We have been home in Minden now for about two weeks. It's such a big difference from New Orleans. We rode our bikes half way across town in 30 minutes. Our food options are much different--we have four Mexican restaurants in town, fast food joints, and a couple of pizza places. And some food is much different than what we are used to--we've even tried raccoon for the first (and last) time.  Jonathan has tried the world famous Strawn's pies and is getting to know Minden, Bossier, and Shreveport. We went sailing with dad last week and have made frequent trips to the Starbucks in Bossier for Bethany's lattes.

We miss our home, our church, and our friends, but we are enjoying our time here. We are staying busier than I imagined getting things ready for our big move and starting an ESL class here before we go. Mom's house is piled high with things left over from our apartment we haven't figured out what to do with yet. Each day those piles are getting smaller and smaller.

We just got back from spending a few days in Austin, TX saying good bye to Jonathan's brother, Justin, and now we're back in Minden for the rest of August.

Our ESL classes are scheduled to start on Tuesday, September 25. We're busy getting promotional materials ready, talking to people about the classes, recruiting volunteers, and planning lessons. Keep us in your prayers during this time. And if you're in Minden, feel free to volunteer with us!

We truly want to make the most of this time here. While visiting family is wonderful, we want to do something meaningful that will impact this town after we leave. We are hoping these English classes will do that.