CHE Training

There is nothing more refreshing on a hot afternoon then a cold drink of water, or in my case a Mountain Dew.  This past week (mid June) I have been drinking from a fire hose.  Not literally, that would hurt a lot.  I have been taking a Trainer of Trainers seminar for the CHE program.  This is the Community Health Education program that our Mongolian friends want us to help them with in ByonHunger.  The training was pretty intense but very practical for what we want to do in Mongolia.  Here are some pictures of the training.

    This is the whole group.

 

   2 cool guys from Modesto CA.

 

   Of course you can't have a seminar without the coffee breaks!!

 

One of the things I really appreciated with this training is the highly participatory element in the training.  I also like the fact that I do not own the program but the Mongolian's own it from the beginning.  CHE is a development approach that uses local resources to meet local needs.  The focus is on prevention and teaching at the family level.  It will be a slow start and a lot of community meetings but eventually the Mongolian people will be able to identify and meet most of their own needs.  We can't wait to get back and start doing the work.

Apartment walk through with Midnight

Here is a video of our apartment in Mongolia, it took me awhile to figure out how to put this on here.

More pics of Mikayla

Enjoy She is the best baby ever!!

 

  

 

  

 

  

Mikayla is Here!!!

The Facts:

 

April 28 2008 at 2:53am (yes that says AM!!)

Girl - Mikayla Anne Spence

6lb. 11 oz

19.5 inches long

Full head of Blond hair (Daddy's yes at one time I did have hair), almond shaped eyes (Mommy's), extremely cute.

 

The Story

 

9 months ago ... skip ahead ... Saturday April 26 Shauna started having minor contractions while we were in South Bend watching our Brother-in-Law coach a  Lacrosse game. (He won!)  We returned to Fort Wayne and Sunday morning we did all we could think of to keep our mind off the contractions.  After lunch at Panara Bread we timed the contractions and went to the hospital.  Shauna was having some back pain and once she was 3 cm dilated they admitted her into the hospital.  After the epideral we thought we would have a decent night's sleep until 5 am.  After laying down for 1 hour the nurse came in and said it was time to call the doctor.  Mikayla was "sunny-side up" meaning she was facing up not down, thus Shauna's back pain.  The doctor was able to turn her and once she was turned she came right out.  Shauna would probably say with lots of hard work and pushing but hey she had the epideral, remember.  She is a very good baby, pretty quiet, great eater, fast learner pretty much her father's daughter :-)

 

The Picture's

 

  

 

 

 

We thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Mikayla's Shower's

There are some great things about being gone from friends and family for 2 years.  When you get back everyone is excited and wants to see you.  Especially when your having your first daughter.  We have been extremely blessed with gifts for Mikayla.  Mikayla has had 3 showers and will be the best dressed little girl in Mongolia!  Here are a few pictures from one of those showers.  (We now have a lot of boxes to send ahead of us full of baby stuff.) 

 

 

 

 

Thank you all for your gifts and more importantly your prayers for Mikayla.  Shauna and Mikayla are doing very well.

It's a Girl

We had our first doctor's appointment in Fort Wayne and the doctor took a quick sonogram and we are having a girl !!!  He saw a few lines and declared with 95% accuracy that ITS A GIRL!  Her name is Mikayla Anne Spence, she is "scheduled" to arrive on May 1st. 

 

Shauna is doing well and growing bigger with Mikayla.  Our mothers are having fun shopping and buying lots of cute girly outfits. 

 

Thank you very much for all your prayers; we praise God for growing our family.

Home Assignment Schedule

Below is our schedule for our time in the US.  Most of our weekends are full but if we are in your area we would enjoy getting together throughout the week.  You can contact us through email or call us at 260-341-1962.

 

January

Arrived Jan 29th.  We left Soul, Korea at 11:40am and landed 2 hours before that at 9:00am the same morning. 

February

February 3rd      - Monroeville, IN

February 10th    - Decatur, IL

February 12 - 26 Western Loop Trip

Feb. 13 (Wed) - Hillside MC, IA

Feb. 15-17       - Portland, OR

Feb. 18            - Nevada

Feb 20 - 23       - Oklahoma (Aunt Lisa here we come!!)

Feb 24             - NW Arkansas then over to Little Rock

Feb 26th Home just in time for Shauna's doctor's appointment.

 

March

March 2nd   - Celina, OH (morn)

                   - Berne IN (eve)

March 5 - 14 Southern Trip

March 6-8   - ECHO in N. Ft. Myers, FL

March 9th  - Faith AoG (lunch with friends)

March 13    - Louisville, KY (dinner with friends)

 

March 16    - Dunfee, IN

March 23    - Easter in IN

March 30    - Port Huron, MI

 

April

April 6     - Victoria, IL

April 13   - Southern IL (?) Peoria IL (?)

April 20   - Van Wert, OH

April 27  getting real close to the time God will add a new, exciting, major responsibility to our lives !!

 

May

May 4     - Our new Baby should be breathing on his/her own.

May 11   - Mothers Day (IN)

May 18   -

May 25   -

 

June

June 1    - Goveland, IL

June 8    - Manito, IL

June 15 - 21  Jeff has a Training in Portland, OR on Community Whole Health Development

June 22   -

June 29   -

 

July

July 1-7   - Last time in IL  (VACATION TIME)

July 14    - Fly back home to Byon-Hunger