August

We were blessed to have had two additional mission teams during the last month. They both helped with the $1 car wash in Waterbury (we give away a dollar and a contact card), and our friends from Gainsville Baptist Church in Lincolnton, NC finished off painting the Waterbury Senior Center and installed doors on the closets there. They also brought us a few Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, too! We were also encouraged in July by our pastor and his wife from Grace Wake Forest in NC.

Helping out at the Car Wash

Kyle and Caroline Smith enjoying the view from Mount Mansfield

World's Tallest File Cabinet, Burlington, VT

Gainsville Baptist Church Team Lincolnton, NC

Installing Doors at the Senior Center

Painting over pink walls at the Waterbury Senior Center

(the location of our weekly Bible Studies)

Gainsville even brought someone special to watch the kids! Thanks Becky!

Last Tuesday night we had 13 adults and 4 kids at Bible Study! Praise God! We are hoping that God will bring more unbelievers as we continue to reach out to the community. Brian just came home from another mountain bike trail workday. In other exciting news, Brian has a job interview with TD Bank in Waterbury on Wednesday. Please pray that he will get a full-time job in Waterbury soon! He also applied last night for another job at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. If he does get a job, we will also begin the process of finding a babysitter for our kids until I can cut back my hours at work.

We are also in a lengthy conversation with a lady who is selling her home in Waterbury Center. We are still unsure if she is moving out of her home before the winter which would allow us to buy her home. We are now praying that she will find a place to live so that she remains willing to sell her home.

We have been so blessed by the giving hearts of our friends and those who have heard of the church plant in Waterbury. We have been formally approved by NAMB in the last month as well. We are humbled by those who have been faithful to support the ministry here.

In kid news:

Katie has two teeth, is sitting up, crawling and pulling up on things as well! She is not fond of the homemade pureed green beans I fix, but loves sweet potatoes and fruit!

Dining with the girls from Bible Study

two teeth

All smiles

Katie is now big enough for the bike trailer!

Nathanael is busy helping daddy meet people with his outgoing personality.

Pulling carrots at a friend's house

Hiking with Dad

Charmer

Summer in Vermont

Allis State Park

Much has taken place here in Vermont since our last post. We have taken a short vacation to York Beach, Maine, started Bible studies in Waterbury, participated in many community activities, worked with a mission team from Virginia and been encouraged by friends. We are looking forward to another visit from friends on Sunday and another mission team in August. Nathanael has also turned three years old! Here are some pictures from the last month.

Nathanael at the Waterbury Kids Festival

We will have a team here next year to help with a booth for Waterbury Mission

Katie- we enjoyed shopping at Old Navy at the beach and

made a stop at Target on the way, too!

The Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine

The Nubble Lighthouse

York Beach, Maine

Walker's Point

Waterbury July 4th Parade

We visited Ben and Jerry's on July 4th

Our first Bible Study in Waterbury

We had 7 adults and 4 kids at our last Bible study and had some help

from our friend Mara from Faith Community Church with the kids.

Mission Team from Ironbridge Baptist Church, Chester, VA

Mountain Bike Trailwork

They also helped to paint the Senior Center (where we meet for Bible Studies)

$1 Car Wash- where we give a dollar to wash cars and share the love of Christ

Stoweflake Balloon Festival

Nathanael's Birthday

His dearest friends

My funny looking fire truck cake

Yes, he needs a helmet and shoes!

Steve and Liz

His gift from Golfer Steve

Katie checking out Gary and Debbie after the party!

Thank you for praying for our family and the ministry in Waterbury!

www.waterburymission.org

God is good- what will He do next?!

Our last "official" day at Faith Community Church

Many exciting things have been happening here in the last few weeks! We have met with one couple who has committed to joining us in Waterbury- we will begin discipleship meetings with them this Sunday. Another couple that I (Allison) met through work has expressed interest in Bible studies as well. We had a profitable meeting with them last Saturday discussing our vision for Waterbury and some theological issues as well. We hope to meet with them again this weekend.

We have also secured a meeting place for our Bible studies in Waterbury. We will begin to meet in the Waterbury Senior Center on Tuesday nights from 7-8pm starting in July. Pray that we will make many contacts and be able to invite them to this study! Brian has been participating in group mountain bike rides every Thursday nights and taking the kids to the library, train station and park every Monday.

We are visiting churches in Waterbury to get a glimpse of what is available in the town at this time. We visited one on Sunday in which Jesus was never even mentioned. Despite the "Trinity Sunday" theme, the pastor discussed the environment and left us wondering what application we should make. It really made us realize the true need for biblical teaching in the town.

Over the last few weeks God has blessed our family through many different people. Katie received two tubs full of clothes up to 2T from one of the families at Faith Community Church here in Barre. Allison's home church in Petersburg, VA has committed to supporting Brian's salary monthly in the amount of $1000! Finally, we have seen God at work as two churches from Florida have contacted our association this week about funding a church plant in the northeast! Pray that we will be able to establish sponsorships with these churches! Who else but God can do this?

The Village

Amtrak at 926 daily

We are still facing challenges in finding affordable housing in Waterbury. We have an appointment to look at a "more affordable" home tomorrow night that is a bit out of our price range, however it appears that the owners are very motivated to sell. It is at the end of a dirt road in Waterbury close to the town hiking trail. I (Allison) found our dream house, but the selling price is about $100,000 more than what we can afford! The cute white farm house with the wrap around porch is still out of reach. We are looking forward to what God will do to bring us to the right house.

Nathanael is becoming quite the helper. He is enjoying playing with his friends down the hill, is learning to recognize letters and LOVES the trains in Waterbury. Katie is rolling over, cooing and sleeping well through the night. Her palate is becoming well versed- she's having sweet potatoes, carrots, cereal, peaches, peas, green beans and bananas.

Barre Fire Truck

Working in the Yard

Katie is all smiles! (most of the time)

"Katie, this is a very important white truck. This is how it works."

Hope you enjoy the pictures! Please continue to pray for the town of Waterbury. To receive weekly updates, please email vtplant@gmail.com

Back in VT

We have finished our trip, made it back to VT and are getting used to our "new" old routine. Allison is back at work, Brian is hard at work looking for work, and Nathanael and Katie are having a good time with one another.

Brian finished up his last sermon at Faith Community Church last Sunday, which means we are even closer to beginning Bible Studies in Waterbury. We have one family and another gentleman who have committed to joining us in Waterbury. Brian will be spending much more time in the town in the upcoming weeks making connections and hopefully finding a job. He has applied for a job at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and the State of VT. The summer farmer's market will begin soon on Thursday evenings. We plan to head up there each week to support the community. Brian has also been working with a group of men on mountain bike trails and is taking the kids to the library each Monday. Last week, the library was closed, but he did meet a lady and her two girls whom I met while on maternity leave at the library. Our kids are very close in ages and the mom is a nurse as well. Please pray that this "library family" will come to know Christ as their Savior!

We feel our biggest challenge is moving to the town. There are not many homes in the area for sale, nor are there apartment complexes from which to rent. Most homes are out of our price range, but we have found two that are possibilities. We are working with a realtor there and will go back this week with a contractor to help figure out how much work needs to be done before either house is livable. Please continue to pray that God would work this detail out in His perfect timing. Also, if you are not receiving our weekly prayer update, and would like to, please send an email to vtplant@gmail.com or visit waterburymission.org and hit contact us.

She'll grow into this hat!

Caroline and Sarah on our trip to NC

Marbles Museum in Raleigh

My dear friend Madai and I were able to catch up while our kids played!

Playing after a picnic with the 9300 Duke girls!

Visiting Ms. Tommie

CC made a special cake

Easter

The Creemie Stand is OPEN!

Katie and "Grace" that Ms. Tommie, Ellie and I made when I was pregnant with Nathanael

A few days ago, then...

Snow on April 28th

He did go sledding in it, too!