It's All Coming Together - WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Why a map of Costa Rica, when we're headed to Guatemala?? Read on to see why...

It's been a crazy but blessed month... we've moved to New Hampshire in order to escape the house showings, open-houses and cleaning madness! The kids have just about finished homeschooling (they're doing a few classes this summer) and are enjoying playing with their NH friends. We are excited to report that our deputation is coming along well. I have given my notice at work (major news!!!) and have agreed to stay on for several months in order to help transition things. I cannot tell you all what a tremendous burden has been lifted!

WE NEED YOUR HELP! We have now set a date to leave for San Jose, Costa Rica (The Spanish Language Institute Missionary Training School) of January 2008... yes, in just over 6 months! We now need to wrap up our support-raising efforts and begin preparations. If you have considered supporting our ministry, now would be a very good time for you to start! We have made significant progress in our support rasing, with the addition of my former boss, who has agreed to support us generously. (Praise the Lord!) We also have several family members, friends and our home church, First Baptist of Portland, supporting us financially and with prayer. We now stand at a need of around $1000.00 per month to finish our deputation. Will you help us with a monthly commitment? You can learn how to support us by visiting our website at www.thedennetts.org/Support.html We would love for you to be a part of our ministry and to be the ones who help us to finish-up and leave! If your church is interested in having us come to speak, please contact us at 207-671-4125.

19 Years Together

On June 23rd, 1988 Mary and I became one. 19 years have passed and our love continues to grow! We have been so blessed with each other and now get to share this blessing with our five beautiful children. Dad and Mom Dennett gave us the beautiful gift of a night out alone! They came to New Hampshire and watched the children so that we could go spend a night in a hotel in Meredith, NH. We had such a wonderful time. With Eve's birth and all our missionary happenings we have had little time for dates! Thank you so much Dad and Mom! This past year began an entirely new chapter in our marriage with new blessings and new challenges. Our pursuit of heading to the mission field has been teaching us so much....namely, that we need to stay on our knees and together in Christ in order to be effective for Him! We look forward to many years serving Christ together.

The Spanish Language Institute - San Jose, Costa Rica

The first step in our journey to Guatemala will be to attend language school in San Jose, Costa Rica. The Spanish Language Institute www.thespanishinstitute.com/ specializes in training missionaries and pastors, so we will be attending with others headed into worldwide missions as well! What a blessing this will be. Our kids will attend Sojourn Academy (run by the institute) right on the same campus. I wonder if we'll have recess together??!! Ha. This will be a special time for our family as we learn the language of the people we will be ministering to. We will be introduced beforehand to a "host family" that will help us to find a rental in the area, get acquainted with the surroundings and support us with prayer and encouragement.

The Ryans Visit to Alton Bay

We were very blessed to have our good friends Tim and Amy Ryan visit us week before last in Alton Bay. They stayed in Dale and Karen Scully's cottage (Thank You Scully's!) and we enjoyed a wonderful five days of fellowship with them. We were neighbors in Chicago (met at church) and have remained very close ever since. Tim and Amy have four children: Brenna (Merry), Brynn, Brooke and Briley. Saturday evening we had an impromptu barbecue with Pastor Jim and Nancy Long & friends, Steve and Beth Turner, Scott and Melanie Galante and a few other guests. Our kids all had fun playing together while we caught up. Thank you Jim and Nancy for dinner on Monday night!

The Alton Bay Monster

Tim Ryan, his daugher Brenna, Abbie and Jamie Fogel (friend from Alton Bay) spent an afternoon weekend before last sculpting this sea-dragon down on the beach at the Alton Bay Christian Conference Center. www.abccc.org When we returned last weekend it was still there! Nice work guys!

Children at Work in Guatemala

This boy is from Antigua, Guatemala and is one of many children that work for a living to help support their families. He is heading out for a day of shoe-shining. There are laws against child labor here, however they are not enforced and many kids are robbed of a decent childhood, education and start to life. Please pray for the working children of Guatemala. Our program at AMG helps to get children like this into a loving school environment, food to eat and most importantly learn about Christ.

Sleeping Brody with Eve at His Side

Brody was asleep next to Eve who just laid there happily clutching him! What a pair!

South Gardiner, Maine

We had the great pleasure this past Sunday to speak at the Riverview Congregational Church in South Gardiner, Maine. We were warmly welcomed by this loving church and they were so generous and encouraging! It was a joy having our parents there to hear our formal presentation for the first time. Mary was suffering from a headcold and I had lost my voice since Thursday, so God was so good to give me a voice and Mary strenghth to share! (I must say that I probably sounded like a 14 year-old with a changing voice!!) Mary and I both presented and Abbie played violin. Brody was removed from the scene for disorderly conduct. :) Pastor Johnson and his lovely wife, Cynthia arranged for a dinner after the service and we enjoyed fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters from South Gardiner! Great food... and we know how much effort you all made to do this!! Thank you so much Debra for arranging all of this. Thank you Pastor Johnson and Cynthia and the ladies of the church. We look forward to visiting again!

Mary and Debra at Riverview


Mom & Dad Welch (&Eve) Mom & Dad Dennett

Jordan's Hard Work

Today Jordan graduated his book 1 classical guitar after two years of hard work! We were very proud of him and enjoyed having Nathan Kolosko, his teacher here at our home. He performed eight songs for our family and friends with Nathan accompanying him. We love you Jordan!

Thank you Nathan for your mini-performance and for coming all the way out to our home for this!