March 12, 2011

We have been busy—but good busy. Kevin has a good job with the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) at the Dayton Veteran’s Association Medical Center. As a service officer, he helps fellow veterans complete and follow up on paper work for claims and such. He really does a good job at it.

I have been teaching at Xenia Christian High School. Last year I taught Spanish at the Xenia Nazarene Christian school in Spanish, but I needed a fulltime job, and Nazarene did not have anything to offer. So now I work at a nearby, larger Christian school working with kids who need tutoring and intervention services. I would never have picked it out myself, but the Lord knew what I needed and He got me the spot via a friend who I’ve worked with in master’s courses at Cedarville University these past few summers. It’s a good fit and I’m learning loads.

Sean is in Afghanistan, while Christina and baby are in Clarksville, TN, at Fort Campbell. Just after Sean was deployed, Christina found a good church that she likes—a Christian Missionary and Alliance church. Plus she has joined a group of women who exercise together, and that helps her along. Please pray for her. I’m sure it’ll be a long year for her.

Katy attends a local college. She’s in her second year and just got a letter stating that she is the top scholar in her class. She will have an award ceremony –along with other honorees—in April. She studies secondary education and literature.

Colleen is a senior and Tara is a junior—both at the school where I teach. Next year will be the last year that my kids tag along to work with me. Man, I’ll miss that. I better enjoy every minute of these last two years. Colleen looks forward to being done, and she’ll probably go on to study teaching like Katy. Tara’s not sure what she’ll do yet, but she’s a good student, and I am sure she will do well in college.

Colleen just began a relationship with a young man in our church. His name is Ben, and we’ll see how this goes.

Both the “little” girls did cheerleading over the winter, and now life has slowed down as that is over. Now Colleen has to focus on getting a job and getting into college. Tara needs to focus on getting her driver’s license and maybe getting a summer job.

At church, Kevin and I are on the missions committee (can’t imagine why they asked us J), and I sing in the choir. I also play the piano for two singing groups at school. I had asked the Lord to find me a place to use the piano playing again, and about a week later, the choir director at school asked if I would help. I love it.

This summer I will take another missions trip to Chile to help work on organizing a Christian school library. The group of library ladies with whom I’ve worked were supposed to go to Cameroon, Africa, to do something similar, but that trip fell through. I prefer going to Spanish-speaking places anyway.

Mid-January 2011

Basketball has been a big part of life these days....

The "little girls" are cheerleaders for Xenia Christian, so Kevin and I try to get to as many of those games as possible. I've recently been trying to go to Kevin wheelchair basketball tournaments whenever possible—and they usually cover a whole weekend in various places (Wright State, Detroit, Louisville, Cleveland, etc.—of those, I’m just doing the first two) 

Everyone’s good. The master’s work is very slow. Hard to get interviews. 

Kevin just got a job down at the VA medical center, working as a service officer for the DAV (Disabled American Veterans). It really seems to be a God-provided fit: he helps veteran’s with the paperwork that he’s been doing for himself these past 20-plus years. Plus he is able to go to all his doctor appointments there without a problem. So far (two weeks), so good.

Yes, I have today off, but I have to do some returns at the Fairfield Commons area, and I have to do some teaching prep. January is a very busy month at XCS; they do a J-Term block scheduling, so the classes I teach are totally different—more challenging and a lot more grading and prep. But I like it.

Galen has celebrated his first birthday. Both the Stanfields and Kevin and I had the privilege of attending.

Sean leaves for Afghanistan in early February. The Lord answered this prayer regarding a mature, reliable roommate, so we are grateful for that. Please pray for Christina as she will be “alone” with toddler Galen for a year.  We’re going to go down to see them at the end of January. 

December 2010

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; 

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me.

Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

          Psalm 16:6-8 

Living 'tween cornfields in quaint village style,

My work is no longer as close as a mile.

  But so thankful we are for the job God provide

  From Tia so flows love and joy from inside.

  She teaches and tutors and listens and plans

  to find just the fit for where each student stands.

Kevin's health program still demands and still steers
toward nurses and doctors and biomedical engineers.
Again, we are thankful for the wealth of the care
That to many veterans the VA offers a share.
                                    Kevin waits and watches for just that thing
                                    That to his community God wants him to bring.

Son Sean lives away with Christina and son;
To visit them now takes a five-hour run.
But they're doing quite well, in spite of the plan
That Sean will soon have to go to Afghanistan.

Katy works double--she has college and a job
Both are a blessing, she loves what she does.
To her friends she bestows lots of love, hugs and more,
And weekly she leads them in a study from the Word.

Colleen and Tara switched schools with their mom

And again in this gym they each reach for a pom

At basketball games they plan a great cheer

Not so much for the homework that comes with the year.

While Tara continues studying violin songs
Colleen works on photography all weekend long
Tara dabbles in Irving and art's fine line,
While Colleen relishes MacBeth and other design.
At church, they help with the two's and the three's
And at the end of the day, they take happy "zzzz's."

     So like in years past, when our kids were quite small,
Or even when children we had none at all,
Or like recent times, all growing up together,
This year, too, our prayers with you gather.
As God guides us and blesses, no matter what we see,
We pray the same for you and yours--in His will to be.

   With faith in Him,  

    Kevin and Tia

Ps&Ps September 2010

Dear Friends,

As our official time with ABWE runs to an end, we are sad and excited at the same time. The sad because it is a type of “goodbye,” and excited because we look forward to God’s next adventure in ministry for us. And even though we will no longer be in that one spot that He had for us before, we have been so blessed by that experience—and that blessing never goes away. –He blessed us through our team families, through our Paraguayan and Costa Rican coworkers and friends, through the preaching and teaching and directing that He taught us and worked through. What a treasure! And we know that God gives those treasures of work/ministry experiences no matter what country we are in—any and all of His workers can expect it if they are looking for His place for them.

In particular, we are excited already about a few possibilities. We praise the Lord that just over this past weekend, He led in a special way to provide a full-time employment for Tia at a Christian school not too far away. It was not exactly what she was looking for, but once again, God had a surprise for her in ministry—and she has already begun.

Praise, too, as all our belongings from Costa Rica arrived safe and sound this Labor Day weekend--so we labored. The 67 boxes are certainly not all yet unpacked, but some are, and the rest have been stored around the inside edges of the garage. 

Please continue to pray for Kevin. He has had some difficulties again with his prosthesis this week (two weeks ago the bioengineers/doctors worked on the same problem), which causes pain and sometimes sores. We are waiting on the Lord, too, for Him to show us just the right ministry/job for Kevin. He has his application in several places, and one particular position interests him.

Pray for the three girls, please. Katy has started her second year in college, and still has an excellent job taking care of a home-bound lady with Downs Syndrome and other serious disabilities.

Colleen and Tara will be coming to school with Mom, so they have a new school year ahead in more than one way. 

The last weeks before school started, Colleen, Tara and Tia have been busy helping with our church’s kindergarten readiness program. Each pre-kinder student has their own teacher all morning to help with readiness skills. A very well developed program!

Galen at 8 mos.

Sean with JoAnne Kendall

Sean just finished up his army training on September 2, so we have all enjoyed a great time this past week visiting with him again (the first time since early July and the second time since April, and the third time since February)--but probably not as much as Christina has. She and Galen are doing very well. Sean will be here three weeks and then be stationed down at Fort Campbell, KY.

We recently had a visit from Tia’s sister Shelly, with all her family. That was a terrific opportunity to visit. And right after that, a nephew of Kevin’s got married out in NJ, so we traveled out there and were able to visit with most of his siblings and his mother.

Tia’s almost finished with her masters—she just has the research project to do, and she has a good start on that. Please pray for diligence and time.

With faith in Him,

Kevin and Tia Reilly

Praises and Prayer Requests (Ps&Ps) August 2010

• PRAISE for: 
• Colleen's safe and profitable mission trip to Costa Rica -- more info and pictures here.
•  The first steps of getting our belongings from Costa Rica to Ohio is done--the items are packed up by professional movers, supervised by fellow ABWE missionary Cam Woolford, to whom we are most grateful.
• All the items we are not bringing were sold to coworkers in a short amount of time.
• Our home in Costa Rica is sold to another family in the ministry--we are very pleased with that--it's a great home for fellowship and get-togethers.

• PRAYER please: 
• that this transition time continues to go smoothly, and that we see clearly what the Lord wants us to do next.
• for safety in the coming weekend to travel to a wedding in New Jersey.
• for the girls and Tia as they work with our church kindergarten readiness program.

We're enjoying visits this week from Katy's friends from Costa Rica and Honduras, and then Tia's sister and family. We continue to be involved with volunteer work, with appointments at the Veteran's medical center, spending time with our girls and grandbaby.... and with looking for employment where we can continue to carry on the work of the Kingdom.

With faith in Him,

Kevin and Tia