Symanzik Family Update

Mikayla is 16 years old today!

Yesterday, we had a merienda for her and her classmates after school - complete with some of her favourite treats: brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls. We also had kalamansi pie which is sortof like lemon pie. It is lami kaayo (very delicious).

Mikayla and classmates enjoying food and chat time.

Mikayla and Kirsten goofing around!

Today, Kirsten, Ben and I took Mikayla to a favourite mall of hers for lunch and a bit of time to shop.

Tonight, we had her "tea partner" and her "coffee partner" over for dinner!

Instead of cake, we had a pizza pan size chocolate chip
cookie frosted and decorated and lite up with 'trick candles'
for Mikayla to blow out!

Trying to get the candles to stay out! I found candles that
relight and put them on Mikayla's cookie in honor of one of
her aunts in the states who always used trick candles on her
own sons' birthday cakes. Mikayla has always enjoyed those!

A birthday hug from Mom.

Kurt is gone on a business trip for a week. Mikayla is
looking forward to her Daddy returning to give her a
birthday hug and take her on her first date!

Birthday flowers - 16 roses - for Mikayla's 16th birthday!

Mikayla is a blessing and we continue to pray that she may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in her inner being, so that Christ may dwell in her heart through faith. And we pray that Mikayla, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge. We pray that she continues to always seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness all her days. And that she continue to grow into the woman that He wants her to be.

She is a blessing and we are pleased with the fruit of the Spirit we see growing in her life.
We thank God for her!

This past weekend our mission organization had a retreat and I was one of the speakers that gave a short devotional. The theme of the retreat was grace. You can download my message as a PDF (sorry, no audio): Receiving and Giving Grace

This past weekend our mission organization had an retreat.
It started Friday night with a time of worship singing and dinner.

Saturday we went to Hope Mountain, a local retreat center, for a day of team building, encouragement and fellowship.

The bounce house we rented for the kids to play on was a big hit.

I came down with a fever on Saturday afternoon and by dinner was not feeling well at all so after we got home I went to bed with a fever of 104F and other symptoms and slept most of Sunday. My family stayed home to take care of me so we missed out on the Sunday church and lunch time.

The retreats theme was "GRACE" with the theme verse of John 1:16-17
And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Kurt was one of the speakers on Saturday. He will be posting the talk as a PDF for you to read. I think it is an excellent talk.

The third grade class recently did chapel at school based on the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:9-14.
It was a very good presentation.

Chapel presentation.

Miss Manda leading worship songs. She teaches 4th grade and is
a blessing to her students and those who know her.

Ben helping lead one of the worship songs for chapel.

Ben explaining part of what the Lord's Prayer means.

The students learned that while it is fine to recite the Lord's prayer as a prayer it can also be used as a guide or format for prayer.

The third graders doing motions while reciting the Lord's prayer.

James and Jerard celebrated their 3rd Birthday yesterday!

In the morning some of their friends came over to play, frost car, truck, and train cookies, and eat spaghetti, breadsticks, cake and ice cream.

In the evening we had a family party with some friends, pizza, salad, ice cream cake, cookies, pop, ....and of course presents!!!