*Gone, but not forgotten*

Our last few days living in Zionsville were full of team bonding and quality time with all the incredible relationships the Lord allowed us to form while there.  Since Rance and I did not really get acquainted with anything outside of the church and the apartment the entire summer, David & Dana planned a super fun day for the four of us our last Friday in Indiana by taking us on tour.  Since David grew up in Indiana and Dana spent many years living there through college and in during their first few years of marriage - they showed us all around in a day and we enjoyed every minute of it. 

The day began with canoeing & kayaking for 6 miles at Turkey Run.  This was such a quiet, peaceful place and we all 4 love enjoyed our time outdoors!

David & Dana getting in their kayaks & Boo & I in our canoe

David leading the way!

So thankful for these two!



Hootie!

Yes, we like holding hands!!! 

The day just continued with fun surprises!!!  We basically got out of the river and threw on some dry clothes and ended up driving to downtown Indianapolis and eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory which was AMAZING.  You get bread, salad, an entrée, and a dessert ALL included with your meal!  It was DELICOUS!

Dana & Rance amusing themselves by continuing to go in circles!

HAHAHAHA!

Lots of horse & carriage rides downtown!

WOOOOOOOOO

WEEEEEEEEEEEE!

After dinner, we walked around the canal which the pictures I took do not even do it justice.  It's so beautiful!

This picture will forever crack me up! :)

Yes we climbed up in that tree! :)

Our last Saturday evening was of course spent with all of our friends and church family playing cornhole!  We were so blessed to live in the apartment right across from the church and to get to know so many people during our time there.  One super special person we met on our first night of playing cornhole was Dylan!  He is 12 years old and one of the sweetest kids I have ever met.  We got to spend so much time getting to know him and boy what an encouragement he was to us and so many others.  The Lord used a 12 year old to open up doors to so many other relationships as well as continue the outreach in the apartment complex even though Rance and I no longer live there.  YEP, OUR DADDY IN HEAVEN IS UNBELIEVABLE! 

Dylan & Rance!!!

Dana & Ellen - and some yummy Starbucks!

father & son!

I enjoyed the beautiful sunsets EVERY evening!

Our last Sunday at Cornerstone was incredibly special because Dylan and another young boy were baptized.  It's so neat because Dylan had trusted Christ as his Savior before we met him but he had never been baptized.  Dylan asked Rance if he could be baptized at Cornerstone and of course the answer was YES.  What a super special time with Dylan & his family!!!

Rance, Dylan & David!

Dylan's parents - Jeana & Tom

Rance speaking on Dylan and what a blessing
he is to all who know him!

Baptized in the name of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit!

Praise God!!!



Us with Dylan & his awesome parents, Jeana & Tom

It wasn't too long after we moved into our apartment that I got to meet Amy, our neighbor that lived directly above us on the 2nd floor!  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her better and miss our long talks so much.  She is also very close to Dylan, Jeana & Tom so she came to Dylan's baptism!

Amy & I

I love this lady to pieces!

What it means to be a team brought about an entirely new perspective over the past few months.  The book of Ephesians is very clear that you cannot become the fullness of Christ while living all alone.  Each individual within the Body of Christ is given unique gifts and abilities.  Noone receives ALL of God's gifts - why?  God wants us to be dependent upon one another, as we are each using our individual gifts, so that we can experience all the fullness of God, TOGETHER. 

It's been incredible to see this fleshed out the past few months.  This whole journey in Indiana has been a team project and our team has been given all sorts of unique gifts & abilities!  Working together as a team to make each other maximally effective has been a blast.  All parts being extremely important.  We are so blessed to work alongside a team who are like minded and willing to follow God no matter the costs. 

The Shuler's, Ben & Jess Thacker (and baby Wyatt), Dana & David Thacker


I cannot go without sharing how Sunday proceeded after Rance shared the message on Ephesians 6:10-13 and the baptisms took place.  First of all, you need to understand what the sermon was on to see the significance of what happened next.

Ephesians 6:10-13
¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Based upon Scripture, Rance discussed how a church founded upon the Rock and functioning as a New Testament church as described in the book of Ephesians - WILL be a threat to Satan.  He was preparing them to simply be ready to STAND against any and all spiritual attacks that may come.  We do not have to fight this battle but simply STAND. 

Now to continue, after the sermon and baptisms took place, we all gathered to fellowship and eat lunch together at the church.  As everyone was finishing up, a guest came to let us know that there seemed to be a SEWAGE PROBLEM and yes, indeed there was.  You can only imagine what proceeded in the next few minutes & hours to come.  The bathrooms had overflowed all throughout the church (and there are MANY bathrooms) and poop and everything else was everywhere.  The smell was horrendous BUT we all REJOICED!  IT was incredible to see how everyone recognized THIS WAS A SPIRITUAL ATTACK.  This did not happen by chance.  God allowed us to be tested!  How incredible was the timing on that sermon and the spiritual attack that followed.  Needless to say, we all spent the day cleaning up poop and nastiness and bonding together. 

Look at these smiling faces!

leaking out everywhere...

HAHAHA Eric's face as I opened the bathroom door and he has his pants rolled up cleaning up YUCK!

REJOICE!!!!!!!!!

Having fun team bonding!

 

 

 

We may be back living in Robbinsville but a chunk of our heart is still in Zionsville, Indiana.  Leaving was not easy at all YET Father will remain our connection!  Rance and I are SO thankful that we have the privilege of going to battle every single day in prayer for our brothers & sisters in Christ in Indiana.  



One person prayed for...

...one person He gave.

His name is James.

Before we left for Indiana, Rance and I spent much time in prayer daily.  We were praying specifically for the leaders in the church, for our team assisting with the church, for much wisdom on our role of evangelism, for the hearts of the people we would meet, for the study through the book of Ephesians, and the list goes on.  Rance specifically asked the Lord for one person to disciple & invest in while we were living in Indiana for the summer.  He really believed the Lord would provide that person and it's so neat to think that all of those prayers prayed were being dumped out on our next door neighbor in the apartment complex but we had NO WAY of knowing that until the night Rance met James. 

It was almost midnight and we had just got home from a team meeting at the church.  Rance HAD to clip his finger nails and proceeded to go outside to do just that.  Why?  If he cut them outside he would not have to worry about where they were flying :)  After being gone about 15 minutes (I mean, how long does it take one to clip their fingernails?), as his wife, I knew 1 of 2 things had happened - 1) he was kidnapped OR 2) he found someone to talk to.  Of course I was wholeheartedly believing the latter option.  After 45 minutes, Rance stepped back inside and he had met James, our next door neighbor.  James & Rance struck up a conversation because James had noticed all the Jesus stickers on Rance's truck and wanted to know if he was the guy that owned that truck.  That conversation led to a much deeper talk and the rest is history!  They began meeting to study the Word just a few days later and James trusted Christ as his Savior and they were pretty much inseparable the next 4 weeks we lived in Indiana.  They ate breakfast together, played racquetball together, worked out together, and talked about Jesus nonstop! 


Meet our BROTHER IN CHRIST!!!

He's being all serious...

...and now all smiles!!!

James & Dylan & Eric & Rance playing cornhole!

Breakfast time!

Dylan, James & Rance eating homemade biscuits!

 

 

Hanging out :)

Dylan cracks me up!

We are so grateful for Father's passionate pursuit of people and how His timing is so perfect - even through cutting finger nails at midnight and Jesus stickers on trucks.