A short update on the Hadfields as they serve with Arctic Barnabas Ministries.
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Hadfield Update Fall 2012
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, we are mindful of the bountiful blessings God has showered on us this fall. With thankful hearts, we are eager to share what has been happening here recently.
In September, all seven of us attended ABM’s annual Ministry Family Retreat in Port Alsworth, AK. The retreat is designed to provide pastors, missionaries, and their families rest from their labors in the villages and refreshment for their souls before jumping back in to another busy season of ministry. Along with our teammates, we were privileged to serve the ministry families in a variety of ways during the retreat. We always get positive feedback from the ministry families who attend the retreat. Some tell us it is a highlight of their year.
Paul has been keeping busy in the hangar at ABM. Currently he is changing an engine on our Cessna 182 so that it can be used to visit families we serve in rural Alaska. In addition to this, he will be starting a 100-hour inspection on our Cessna 206, an all-encompassing inspection that enables us to continue to operate safely in the harsh winter environment. Right on the heels of the 206 inspection, there is an inspection due on our Piper Navajo. All this maintenance work should take Paul right through to Christmas.
Not all of Paul’s time at ABM is spent in the hangar, however. He recently returned from a trip to Dillingham, AK, a town on the Bristol Bay, where he visited pastors and missionaries and represented ABM at a missions conference. Paul flew with our son Ben in ABM’s Cessna 206. It was a joy for Paul and Ben to have some father-son time together. Now that Paul has surpassed his 100-hour requirement for flight time in Alaska, he is able to fly our single-engine plane without the assistance of a co-pilot. He loves to fly to the villages to visit ministry families and is thankful for every opportunity to do so.
Sam, Ben, and Anna are having a terrific school year so far. We received a generous scholarship for Sam and Ben this year from Veritas Press Scholars Academy. The boys take most of their courses on-line through Veritas and have been blessed to have some wonderful instructors there. On top of that, God has provided two excellent private teachers for Sam, Ben, and Anna. A “retired” couple, both with long teaching careers, have come to AK help with the home education of our three older children. Mr. Hartman comes to our house each day to work with Sam and Ben while Anna walks over to the Hartman home down the street to do school with Mrs. Hartman. The story of how the God put the Hartmans in our lives when we needed the help, as well as how he provided housing for them just steps from our home, is simply amazing. We love to tell about God’s marvelous provision, so if you’re interested, just ask us for the details!
With a very capable Christian couple taking on the lion-share of the kids’ education, Sara now has more time to focus on other aspects of serving the family. In addition, she has been able to serve in a few capacities at church and with Arctic Barnabas. She was a discussion leader this fall for our church’s ladies’ Bible Study. The ladies read Carolyn Mahaney’s Feminine Appeal: 7 Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother, based on Titus 2:4. Sara also enjoyed planning the menu for ABM’s ladies’ retreats this year, doing the food shopping, and preparing some of the food at home in advance. She has also recently begun getting together weekly with a group of Christian women in our neighborhood. It was wonderful to find out that about six neighboring women on our small lane are sisters in Christ.
We have had two birthdays so far this fall. Aaron and Nate turned four on October 7; they continue to be a joy and delight to our family. Sam turned sixteen on October 24. In his honor, Paul hosted a gathering where several men from our church and ministry offered words of exhortation for being a godly young man. Several men who couldn’t travel the distance sent meaningful letters to Sam. Sam expressed thankfulness for the blessing of being surrounded on all sides by such godly men. On another note, now that he is sixteen, Sam is driving! He doesn’t have his license yet, but he is having a great time behind the wheel with his learner’s permit.
In addition to the many blessings mentioned here, we are thankful for each of you who pray for us, support us financially, and encourage us with words and acts of kindness. You are a valuable teammate in building God’s Kingdom in Alaska. If you desire to help us reach our support goal for this year (we are behind) you may click here to donate online. Additionally, we have started a blog to provide you with more frequent short updates on the happenings here as we serve with Arctic Barnabas. Click here to see our blog.
Happy Thanksgiving with Love,
The Hadfields
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Paul and Ben going to Dillingham
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Aaron & Nate's 4th Birthday
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Anna & Phyllis at "Charolette's"
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Copyright © 2012 Paul & Sara Hadfield, All rights reserved.You are receiving this email to update you on our lives here in Alaska. Our mailing address is:
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