a-team bulletin

“Can I go get my Bible so you can underline that verse for me?” asked the oldest of three brothers who had responded to the invitation. After the three boys had prayed for salvation, Robin shared Hebrews 13:5 with them. The words “I will never leave thee” were so important to them that each boy asked her to underline that verse in his own Bible.

One mother reported that after her child came home from camp they were discussing what he had learned. He told her about the puppets and his favorite script that included a frog and a lesson on mosquitoes. He asked her, “Why did God make mosquitoes?” Then, much to the mother’s relief, he answered his own question from what the puppets had told him. “Oh, yeah! For His glory!”

The campers at His Ability were especially vocal when our villain puppet appeared. They jeered and commented on his bad behavior. When the villain said Kimmy was “not perfect” because she wore glasses, one camper shouted, “That was uncalled for!” They understood that each of us is unique and created in God’s image.

That’s just a small sampling of what a great summer this was as we taught “Jesus is the King!” The children really had fun and responded to the stories and puppets. They enjoyed the castle and all of the medieval-themed puppets. The dragon was a big hit and startled more than just the children when he made his first appearance each week! He soon became a favorite as his wise and gentle nature became evident. We even had teenagers who said they enjoyed everything and learned a lot. But the most exciting part is that almost forty children were added to God’s Kingdom and we are blessed to have been a part of that.

Now we are in Maine until early October doing thirteen programs in six churches. We enjoy being part of the outreaches of each of these churches as they desire to make an impact on the lives of neighborhood children through Sunday School, kids’ clubs and mentoring programs. When we get home, our schedule is full with two missionary conferences, Christian school chapels, an outreach to special needs adults and some holiday programs.

Between the summer schedule and this tour to Maine, we had two weeks at home. The day we arrived home, we had just enough time to help Kendra pack her things and then drive her to Dayspring Bible College. It was an emotional weekend as we left our youngest daughter for her first semester of college but we are looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in her life while she’s there.

Far from being empty-nesters, we have just started our 22nd year of homeschooling with Logan and Jordan in 5th and 1st grades. They are both in soccer and are looking forward to being in clubs at church when we get home. Logan again auditioned for Homeschool Performing Arts and will be in their production of “Music Man” in January. That requires participation from the whole family and we all enjoy it. So life is settling into a normal routine. Except that for the past sixteen years it has been normal to have a high school student in our home school. It’s been normal for almost twenty years to depend on one of our older children to babysit. It’s been normal to have more girls than boys in the house and have dresses for princesses and brides in the dress-up box instead of the superhero and pirate costumes that are there now. Well, it’s a new kind of normal!
During the two weeks we were home, Jeff got as much done on the house as he possibly could. He installed the staircase from the main floor to the basement, the railing all the way around the outside deck and the stairs to the deck in front of the entrance door. We ordered kitchen cabinets and bought the tubs and shower units so they can be installed as soon as we get home. Our goal is to move in by mid-November and it looks as though we are right on schedule. During the summer, dear friends have been working on installing the wood flooring on the main floor and they are almost finished. It looks wonderful! After more than two years in the bus, we are looking forward to having a real kitchen and spending holidays with our family in our own place!

Changes are happening with our other children as well. Jason survived boot camp and remained at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for job training. We received a special gift this summer when a friend who owns a small plane, flew Robin and Courtney to Fort Jackson to see Jason’s graduation from boot camp. It was great to see him and be able to congratulate him in person on his accomplishment. He is anxious to get home to his wife and family in October. Holly and Kyle purchased their first home this summer and moved into it in July. It’s not very far from where their apartment was, but it is in a different school district so Isley had to move to a new school. They have been getting into the role of homeowners as they painted, replaced carpeting and even purchased a lawnmower! However, they didn’t buy a home with a driveway big enough for the bus so we still have to park at Holly’s church when we visit! Amber and Chris have announced that they will be adding to their family in February. Kylie doesn’t quite understand the wait and said she wanted to hold the baby “now” when she was told the news. We are excited for this new grandbaby to arrive. Courtney spent the summer as a camp counselor at Camp Selah and then went back to her job in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been unable to save enough money to get to Bible school this year but she did finally send in a couple of applications. Meanwhile, she is involved in the leadership of a youth group at the church she attends. She also helps lead their fine arts program and they are currently getting ready for competition. It was also hard to see her go that far away from home, but she tells us she will be back. We’ll see what happens as she follows where the Lord leads!

Thank you for praying for us as we make the transition to fall and winter ministry. We appreciate your friendship and your interest in the ministry of God’s Helping Hands as we continue to share the Gospel wherever the Lord opens the door.

In His Service,

Jeff and Robin Awe

P.S. If you would prefer receiving our prayer letters and The Glance by email, please contact us at office@ghhinc.org.