As we have been telling people lately, we felt like being gone for the whole summer was too long.  Also, Mike and Pam (Mission Haiti Directors) have encouraged us to just take breaks as needed instead of imposing a strict plan on ourselves way ahead of time.  We feel that is a wise plan.

We have also been taking time recently to do some fun things (especially activities we can't do in Haiti) with the kids before going back...

Vacation in Minnesota

Goofing around at a park in Sioux Falls

Cory and Kester's annual trip to see the Twins (lost to Yankees 8-4)

Getting ready for "Fun Day with Dad"...Lynn went with her parents to Sioux Falls for the day to get supplies from Sam's club and other places.

"Fun Day" stop #1:  Wayside Chapel on highway 75 near Sioux Center.  Okay, we admit only missionary kids would have fun here, probably, but we sang a song, told a story, goofed around, etc...

"Fun Day" stop #2:  Candy factory outlet in Hull, Ia.

Inside the store Elizabeth feeds her baby lion (named "noil") from a candy bottle.

"Fun Day" stop #3:  Bowling in Hull, IA...no kids' shoes available.  No problem!  Bowl barefoot!

"Fun Day" stop #4:  Verlyn and Nancy Raak's (of rural Sioux Center) prayer labyrinth...the kids walked around praying for everyone in Haiti they could think of...they did a really good job.

Fish pond in the prayer labyrinth.

Raak's cornfield...this photo would truly amaze Haitian farmers if they saw it. 

A cat jumped off that post and under the eave of the barn. (still at Raak's farm)

We found her kittens inside the barn.

"Fun Day" stop #5:  Culver's...don't worry, mom, we did eat more than just ketchup. 

 We also enjoyed "Fun Day" stop #6:  Swimming at the local pool...no pictures available, so you have to use your imagination.  The kids are having fun here, but they are also excited to get back on the airplane and head home to Haiti to see our dog Cookie, their friends in the orphanage, and to begin a new year in school.

Please pray for Haiti as they deal with another tropical storm this week. 

May Your Adventure today be filled with 450 pounds of fun!
-the Grimm Family Adventurers

Highlights from our Summer Church Visits

Family and Friends,

Tonight we completed our summer church visits.  One week from tomorrow morning (Aug. 29th) we will fly out of Sioux Falls and head back to Haiti.  A lot of packing has to occur before that happens, but we'll get that done this week and be ready to go!

We thought you, the readers of this blog, would find it interesting to read a line or two about each of the churches we visited this summer and our experience there.  Here goes...

June 12-  First Presbyterian Church, Newton, IA.

This is the church where Cory's parents attend.  They have been very faithful in supporting us through prayer each week in church.  We gave a short update in church and enjoyed and informal "share-time" in the fellowship hall afterwards. 

June 26-  Community Church, Deep River & Millersburg, IA.

This is the church where Cory's Dad, Norm, grew up.  There are still several "Grimm" families who attend there.  Cory gave the message in church, giving a basic overview of Mission Haiti and the work we do.  They put together an amazing potluck afterwards and were very appreciative of us.

July 3-  United Presbyterian Church, Newton, IA.

This church read about us in the Newton newspaper (with regard to our June 12 speaking engagement in Newton) and invited us to come and share during the Pastor's vacation.  Very nice people and a truly beautiful church building.  We made a few new friends and hope to see them again when we visit Newton.

July 17-  Big Springs Baptist, Alcester, SD. (AM service)

Big Springs sent a team down to Haiti earlier this year, and they are already thinking about sending more people in the near future.  We came and gave a brief update in church and a longer talk during the Sunday School hour. 

July 17-  First Reformed Church, Sioux Center, IA. (PM service)

We were amazed to see the large turnout at this evening service!  We got started with a nice meal in the fellowship hall and then migrated over to the chapel for a time of sharing.  Eric and Karissa Sjaarda talked first about their year of service in Vietnam.  Then we spoke about Haiti.  Because this church was already knowledgable about Mission Haiti, Cory chose to do more of a question/answer session.  It was a fun time. 

July 29-  Festival of Tables, Herrick, SD.

(See previous post!)

Aug. 7-  Inwood Christian Reformed Church, Inwood, IA.

We blogged about this one earlier as well.  We had a great opportunity to share a little bit about Mission Haiti and meet afterwards with the church mission committee.  As a follow-up, they called a few days ago and let us know they are planning to support us financially.  Praise God!  As a side note, I believe this new relationship is truly the result of God's perfect timing and providence.  We at Mission Haiti want to continue to grow in our quality of education in the schools we direct, including our Bible curriculum.  It would  make sense to tap into the knowledge of the members of the CRC churches in our area, who have been doing excellent Christian education both in church and school for decades.  So hopefully mission-minded members of Inwood CRC who are experienced in education will be open to sharing with us. 

Aug. 12-  Concert/Sharing at The Lantern, Sibley, IA.

This coffee shop belongs to Cory's brother, Adam, and his wife, Beth.  We had a great turnout this first night!  Part of it was a birthday party who didn't mind having the concert going on at the same time.  Several members of Cory's extended family made the trip from surrounding communities, and Cory's parents made a surprise visit as well.  Songs were sung, stories were shared, videos were viewed, and coffee and snacks were consumed.  Wonderful night. 

Aug. 13-  Concert/Sharing at The Lantern, Sibley, IA.

Another nice turnout and another fun night.  There were a couple of guest musicians for both of these concerts, including local musical-phenom, Jesse Dagel, who did several of his own songs and backed Cory up on his music.  Check out the link below to hear one of his songs and be amazed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52FP8blbGL0 

Aug. 14-  The Crossing (Church), Sioux Falls, SD.

There was something special and Spirit-led about this night...probably because there is something special and Spirit-led about The Crossing.  This church has now sent a couple of teams to Haiti through our organization, and we look forward to a long and productive relationship with them in the future.  Cory gave the message, giving special attention to the future Bible School vision.  Several young people came up afterwards to express interest. 

Aug. 21-  Alcester Baptist Church, Alcester, SD. (AM service)

As always we left this church uplifted and encouraged.  They generously gathered groceries and other supplies for us ahead of time, and the attentiveness and genuine concern they expressed during the slide show and message were tangible.  This church has other missionaries they support, but they have always treated us as if we were the most important missionaries doing the most important work in the world.  How humbling and how inspiring. 

Aug. 21-  New Life Reformed Church, Sioux Center, IA.

New Life has consistently shown interest in us, our ministry, and the people of Haiti these last two years, asking us to come and share at least once a year.  They sent a great team earlier this year and are considering another one in the future.  The last two times they made a point of gathering around our family during the church service and lifting us up in prayer.  It is always touching when they do that.


A special thanks to all who invited and/or hosted us and all who attended these events this summer.  It was a great opportunity to let people know what God is doing in Haiti.  To some it was the first time they heard about us and/or Mission Haiti.  To others it was a chance to hear the latest about a ministry in which they are personally invested.  Either way we hope God has used these moments to touch hearts and change lives for His glory.

May Your Adventure Include Time to Pause and Enjoy a Visit with Those who Support You and Pray for You!
-The Grimm Family Adventures  

The Wonderful Weekend in Herrick

Family and Friends,

As promised we wanted to take a moment and share about our wonderful, late-July adventure to Herrick, SD, where we were the guests at a Festival-of-Tables fundraiser to benefit our personal missionary support.  This adventure is really about the amazing people we met, who blessed us in so many ways.  We can't say enough about how God is working in and through these people.  They asked us to visit and inspire them, but we were the ones who left inspired.

Most people in the world don't even know about missions or the work missionaries do.  Then there is another large group of people who are aware, but choose not to support missions or get involved.  Next comes the faithful few who support missions in some way, whether through giving funds, going on a trip, or following the adventures of some missionary family and lifting them up in prayer.  But then there is a very tiny percentage of people, like the ones we met in Herrick, who grab ahold of their gifts and talents and throw themselves fully into the work of supporting missions and missionaries.
 
Meet Robyn Waterbury.  She and her husband Bob have six kids, farm a couple thousand acres or so, provide leadership in their church, and own and operate a beautiful and comfortable hunting lodge, where we stayed during our visit.  Robyn has been to Haiti to serve at the Mission Haiti property and share her creative talents.  She has also been busy writing children's books (printed in English and Creole) specifically for the use of our orphanage and schools and is expanding to incorporate the talents of the local High School students in Haiti.  If that wasn't enough, she was the mastermind behind this whole fundraising idea, and she personally hosted us and cooked for us during our stay.  And get this...she did it all without ever having met us before! 

The Hunting Lodge (wheelchair accessible!)

Inside the lodge

Relaxing! (Robyn in background)

Hangin' with the locals at "Bernie's Inn"

We arrived on Thursday night to get settled in, and the fundraiser was scheduled for Friday.  Friday morning Robyn took us down to "Bernie's Inn" in Herrick to meet some local friends and experience the quaint atmosphere of everyone's favorite hangout.  I'm sure Robyn would laugh at our choosing the word "quaint."  She might describe Bernie's as overly homey, somewhat dillapidated, or even honest-to-goodness rundown and full of clutter.  It was part grocery store, coffee shop, liquor store, apartment (the owners sleep there to prevent theft), and antique dealer.  I kept thinking the guys from the History Channel show "Pickers" might show up at any moment.  But we had a good time and a lot of laughs, and everyone welcomed us and made us feel at home.

Friday afternoon we headed over to a nearby town, Burke, to set up for the fundraiser.  This is how a Festival-of-tables fundraiser works...The organizer recruits a dozen or so other people to decorate a table with some specific theme.  Then each of those table leaders is expected to recruit seven people to join them for the evening.  Everyone buys a ticket to come, enjoys a nice meal and a speaker, and the funds benefit a certain cause, in this case Mission Haiti and us. 

Another key person who contributed a great deal of time and leadership was Donette Lyon.  She and Robyn worked together to coordinate the event, and well over a hundred people attended that night!  What a blessing for us to look out and see all those faces of people who were formerly strangers, but who share our passion to impact the people of Haiti with the love of God.  How humbling and how energizing!  Also, special thanks to Pam Plasier (Mission Haiti Director), Nelson Vandehoek (Mission Haiti board member), and Pam's son and two nephews for driving the few hours, spending the weekend, and helping so much with the event.  Nelson whipped the kitchen staff into shape and kept everyone running with plates of food, drinks, and amazing desserts.

I (Cory) was honored to deliver the message that night and share a little bit about what God is doing in Haiti, what we feel He plans to do in the future, and how people can be involved.  What a privilege to share with people so interested to hear what is going on.  They blessed us with hospitality, with their prayers, with great conversations and a chance to get away and relax, and even with a nice check of money to go towards the work of the ministry.  And to make sure you didn't miss it the first time, we literally had never met a single person in Herrick or Burke before that weekend.  It was a God thing.

If you are interested in seeing the tables the ladies decorated, look below.  There was a lot of creativity and special care put into each one.  A thousand "thanks" to people of Herrick and Burke.

May your Adventure intersect with the Adventures of others, and may you bless each other along the way!
-The Grimm Family Adventurers

Table #1:  "Spring Time" by Marija Hay

Table #2:  "Tea Party" by Suzette Johnson

Table #3:  "Mother's Department" by Deb Indahl

Table #4:  "Life on the Farm"  by Robyn Waterbury

Table #5:  "Nancy's Custom Machine Quilting"  by Nancy Krier 

Table #6:  "Candy Land"  by JeanAnn Bryan

Table #7:  "Joy"  by Donette Lyon

Table #8:  "Riding for the Brand"  by Sara Grim

Table #9:  "Generations"  by Linda Lillibridge

Table #10:  "Mother's Memories"  by Kay Matucha

Table #11:  "Red Hats"  by Kathy Kayl

Table #12:  "Good Times with Wine"  by Sharon Pedersen

Table #13:  "Family Affair"  by Peg Glover

Table #14:  "Summertime Fun"  by Lisa Mayer

Table #15:  "Take Thyme for Coffee"  by Francie Johnson

The kids sat at the "Candy Land" table and ate their fill of candy (they had real food, too).  
We had a long drive home that night, so it all worked out!

Join us in Sibley!

Family and Friends,

We continue to enjoy a great break here in the States, but are longing more and more to head home to Haiti.  Yesterday we returned from family vacation in Northern Minnesota.  We had a great time!  To think that used to be roughing it up there in those cabins (with water, electricity, kitchens, etc...)  Now that feels like the lap of luxury. 

Today we visited Inwood Christian Reformed Church and shared a little bit about Mission Haiti.  They are considering supporting us as missionaries.  Very nice people, and they have already been providing various supplies for the school program.  On July 29th we enjoyed an amazing experience in central South Dakota, in the communities of Herrick and Burke.  The amazing folks there held a fundraiser for us that was excellent from start to finish.  How humbling!  We were truly blessed, and we promise to write a post about that experience.

This Friday and Saturday we will be sharing music, pictures, stories, and prayers about Haiti at Cory's brother Adam's coffeeshop in Sibley, the Lantern.  We begin at 7PM.  It will be the same program each night.  An amazing musician and friend, Jesse Dagel, will also share music and back Cory up.  Please consider joining us for what is sure to be a very memorable night.  Most of our speaking engagements are very formatted and limited in time.  This event is an opportunity to reflect on what God is doing in Haiti, share some longer stories, answer questions, and pray.  Not only that, but there will be some amazing coffee and snacks available...a little slice of heaven, really.

God Bless,
The Grimm Family Adventurers

The Story of Uncle Ivan Fowler

Family and Friends,

God has a way of giving you exactly what you need exactly when you need it.  As missionaries we are deeply committed to the calling God has placed on our lives and the people He has given us to serve.  However, we are still human, and from time to time we need a new infusion of passion and energy for the work.  Sometimes the best way to get that is to receive a clearer vision from God of how connected we are to the big picture of what He is doing in the world.  Specifically, God recently gave us a picture of how intertwined we are with the entire tapestry of World Missions in the present, past, and future.  Please enjoy this story and be inspired!

I always knew very little about Uncle Ivan Fowler, my late Grandma Grimm's younger brother who died in a plane crash as he prepared to be deployed as a missionary.  The most important part of that story for our family narrative had been the way that this shocking news came at a very unfortunate time.  My grandparents, Betty Fowler and Dean Grimm, were planning to get married that same week in 1950.  After the family lost Ivan everything was scaled back, and in fact it was just the bride and groom, the pastor, and a few others who attended the brief ceremony.  Famously, it took place at 7:30 or 7:45 in the morning just before the Pastor had to help out with VBS at church.  It was a very sad time.  

Last week my dad and I went on a little road trip.  He wanted to show me where his grandparents (Fowlers) were buried in a little country cemetery in southern Iowa.  On the way we recalled some of the famous family stories and called up uncle Jim, who was Grandma Grimm's (and Ivan's) youngest brother and a a brilliant and impressive man in his own right.  Uncle Jim served in the military and was stationed in Georgia.  After that he married and took a job as an engineer with Lockheed-Martin.  He moved up the ranks and eventually was selected to be a cabinet member of the Georgia state government during the period when Jimmy Carter was governor.  My dad tells stories of how after designing and building airplanes and jets, Uncle Jim could take apart any car and put it back together like it was nothing. 

Uncle Jim shared more of Ivan's story with us over the phone as we drove.  Ivan was a WWII vet, just barely, because he was only 18 when the war ended.  He was a pilot.  After that he went to Moody Bible Institute and studied for ministry.  He was preparing to be deployed for overseas ministry work and was engaged to be married.  The part of the story that absolutely blew me away was to hear that Ivan was involved in the early stages of planning a team to be sent to Ecuador, a team that included Jim Elliot and other famous missionaries.  This is the very team that famously was speared to death a few years later by the Waodoni Indians, the same people who were later led to Christ by the families of the men who were killed.

Uncle Ivan never made it to Ecuador.  In May of 1950 he was taking off with one passenger from a small airport in Illinois to fly to Chicago.  The engine of the small plane began to smoke, and smoke began to fill the cockpit.  Ivan circled around and tried make an emergency landing.  Just before reaching the landing strip he passed out and hit the fence surround the airport.  The plane flipped over and burst into flames.  According to Jim the family was notified that Ivan had been "seriously injured in a flying accident."  They ran from the newly planted cornfields, jumped in the car, and took off speeding accross Iowa into Illinois.  Then they heard a news report on the radio which announced the same accident and the confirmation that, in fact, no one had survived.  The family was devestated and finished the trip at a slower pace.

After that Jim Elliot and the others continued to make plans, and eventually Nate Saint was added to the team as the pilot, and most of you know the rest of that story.  The woman who was engaged to Ivan remained in contact with my Grandma for the rest of her life, telling my dad at Grandma's funeral that she "always felt a part of the family." 

It was heartbreaking to hear all of that story, and yet for me 60 years later it was a great blessing from God to learn more about this fellow missionary in our family.  I had always felt a kind of connection with Ivan, almost as if my family's calling was a fulfillment of his, but this took it all to a whole different level.  Thank you, God!

I hope to find out more about this story in the years to come, even researching the newspaper articles and such that must have been written.  I need to find out if Ivan had a journal and if it still exists.  If that research ever gets done I'll be sure to keep you posted on this blog.  But for now we are just so thrilled to be serving God's people and helping on the front lines of his ever-expanding kingdom.  Many have paid hefty prices to have a chance like this, and we cannot take that lightly as we seek to remain faithful to God's call.

May God Energize Your Calling Today!
-The Grimm Family Adventurers

Resting, Rejuvenating, and Recommitting

The kids with their cousins on the Grimm side...enjoying some fun at a local park in Newton

At the Des Moines Zoo watching the Lions...Elizabeth's little stuffed lion is happy

Alexandra (with G'ma Grimm) trying to feed a dinosaur at the zoo

Kester got to play for the White Sox in Newton

We enjoyed a day at a state park near Ankeny

We rode the train in Boone, IA...looking out the window over a big bridge

Riding the train and enjoying a breeze on a hot day...the weather reminds us of a certain place!

Family and Friends,

This summer has been really good for us as a family, giving us a chance to spend quality time together and with other family members.  In the past month we have been busy with the following:

-Attended Kester's baseball games with the White Sox and made new friends
-Attended a full week of VBS in Newton ("Pandamonium" theme)
-Spoke in three churches locally about Mission Haiti
-Visited the Des Moines Zoo
-Visited the Des Moines Science Center
-Visited Red Rock Dam in Pella
-Visited a State Park near Ankeny
-Attended the annual hog roast (without hog this year) at Cory's sister Mara's home in Iowa City
-Enjoyed a visit from the great-grandparents as they passed by from Sheldon, IA, to Michigan
-Attended the Newton parade, band concert, and fireworks on the 4th of July and stood a few rows behind Governor Branstad as he made a speech to the crowd
-Lots of bike riding (G'ma Marlys is preparing for RAGBRAI)
-Landscaping and painting with Grandpa
-Kester has begun taking piano lessons
-Going regularly to the library (Kester and Elizabeth knock out several "chapter books" each day)
-Visited a handful of old friends who happen to live in this area

In short, we have been a pretty normal American family this summer, and it has been a nice break for us from the life we live in Haiti.  The life we live in Haiti is the life we prefer, and this is our calling from God at this time, but our summer break has been a nice change of scenery for the time being. That is something we all need now and again.

I (Cory) had a nice visit with my long-time mentor, Michael Ginn, this past Sunday.  He is also my uncle, married to my Mom's youngest sister.  Michael is the one who got  me started memorizing Scripture all those years ago, and we always enjoy sharing a great conversation full of laughs and deep insights from the Word.  I went to hear Michael preach at a church in Des Moines, and afterwards we went to get lunch together and sat for a couple of hours. 

(side note:  I just finished memorizing the Gospel of Mark and have begun working on Acts.  After that all that remains to finish the New Testament is the Gospel of Matthew)

I came away from that meeting refreshed in the work God has for me at this time.  As I shared with Michael some of the plans for the Bible School in Haiti, I could see he was very supportive and even envious (in a good way) of the things we are doing.  Just talking through some of those ideas with someone who could understand the passion behind it was very energizing.  I felt like God used that encounter to help me recommit myself to the plan.

This coming Saturday we will sit down with Mike and Pam Plasier (the directors of Mission Haiti) and talk through the goals and plans for the coming year.  That will be a good opportunity for us to get on the same page with each other concerning everything that is going on.  With a ministry like Mission Haiti, so much happens from day-to-day and it is easy to get out of the loop in a hurry.  I'm sure we will discover that the Holy Spirit has been speaking to all of our hearts in similar ways.  That is always how it is with us and the Plasiers which is why we are doing what we are doing in the first place.

This Sunday we will be sharing stories and pictures in Alcester and Sioux Center.  The meeting in the evening at Sioux Center has been changed to 5PM, so plan accordingly!   

We eagerly look forward to spending time with family and friends in NW Iowa, Sioux Falls, Alcester, and other places for the remainder of the Summer.  Please continue to pray for us as we pray for you.

God Bless,
The Grimm Family Adventurers 

A Few Pictures and a Mid-Year Missionary Giving Summary

Playing cards with Emmanuel, our dear friend

Talking with Adrien, the director of the clinic

Lynn's lap is Kenny's sanctuary

Getting ready to play baseball when we return to the US this summer...no nice grass or flat inflields to practice on in Haiti!

Nice photo on the porch of the Mission House

Family and Friends,

The photos above were taken by various members of visiting mission teams, and we thought they would be nice to share on the blog.  At this point in the summer we are really missing Haiti, especially all of our friends and neighbors.  However, we still have many churches and friends to visit before we head back on August 29th.  We also need to pause and enjoy these moments while we have them...and the ability to retreat into air-conditioned homes!

Below is a brief report of our missionary giving for the first half of the year, followed by some comments and explanation.  We will put out a more detailed report at the end of the year on how everything was spent for ministry.

Year-to-date giving:     $20,884

                January:     $1,755
                February:   $10,440
                March:       $3,599
                April:         $2,805
                May:          $1,110
                June:          $1,175


First of all we want to say "thank you" to everyone who has sacrificed to allow us to serve in Haiti.  It truly means the world to us to have you behind us prayerfully and financially.  God is providing for us day by day, and month by month.  As you can see by the numbers above, part of the adventure of being missionaries is raising support.  We never know exactly how much individuals or churches will give.  It tends to fluctuate wildly from month to month.  God has a way of letting you get to your last dollar before opening the floodgates.  He's funny that way.

If we take a good, honest look at our ministry support both prayerfully and financially, right now we can spot an alarming trend.  For example, back in January and February we were blown away to see an average of 100 people reading our blog every day (these stats are available to us through the blog host), and we enjoyed regular emails and comments of encouragement.  There was a real sense of being held up by the prayers of many people.  However, towards the end of our term, in May and into June, the number of people reading the blog declined to around 25-30 per day. 

The same downward trend can be seen in our financial contributions as indicated on the chart above.  During the first quarter of the year we received over $15,000 in giving!  Unfortunately, the giving in the second quarter plummeted to around $5,000.  Our overall giving for the first half of the year is fine, in relation to our needs, but if the current trend continues and the 3rd and 4th quarters are like the 2nd, we will be in big trouble!

We are new to this whole missionary journey and adventure, so we aren't leaping to any conclusions just yet.  We are trusting God to provide for our needs, both spiritually and financially.  Part of the downward trend can be explained by the inevitable fact that the earthquake continues to fade from memory for many people.  Also, now that we live primarily in Haiti and have irregular internet access at best, we struggle to maintain consistent correspondance with existing donors, much less recruit new ones. 

All that being said, we remain optimistic about the plan God has for us in Haiti!  As we look to the second half of the year and our future beyond that, we are praying that God will inspire more churches to support us in various ways.  The churches where we served on staff in the past have gotten behind us in very tangible ways, and we are so thankful for this, but we have struggled to break ground beyond those established relationships. 

We have been and will be speaking in many churches this summer, but we need individuals to carry the torch after we are gone, both through prayer and through advocacy for missionary funding from the church where they attend.  Right now we are still trying to piece together missionary support just for our family, but by this time next year we are hoping that will be firmly in place and we will also have a substantial amount raised for the opening of the Bible School in the fall of 2012.  We are counting on God to do some miracles, for sure!      

God Bless!
-The Grimm Family Adventurers