“Time to get up ladies!” we said as we gently knocked on their doors.  “It is time to head to our 1^st Annual Stroll N Roll!”  All the young ladies in the house were great sports as we woke them up early on a Saturday morning.  We had a great turn out for our first year and are eager to have any even larger group next year.  We would like to thank our sponsors, The Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse, Hometeam Northwest Realty and Clearwire.  We would also like to extend our thanks to our largest donor, Olympic Landscape and Irrigation.  Lastly, but definitely not least we would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of our walkers and everyone who sponsored them.  All funds raised go directly to helping pregnant mommies who are in desperate need of housing and support.  We couldn’t do it without all of your help! Mark your calendars for the 2^nd Annual Stroll N Roll, Saturday, July 16^th, 2011.

On April 30^th we were fortunate to have several members of the City Harvest Church prepare us dinner.  We took this opportunity to invite over some ladies who had recently given birth in order to have a bit of a reunion.  We had no idea the elegance that was in store for us!  I walked in the kitchen and thought that they had hired a catering company but found that the ladies just decided to wear white shirts and black bottoms with matching red aprons.  They had prepared menus placed on chargers on the beautifully decorated table and served us a three course dinner.  To start we had a Caesar salad and bread and were even offered freshly ground pepper and cheese!  Our main entrée was gorgonzola chicken over a bed of pasta and for dessert we had delicious cheesecake.  They served us and cleared our plates between each course.  The attention to detail was phenomenal as was the food!  To top it off they presented each of us with gift baskets each including complimentary facials donated from Rejuvenation Salon and Spa! We were so incredibly blessed and enjoyed the time that we were able to spend with the new mommies and their babies.  Thank you so much ladies of City Harvest Church, you truly displayed a generous and servant heart which exemplified the love of Jesus!

The ladies from City Harvest Church

The ladies from City Harvest Church

The Art museum sparked much conversation and reflection, especially trying to visualize the architects aim at creating mountains and waves in the center of the building (not to easy to see for those of us who are not very artsy!) After finishing with the art museum we headed for the Bridge of glass and enjoyed the reflection pools outside the Glass museum.  We stopped along the way and pointed out our favorite Chihuly pieces.  Lastly, we wrapped up the day at the Washington State History Museum.  We sat in a covered wagon, dressed up, and learned a lot about the development of the railroad and the evidence that points to Bigfoot’s existence.  Both important to learn about prior to becoming a mommy!  Not really, but lots of fun and culturally enriching none the less!  After a couple of hours walking around museums tackling the walk back up 19^th st. was a bit taxing!  Overall we all had a terrific time and truly enjoyed a beautiful Pacific Northwest day!     

“You can do it…..one more push…he’s almost here” were common phrases around here this past month.  We have had the pleasure of welcoming three handsome lil’ boys to mommies of New Beginnings!  We have been blessed to walk with Amelia, Christina and Ha during their pregnancies and celebrated with them as they entered official mommyhood.  While we are saddened by their departure from New Beginnings we couldn’t be happier about their new little arrivals.  Congratulations ladies!

Many of you may remember Amelia, a young lady we wrote about in our October newsletter.  While at New Beginnings Amelia began to experience the love of Jesus in a way she hadn’t before.  Seeking a healthy lifestyle she began consistently attending AA and church.  Both of these avenues led to some important milestones she celebrated in December; on the 13^th she was baptized and on the 27th received her one year sobriety coin at her AA meeting.  Both of these events were reflections of God’s sovereignty in her life.  We have all been blessed to watch Amelia continue to flourish and felt bittersweet when she was accepted into a housing program which will provide her low cost housing while pursuing her education in Social services. Her growth over the past couple of months has inspired her to mentor other women who have struggled over their lives.  On Saturday, January 23^rd, Amelia moved out of the New Beginnings Home. We have greatly missed her (and her fantastic cooking) but know that the New Beginnings Home functioned just as it should in her life.  Our home gave her a place to sleep, food to eat, time to dream, mentorship, life skills and friendship.  She will be welcoming her son Isaiah in just a couple of weeks and now she has a place of her own to welcome him into.   Thank you for making a difference in Amelia and Isaiah’s lives.  We appreciate your commitment to this ministry!

The ladies of New Beginnings with Comfy Pillows from Select Comfort

As the bags of pillows were unloaded into our home our curiosity increased.  Bag after bag began to fill the living room.  “Where in the world did all these pillows come from?”  Our director, Miles Musick informed us that Select Comfort donated 50+ pillows to the New Beginnings Home.  Anyone who has been pregnant knows that pregnancy and sleep go hand in hand!  There is no  better way to get great sleep than with brand new, amazing quality pillows.  We are always in need of essentials such as pillows and are so grateful for this generous donation!  Thanks so much Select Comfort!

What an adventure we are on.  We’ve said it before but must say again that we feel so privileged to share life with all of the incredible women that we have met so far!   We know that God has a remarkable plan for them and are so eager to be a part of all that He is doing here. 

Blessings,

Dave and Heather Wait

Dave working at the food bank

We left for Seattle at the early hour of 6:50 AM last Sunday morning to go on our first local outreach.  My parents had agreed to watch the kids for the week and arrived the night before.  Rising at the early hour of 5 AM we double checked our luggage and prepared for a long day ahead.  We were excited to be in a city close to our hearts and to our new home in Puyallup at New Beginnings.  That first evening in Seattle we experienced our initial interactions with the homeless population and served them hot cocoa.  On Monday morning we woke up early to head downtown.  Our purpose was to meet and talk with those who were homeless.  We came across a young man named Daniel who explained that he would crash on people’s couches or in their cars when he was able but that he had no roof of his own to sleep under.  He was unsure about life and God but allowed us to pray with him.  We were able to spend about an hour sharing God’s love with him.  As it neared 10:45 AM we headed for Northwest Harvest, a local food bank, to hand out food to people in need.  It was amazing to see all the people come through the line and to be a part of such an instrumental ministry in Seattle.  On Tuesday we cleaned and painted the church that was hosting us for the week.  We were blessed by an area church and were able to sleep on their floor, use their showers, and the kitchen for the whole week.  On Wednesday we arrived to the Union Gospel Mission by 6:45 AM to help serve breakfast.  After arriving they asked if we would be able to sing while the people ate.  Heather, David (one of our leaders) and Amanda (another student) sang worship music as folks made their way through the breakfast line and ate.  Along with a couple of the other students I was assigned to serve the grits and other accompanying breakfast items.  It was an amazing experience and we all had time to talk with and listen to the stories of the people’s pain, hardships and sometimes bad decisions.  After leaving there we went back to Northwest Harvest to serve again.  Thursday we finished up the projects began on Tuesday at the church we were staying at.  We ended a little early so we could go and serve at The Bread of Life Mission.  This is a Christ centered mission that provides food, beds and showers for those homeless who remain clean and sober.  We arrived in time to eat dinner with the staff and to our pleasant surprise we were served steak, mashed potatoes and eggnog, my first of the year!  After eating we spent some time cleaning the kitchen.  Lastly, we had the privilege of serving steak to all the homeless people that came in that night.  There was even enough food for them to have a second helping.  It was a great thing to be a part of.  The people were so happy to receive steak and their smiles warmed our souls.  On Friday we left the familiar city; one we had visited often to shop and drink coffee, with a new perspective.  Not only is the Emerald city one of the coolest places to shop, it was now on my map as one that needs people to go and serve the homeless population.  To me, Seattle has now become a richer place than I previously viewed it as. It is rich with my new friends who sleep under the stars.

-Dave

Our theme is Back to the Future which highlights those from the past who stand out because of a particular quality (i.e. George Washington for the quality “selfless”). We even have a home-made time machine that the kids crawl into; it has lights and sound which the kids LOVE!! We also serve them snack, complete a craft, sing a song, read a story/skit, and play a game, all that are centered around the week’s theme. We have the amazing opportunity to give love to 25 children every week! While we always come home exhausted we know that the kids are having fun and the parents are being blessed with free afterschool care. God has asked us to be the body of Christ and this is an awesome way for us to reach our local community and be His hands and feet. We continue to appreciate this unique occasion and time in our lives and look forward to serving the community of Puyallup when we begin at New Beginnings full time.