February is a month of celebrations for me. (Flowers, chocolate, cards, and love- what’s not to celebrate?) As I reflex on the last few weeks, I’m reminded of the many reason’s we have to give praise. God is at work in our lives and in lives of the people around us. We often wish things were more cut and dried and easily spotted, but in reality Gods ways of “accomplishing” things are at times unseen (we are learning it just takes time). He is giving us many opportunities for growth in our personal walks with Him, in our marriage and in our team. We are continuing to build relationships in the community, many which have been a great blessing. I attended a birthday luncheon, (a small group of woman in our community get together once a month for a meal and to honour birthdays) for the second time, and was encouraged by the outpouring
of cards, and small gifts given to me. I had a great Valentine’s Day (see the story in our upcoming newsletter). Joel has been fishing a few times with a seventy five year old man. This not only has given him opportunity to build credibility, but also gave us some fresh fish for our freezer. We continue to attend community events and spend time with people. At the end of February, my parents, Doyle and Marian Carpenter, were able to visit for about a week. We had a wonderful time showing them life in our neck of the woods. They were here in time to help make my birthday celebration special. We enjoyed a restful day at home, and Joel made us all a great supper including chocolate cake!! One of the other reasons we give praise is for you, so many of you encourage us with cards, care packages, etc. These brighten our day and help us feel connected to friends and family even across 
the miles. We seem to be behind in our correspondence so if you haven’t heard from us yet, please know we do indeed appreciate all you do. God is so gracious to our family, and we continue to seek His leading and direction in all areas of our lives. Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let all those who love Your salvation say continually “Let God be magnified!” Psalm 70:4
