Passport

Dana got her passport. Drew's didn't arrive with it but it should be here Monday. Every new step makes it closer and more exciting.The Chamberlins will be here, at our church, next Sunday. We are going to get to spend some time with them and be able to learn more about the mission and how we can help. We can't wait!
We ( the mission team) are trying to meet once a week for a prayer time together. We know that physical preparations for the trip are only part of it. The most important thing is knowing that we have prepared our hearts for the Lord to be able to work in us and though us. This trip is not about us, it is all about a wonderful Saviour, who has done a work in our hearts and has given us a desire to share His love and message with others. Pray for us as the time grows closer that God would make clear our path and keep us ever close to Him.

Our New Baby!

We have a new baby. Just arrived this week. It's a girl! She weighs about 80#'s and is as cute as a button. She is black and white with big, brown eyes and a big, pink nose. Yep my farmer man went to an auction and bought us a baby calf. A couple of days after he bought him, he prepared to get him fixed. As Drew got down in position to do the deed, he discovered that there was nothing to snip. "he" was a she. Hence the name Daisy not Buddy or Buster etc. (don't laugh at my names you should here some of the ones my kids come up with, God help their children) Anyways back to Farmer Drew, well there went that idea, but Daisy was much happier doing without the cruel discomfort Buddy would have had to endoer. So a good day all around.
Katie and I got to feed her a bottle tonight. That was cool, but you've got to watch out because when that bottle runs out a head butt is sure to follow, next comes the sucking on anything she can get her lips around-sleaves, skirts, fingers, whole feet. Yep she's a joy.

Check one,check two.

Our passports have been bought and the plane tickets have been purchased!
This makes things a little more real now.
We are looking at around 24-25 hours of travel.
Some of our stops include New York and Busssels.
Practicing for our 6 hour Layover!

Our Cameroon Plans

Dear Friends and Family, April 13, 2009 Everyone has moments in their lives when something happens that makes them stop and realize that this is going to change their lives forever. For Drew and I one of those moments happened about two years ago. The Chamberlins were holding a missionary service at our church, accompanied by three little orphans from their mission in Cameroon. As they sang and shared their stories they completely stole our hearts. As we sat in the service that day God began to do a work in our hearts. After the service we went home and sat around the table. After a few moments of pushing food around our plates Drew spoke up about how God had been talking to him, and I was excited to be able to say the same. Both of us agreed that we would be willing to go “right now” if we could. Well, we didn’t go right then and as life got busy, thoughts of the mission at Cameroon, though always there, were pushed further back in our minds. God is patient and His timing is perfect. Last year, as we spent a week at our Family Camp at Rock Lake, God began moving on our hearts again and this time it was much stronger and clearer, God was calling us to Cameroon. I cannot explain the overwhelming joy of seeing that God had a plan for us beyond anything we had ever dreamed, and knowing that He had prepared our hearts for this moment. From that time on we began seeking to make this calling more of a reality. We have been in contact with the Chamberlins and the EBM board and have planned a mission trip to Cameroon this summer.The mission we are going to help with is run by Victor and Claudia Chamberlin. They are in charge of a Christian school that teaches between 250- 300 students, as well as an orphanage that houses 15 children now, but has the capacity to house 60 children if they could find sponsors to support them. The Chamberlins have been faithful missionaries for many years and are now in their 80’s and desperately in need of some help. We are excited to be able to go and help out for a few weeks. We will be leaving for Cameroon around June 19th, and be there for about 3 weeks. We are blessed to be going with two of our friends, Sheryl Nabozny and her daughter, Haley, who also share a heart for missions. We will be leaving our children in the care of their grandparents for this trip. Kent and Katie are excited about the possibility of getting to live in Cameroon someday, if the Lord so leads, along with some reservations, like leaving cousins and friends for more than a week, but they are excited about being missionaries and helping the orphans and school children in Cameroon.We ask that, as we begin this journey, you would keep us in your prayers. We have many details to work out and costs to cover such as plane tickets, visas, passports, vaccinations, etc. We would also like to take over some supplies and needed items for the mission.We would like everyone to share in this adventure with us as much as possible, so we have set up a BlogSpot so you can follow along with us as we prepare, and later when we are over there. We will do our best to update with pictures and information as we have opportunity.We thank God for the way He is helping us, and are assured that where He has called us He will provide a way. If you would like to help us financially as we begin this journey we would greatly appreciate it. You can send your support to one of the addresses below. Most of all we covet your prayers and hope you share in this excitement by visiting our blog and letting us hear from you. Thank you for your time and prayers.
In His Service,
Drew and Dana Herring

You can send support to us directly by sending it to:
Drew Herring
2141 80th Ave
Evart, MI 49631

If you would like to receive a receipt for tax exempt purposes send to:
Evart Bible Methodist Church
3976 80th Ave
Evart, MI 49631
(Memo- Drew & Dana mission trip)

If you would like to find out more about our trip or the Chamberlin’sand their mission work, here are some links you can visit:
http://cameroon-thejourney.blogspot.com/Our blog for this trip
http://cameroonforjesus.org/This is the Chamberlin’s website.
http://www.ebminternational.com/This is the ministry that the Chamberlin’s work through.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbe,_CameroonInformation on Limbe, Cameroon. Also feel free to contact us at drewherring78@hotmail.com

11 years and counting

Yesterday Drew and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. Our song since the beginning has been.. Looks Like We Made It, by Shania Twain.

Looks like we made it,
Look how far we've come my baby.
I'm glad we didn't listen
Look at what we would be missing.
They said, "I'll bet they'll never make it."
But just look at us holding on,
We're still together still going strong.

You're still the one, still the one I run to,
The one that I belong to,
Your still the one I want for life,
You're still the one, still the one that I love,
The only one I dream of,
You're still the one I kiss goodnight,
You're still the one.

I am know there were plenty that didn't think we would make it, but thank God for the rest of you, who were true friends, that stood by us and held us up in prayer. Now today, by the grace of God, we stand together, still loving each other and enjoying every moment of lives that were meant to be shared together.

Along with that some of you may know that God has been talking to Drew and I about going to Cameroon to help with a mission school and orphanage there. We are planning on taking a three week trip over there this summer in June and trust the Lord to lead us with more future plans after that. We are excited and hoping to be able to tell you more specific plans soon. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. Until next time, and hopefully that wont be a 1/2 a year from now like last time, TTFN & ta ta for now.
Dana

The Getaway

To get over the depressing thought of turning the dreaded 30, I wrangled Drew, Dan, and Sharra into doing a getaway at Manistee. The original plans of a peaceful, romantic camping trip got changed into a 'Hey, lets get up at 3:00 in the morning and go fishing' trip, courtesy of Drew. Sharra and I had been wanting to go Salmon fishing so we did some web searching and found nice Super 8 right next to the lake. So we gave up the tents and headed off at 3:30 a.m., in the pitch dark with boat in tow. Did I mention it was supposed to be COLD? Well with this in mind Sharra and I traded in the cute nighties for winter clothing but as we stepped out of the van, expecting to be hit by gusts of frigid air, we were greeted by calm, warm breezes. It is still dark as we slide the boat into the river, looking out we see that only about 8 other boats have had the nerve to beat us on the river. We motor out to "the good spot"and begin trying to figure out how 4 of us are going to be able to cast from this small boat without hooking each other. When it was safe Sharra and I would give a mighty cast into the darkness and wait..and wait.. then PLOP, the lure would splash about 3 feet from the boat, or so it sounded.

Drew was the first to get a bite but it got off after a bit, I was the first one to land one(it was awesome!!!!!), then Sharra let out a "Oh Help us! Dan I think I got one. Dan! DAN! Help!" It was hilarious but her best one was " OH! He's HONKIN'!" Dan said "Honey you can't say that out here." HAHAHA We totally their whole manly fishing thing. Sharra did great and fought it all the way in (it turned out to be the biggest of the day, about 29")

Now that the girls had caught the only fish in the boat the guys took on a more serious edge. THEY MUST CATCH SOME FISH. While they got to it Sharra and I , jobs accomplished, decided to take a little nap since the were no floating cappuccino bars around. then the giggles started and that was another thing 'you don't do' at the sacred fishing hole so the guys took us to shore and dropped us to "go get breakfast or shop(and stop embarrassing them, we really weren't that bad ) while they went back out for some more fish along with my brother Doug who also showed to catch 'the big one'.

Sharra and I drove around and finally stopped at a shop but neither of us had the energy to get out so we curled up on the front seats and took a nap until the guys called. Everyone of us got to fight a big salmon in to make our grand total of 4 salmon (Doug caught 3 also. gurr! ;). Sharra wouldn't touch her fish until it was nicely bagged. I got brave and did the whole hand in the gills thing but they are so slimy and nasty to feel, it was weird.

We rested up at our hotel then went out to the piers. It was Beautiful! It was everything I was wanting it to be. We walked out to the smaller lighthouse and watched the waves crash on the rocks. Then we found an adorable restaurant for supper. We ended the evening on the beach watching the sun set. Every part about it was great. I am so thankful for a cool brother and Sis-in-law to do fun and crazy things with. And most of all my awesome husband who made a horrible number turn into a perfect birthday.

Sunrise
Sharra catches a honkin' big fish.

Nap time
Sharra's fish

Katies 10th Birthday

Katie's 10th birthday cake

Katie hit the big 10 this year. She is growing up so fast. She is almost as tall as me. Her life is full of Polly Pockets, My Pets, and the Awesome new baby doll from Aunt Leah. She is turning into a little mother. She is working hard in school and competing in Jr. Convention in November for her 2nd year. She is a good little seamstress (whether she enjoys it or not haha). For her birthday we had about 12 kids crammed into our kitchen for some fishy snacks and cake, followed by a Babie friends movie and finally the grand finally of running across the wet, plastic wrapped hay bails which turned out to be the equivalent of a slip and slide. They had a blast.