Young Love

It all started here a little over 8 years ago:

Jake and I both lived in the Larch dorms on the Iowa State campus our freshman year. Our first semester we literally kept running into each other everywhere….in the elevator, on the bus, in the cafeteria, at the rec, and on the stairs after English class in the commons. Since we kept seeing eachother everywhere we finally said ‘hi’ one day in the elevator. Then after English class one morning I saw him asleep on the couch in the commons so I woke him up so that he wouldn’t be late to his English class which started right after mine. Then each day we talked a little more and a little more. By our second semester we were dating. The one thing I will always remember about Jake from when I first met him was how outgoing he was….and his ADORABLE Minnesota accent….he would always say ‘hey babe, hOw yOu dOin!’….he called me babe even before we were friends! I remember his big brown eyes, his baggy sweat pants, and how he talked to me so easily….even though he barely knew me….he always knew just what to say, and was so nice. I always thought for a guy with a shaved head and tattoos, he sure was a big teddy bear on the inside! Now fast forward through 3 ½ years of dating in college, then wedding day, a few more years, and a few kids, to tomorrow when Jake and I will be married 5 years!!!!!!! I have SO MANY memories of us being together over the past 8 ½ years, like…..

When he wrote me love letters almost every day when we first started dating (I saved them all and will give them to Jayla someday….there are about 75 of them….each over a page long….I told you he was a teddy bear!)

When we used to go to the hotel with his parents after his ISU games. We would sit and talk basketball for endless hours with his parents, and eventually I would get all curled up in a blanket and fall asleep on the couch until we had to go back to the dorms.

When there was a mouse in our apartment and Jake immediately ran to the bedroom and shoved a towel under the crack in the door (this was the day I found out he was afraid of mice). He left me out in the kitchen and talked to me through the door. Good thing Mr. Mernes (our cat) knew what to do!

When we went to my cousin’s wedding out in California. One day my aunt & uncle let us borrow their Mercedes Benz and we decided to take that day to drive all along the Northern coast….making stops at Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay….I will never forget that day and how wonderful it felt to breathe in the ocean and see the beautiful land….not to mention the tasty little Italian restaurant we found along the way!

Jake’s family teaching me to play croquet and my family teaching Jake how to play rummy…..and all the times I’ve beat him at rummy!

When we dove for seashells on the catamaran cruise and Jake found the biggest one. As he swam back to the boat and climbed up the ladder, he slipped and fell and crashed into the lady right behind him….and he dropped his prized shell….and all bragging rights!

How over the years I’ve converted Jake to a crazy country music fan, made him try potstickers at King Buffet, got him to hop on a horse, and best of all….introduced him to roller coasters!

When we finally bought my beloved 8 foot palm tree at Hobby Lobby (that I had my eye on for about 1 year) and then had to get it home….in Jake’s bright yellow sunfire…the only way it would fit was poked through the top of his sun roof….so we drove down Duff avenue with a giant palm tree coming out the top of his car.

All the times I’ve gotten to hear Jake speak at youth groups and FCA gatherings….and watching how good of a speaker he has become.

When JJ was a baby and we were driving in the car and Jake asked me, “When will he be old enough that we can hand back some chicken nuggets and fries and he can just eat them?”

It’s so fun to look back on our memories. One thing I’ve learned in our first 5 years of marriage is that when you get married, the other person kind of becomes a mirror for you. All of a sudden you get to see yourself for who you really are…through another person’s eyes. It just happens over time. There is no other human relationship that is as intimate and intricate and thought provoking and life changing as a marriage. I love looking back at where our relationship started, and walking through the times of how God has changed Jake and I from two people who’s paths met, to two people who are on the same path, headed in the same direction, with the same morals and values and same perspective. We certainly started off our marriage as two separate people, but God has chipped away at that, and has taught us how to become two people who compliment each other….and He is still teaching us. We get to see each other’s innermost selves exposed…the ugliness and the prettiness, the flaws and the virtues, the pain and the joys, the silliness and the seriousness, the strengths and the weaknesses, our confidences and our vulnerabilities. My marriage has been a mirror to my character, that’s what I have learned these first 5 years.

On our wedding day Jake and I danced to the song Young Love by The Judds. It was such a fitting song that day, and it still is. Cheers to 5 young years and many, many more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Have a Good Teacher

Guess what?
It’s not about me!

This is one thing I feel like God is teaching me throughout our adoption journey. When I first felt that God had put adoption on our hearts, my initial thoughts went something like this:

How will we be able to add on another child when we already have 2 little ones?

How will we afford this?

Can I really love a child that is not from my own flesh and blood?

What if we adopt a child that isn’t a good fit for our family?

Etc. Etc.

When we found out Solomon would be staying with his parents, my underlying thoughts centered around this:

Oh no. How could this happen to us? This stinks.

So, you can see what my self-centered perspective has been like. The eye opener came for me a few weeks back when I read through the blog of our social worker’s trip to Ghana. This part struck me:

During church there was a mother who stood up in front of the congregation where she spoke, sang and prayed in behalf of her baby boy. Through translation I understood her to say she wanted a better life for her baby boy who's first birthday was on this day. I watched as she spoke about her great love for her son and the opportunity that lies ahead him. She asked for him to be watched over and blessed. After the service I was introduced to this mother----and found out her son's name is Samuel. He is being adopted by a family who I have become close to over the past year and he should be arriving to his forever home here in the DSM area in the next 2-3 months. =)

Reading that excerpt was quite the solemn reminder that on the other side of the world, there are families who have to give up their children just to survive. It’s unimaginable. Unthinkable. Heart wrenching. I've slowly gotten away from remembering this.

Then a few weeks after reading that I was sitting in a gym in Minneapolis at one of Jake’s tournaments. I began chatting with one of the player’s mom’s and she was asking me how the adoption process was going. I explained to her what had happened with Solomon and she began telling me her adoption story. This mom had herself been adopted from Korea when she was an infant. However, her adoptive parents had originally been adopting a different child to start. A few days before they were to leave for Korea to pick up their child, the child they were supposed to adopt died suddenly from pneumonia. So, because of that, this mom was instead the infant that the family ended up adopting. As she ended the story she said how she felt so blessed that it was meant to be for her to be adopted by this family. She said who knows where she would be now, if the first child they were supposed to adopt had worked out. Hearing the sincerity in her voice brought me to tears, and again I felt God reminding me to take the focus off of myself in this process.

I believe God brought us to Solomon and his family initially for many reasons, and I now can’t help but be sure that one of them was to begin teaching me about self-lessness…….that this is not about me, us, our family, blah, blah, blah. But, it is about what is best for the child who is trying to survive in despairing situations. It’s about leaning on God for understanding, strength, guidance, and certainty in an uncertain journey. It’s about obeying God’s voice. It’s about gaining a global perspective that there is a big old world out there with people in need, emotionally – physically – and spiritually. It’s about learning to have compassion, and seeing people the way God sees them. It’s about teaching people how to escape the poverty cycle. It’s about embracing differences, learning about another culture, and accepting how things are done, even if it’s not the way I would do them. Yes, I can think about a lot of other things that this journey is about then just me. Thank you, God, for teaching me this.

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Eye for an Eye?

Have you ever been so angry with someone about something that on the inside you feel like you will burst if you don’t give them a piece of your mind? Have you ever wanted to give someone the cold shoulder because they stabbed you in the back, treated you unfairly, slandered your name, or turned their back on you after all you’ve done for them? Chances are you may have felt this way, and I certainly have too. Lately I have been thinking a lot about this verse:

Romans 12:18-21 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Justice is often the cry of my heart. When someone wrongs me my selfishness wants to dish it right back to them. But, God calls us to a higher standard. In the verses above God clearly says don’t seek out revenge; don't retaliate. In my heart that translates to don’t be mean, don’t think up entire conversations of what I really want to say, and don’t wish that things would turn out badly for the person who has wronged me. In Matthew 5: 44 Jesus even tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Pray for them, love them, be kind and hospitable to them. Now I know where my Grandma gets the saying ‘kill ‘em with kindness’. This is so hard, but it helps to remember that doing this doesn’t mean we are making little of the offense or letting ourselves be walked all over; rather, it shows a choice to forgive the person, in spite of how we have been treated by them.

I am thankful for the peace in knowing that the Lord is just …he will settle the scores in His own way and in His own time.

Just thinking out loud and reminding myself of the wisdom found in these verses, and the challenge they present to be a peacemaker.

Thanks Chicago!

Well, Key Lime Cove in Chicago turned out to be quite the perfect place for a little mini vacation for us! We were there for a tournament with some of Jake’s younger teams, but we still had plenty of time to play! The pictures on the resort website did not even come close to showing how great this place is! First of all, the hotel was huge…..the only thing I can really compare it to is what the hotels in Las Vegas are like. Each room was decorated like a tropical getaway, and the main walkways were decorated like streets. So, as you walked down them you felt like you were outside. The hotel had tons of little surf shops inside as well as restaurants, a place to get your picture taken with parrots, an art area for kids, dance parties, artists that could draw personalized pictures with your name or they could draw a picture of you, full blown arcade, not to mention the awesome indoor waterpark. Holy cow, it was huge…..tons of little slides for the kids, wave pool, lazy river, 2 mini body slides and 2 huge body slides, and 3 tube slides including one with a funnel!

The night before we left we found out that Nana Yaw’s mom had never let him go swimming….ever! Apparently in Ghana there have been quite a few people who have drowned in the river that runs through the country….so water carries a negative connotation there. So, Nana Yaw had never been in a pool, let alone down a waterslide! So, for our first day at the waterpark we had him start off on one of the mini body slides. He smiled all the way up the stairs….and once he was down the slide he had the biggest smile on his face that I had ever seen. It was pretty neat being with him during his first experience in the water! After that he and Jake and Coach Julian went down every single slide about a million times. JJ, Jayla and Nyla LOVED the water, especially the wave pool and mini slides. I couldn’t believe how fascinated Jayla was with the water….she was not scared of it at all! She splashed and splashed and splashed and giggled the entire time! Here are some pictures of our getaway:

Hangin in the kiddie pool

Here I come Yaw!

Buds

Here's Yaw waiting in line to go down his first waterslide. Of course I took a picture as he went down but it didn't turn out!

Hanging in Yaw's room

It's a party at the gym!

Watching the game...notice JJ is sitting with his hands just like Yaw. :)

Best seat in the house

Headed to the Nike Outlet!

Jake's Thought for the Week

Each Monday I will be posting Jake's Thought for the Week which he sends out to all the parents of the players in his All Iowa Attack program.

Galatians 1:10 – "For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ."

I think all of us struggle in one way or another with seeking approval from others and ultimately that approval or lack of approval determines the type of day or week we may have. Sometimes our desire of approval from others will affect our performance and holds us back from accomplishing our dreams and goals. What if people think I am a failure? What if the coach does not like me? What if people think I am not good enough? What do these college coaches think of me? Why doesn’t this person see how hard I am working? Probably like many of you I struggle with these things on a weekly basis. This week I came across an article by Pastor John Ortberg about approval addiction and I took an excerpt from it to share for the Thought of the week:

"THE APPROVAL ADDICTION”
By: Pastor John Ortberg

Sociologist George Herbert Meade wrote about the "generalized other," the mental representation we carry inside ourselves of that group of people in whose judgment we measure our success or failure. Our sense of esteem and worth is largely wrapped up in their appraisal of our work:

Your generalized other is a composite of all the Siskels and Eberts in your life whose thumbs up or thumbs down carries, for you, emotional weight. This may include parents, seminary professors, key lay leaders, or others. My guess is that most of us have the same set of ego issues as people in any other professions. We just have a different way of keeping score. When my identity is wrapped up in whether I am perceived as successful, I am set up for the approval addiction, for it is my very sense of self that is on the line.

"Who am I?" Henri Nouwen asks. "I am the one who is liked, praised, admired, disliked, hated, or despised. Whether I am a pianist, a businessman, or a minister, what matters is how I am perceived by my world."

And when my drug of choice is withheld, I respond with the same anger as any other addict: Don't these people know I have the best interests of the church at heart? Don't they know I could have gone into some other profession and made lots more money? It's as if I'm entitled to universal trust and consideration. Nouwen goes on to write:

Anger in particular seems close to a professional vice in positions of leadership. Leaders are angry at their leaders for not leading and at their followers for not following. They are angry at those who do not come on a regular basis, and angry at those who do come for coming without enthusiasm.

They are angry at their families, who make them feel guilty, and angry at themselves for not being who they want to be. This is not an open, blatant, roaring anger, but an anger hidden behind the smooth word, the smiling face, and the polite handshake. It is a frozen anger, an anger which settles into a biting resentment and slowly paralyzes a generous heart.

If there is anything that makes the ministry look grim and dull, it is this dark, insidious anger in the servants of Christ.

Wherever it comes from, whenever my craving for approval makes itself known, I'd better pay attention.

One Sunday morning, as I was greeting people at the door, a visitor handed me his card.

"I usually attend Hollywood Presbyterian," he said. "But we're visiting here today. Give me a call sometime."

I looked down at his card—"Speech Instructor."

Hollywood Presbyterian is the home of Lloyd Ogilvie. Lloyd Ogilvie is perfect. His hair is perfect, his robe is perfect, his smile is perfect, but above all, his voice is perfect. Deep as the ocean, rich and resonant, Lloyd Ogilvie sounds like what I expect God will sound like on a really good day. Next to his voice, mine sounds like I'm in perpetual adolescence. It's difficult to feel prophetic when you hear yourself chirping like Mickey Mouse: "Okay, now, let's repent."

When I catch myself comparing myself to others or thinking, I could be happy if only I had what they have, then I know I need to withdraw for a while and listen for another voice. Away from the winds, earthquakes, and fires of human recognition, I can again hear the still, small voice, posing the question it always asks of self-absorbed people: What are you doing here? I reply by whining about some of my own problems and failures. And the voice gently reminds me, as it has reminded thousands of Elijahs before me, that I am only a small part of a much larger movement, and at the end of the day there is only one King whose approval will matter. The voice also whispers, Do not despise your place, your gifts, your voice, for you cannot have another's, and it would not fulfill you if you could.

Go Attack,
Jake Sullivan

Who Needs A Weekend Getaway?

i do. I do. I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Key Lime Cove

Indoor Waterpark Resort & Spa

HERE COME THE SULLIVANS!

Doesn't it look like fun?!?!?!?!?!

www.keylimecove.com

JJ & Nyla

We were coming home from Big Creek the other day after spending the afternoon with our friend Stacy and her 2 little ones, Nyla & lil J.J. Out of the blue on the drive home our JJ said to me, “Mommy, Nyla my friend.” He said it so sincerely and sweetly that it brought tears to my eyes. We had just come from the beach where JJ & Nyla built sand castles, then played at the park, and then at the last minute on the way to the car they got distracted in a field of dandelions. All of a sudden they were running around picking dandelions, chasing after one another and rolling down the hills. Even though we were supposed to be leaving, Stacy and I stopped and she grabbed her camera and we watched those two have the time of their lives in a field of weeds. As we sat there watching them roll down the hill I thought, this is such a beautiful picture of childhood…..not a toy around, not a care in the world, just running through a field laughing and giggling with huge smiles on their faces. I think we sat there for at least 20 minutes just watching them. After that day I realized that the beauty of friendship is that it just happens....it can't be forced. These two have been together so much over the past couple months, and as the days have added up, they have developed a very strong bond. JJ gets along with almost every child his age, but he doesn’t play and interact with his other friends the way he does with Nyla. There is something about her that he has just really become attached to. He would do anything to make her laugh, and when I see those two get the giggles it reminds me of my first childhood friend Tracee. We met in first grade and we were attached to eachother for many years after. The thing I always remember about Tracee is how we would get the giggles and then couldn’t stop laughing. When I see JJ and Nyla together it reminds me so much of my own childhood. I can’t quite put my finger on what makes their friendship so special, but I think it is that they just ‘get’ eachother. Now that's what friends are made for!

"What is a friend? I will tell you...it is someone with whom you dare to be yourself."

~ Frank Crane

Happy Birthday Jayla Joy!

Jayla turns the big #1 TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep, 1 year ago today she was born at 2:17pm, and weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 oz!!!!
Some things I remember from that day were playing the card game ‘rummy’ with Jake while we waited for my contractions to get rolling and then waiting too long to get my epidural…so long that I got it about 10 minutes before my labor was OVER and I felt everything. I remember Jake saying, ‘oh, if Eve just wouldn’t have eaten that apple’…yes he said that right during ‘go time’ and he made all the nurses laugh but I am sure you guessed that I wasn’t laughing! I also remember that once Jayla was born I couldn’t believe how dark her eyes were, and how chunky her thighs were! It was the complete opposite of what JJ looked like when he was born.

Then, I will never forget what happened when we brought her home. We walked in the door and JJ came walking down the hallway to meet us. But, when he saw Jake carrying Jayla in the carseat he tipped over upside down and screamed at the top of his lungs….and he cried and cried. I think he thought Jayla would be spending her life at the hospital and not actually be coming home to join our family. Oh boy, once I saw his reaction I started crying, then my mom started crying, and I felt so bad for him. Thankfully, as everyone told me, those mommy guilty feelings, and big brother jealousy feelings subsided over time, and now we can’t even remember what life was like without our sweety girl!

We celebrated Jayla’s birthday a little early this past Sunday so that we could have some family and friends over for a BBQ and some cake and ice cream! Here are some pictures from the party:

The cake...made with love by Grandma Lori

The Dress

My first guest...Great Grandma

JJ waits for the rain to stop. He's got lots of playing to do once our friends get here.

Oh look, Jerzey Dawn came to celebrate! She got home from Jerusalem just in time for my party! Jerzey's mommy was good friends with my mommy in college, and our daddys played basketball together at ISU.

Would you dare take this bunch shopping?

Flashback 1 year ago....AHHHHH look at those bellies!

Time to open presents! JJ will help me.

JJ got me a tinkerbell phone. He picked it out all by himself.

Mommy & Daddy got me a doll that eats, cries, laughs and coos.

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.

Sure, I'll taste it.

I'm done now.

In my princess jammies and ready for bed. What a great party!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAYLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

My version

Before I was a Mom….

I never knew how to get permanent marker off a kitchen countertop,

and it never crossed my mind to take up stock in Little Tikes,

and I didn’t know how good a nap could really feel.


Before I was a Mom….

I never wondered if I would see the brown horse out on my walk,

And I didn’t know that my strength training would include pushing a double stroller,

And I didn’t know how cute little 2 year old freckles looked on a little 2 year old nose.


Before I was a Mom….

I didn’t know how much babies loved to swing,

And I never schemed and plotted to find the easiest way to paint baby toenails,

And I never noticed how many kids had treasured blankies.
Before I was a Mom….

I never owned a purse big enough to fit a basketball,

And I had never put ‘take a shower’ on my to do list for the day,

And I never got distracted in the store aisles filled with little girl dresses.


Before I was a Mom…..

I never loved the phrase ‘Watch me Mommy!,

And I had never made a travel packing list for each member of the family,

And I never thought I would say, “No, you cannot have macaroni & cheese for breakfast.”


Before I was a Mom I never got teary-eyed watching siblings play,

And I never was so thankful for such a good husband who is such a good dad,

And I never knew how peaceful it was to hold a sleeping baby in my arms.

Before I was a Mom I had never prayed so hard, laughed so hard, and loved so hard.


Before I was a Mom I had never looked so intently at my own inward character.


Before I was a Mom I had never wanted so much for someone so little.


And, I certainly didn’t know how fast time really went, before I was a Mom.

Jake's Thought for the Week

Each Monday I will be posting Jake's Thought for the Week which he sends out to all the parents of the players in his All Iowa Attack program.

Thought for the Week:
Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

This past week has been the most difficult week for me personally since starting the Attack program five years ago. On Tuesday I received an email from an individual who had decided to quit the Attack program after four years for various reasons that will remain between us. I have had the opportunity to see this young man grow so much over the past four years as he began accomplishing things he only dreamed of as a 7th-8th grader. He meant as much to me as any kid I have ever had in the program and because of the crazy world we live in has decided to leave the program.

Then yesterday an individual I would have considered my best friend just 6 months ago decided to pull his sons from the program.

The reason I share all of this with you is not because I want someone to feel bad for me or be concerned about the program. We have nearly 300 kids who have dreams that are big and love being a part of something that will challenge them on and off the basketball court. Instead I share this with will all of you because I wanted to use the Thought of The Week to let everyone know how much I and all of the coaches associated with the program care about your son or daughter. We are going to continue to push your son and daughter to accomplish things that they thought were only a distant dream and could never really be accomplished. We are going to challenge them to make that dream become a reality. Dreams are only dreams if there is not someone there to say that it is possible. However, dreams are not made reality without days of questioning, days of failure, and days of tears. The situation your son or daughter may be put into will not always be comfortable and will not always make sense. The only thing that you can be certain of is that we care about your child more than any series of words can display. Every decision we make for the direction of the Attack program and vision for Kingdom Hoops is made with what is best for your son or daughter. Each week we ask that the players in the Attack program give a little more than what they feel comfortable giving and I will continue to ask the same from myself and the other coaches. We will make mistakes, screw up schedules, put players in the wrong situations, say some wrong things, and even make some bad decisions during the games.

No matter how many mistakes we make or how much you wonder about the direction of the program let us assure you we care about your child more than you will ever know. We will continue to do things contrary to the standards and requirements of this world. We will coach and expect the best out of every kid and we will continue to use the game of basketball to impact lives and increase the platform that we have been given by God.

We will win some games and lose some games. We will succeed and we will fail. There will be some highs and some lows. One weekend we may be considered a great coach and the next we may be the worst coach around. There will be days you do not understand why and days where everything seems so clear. There is so much that can fall on one end of the spectrum or the other, but the one thing you can always be sure of as we continue this journey together is how much we care for your son and daughter, and how hard we are going to push them to accomplish things they only dreamed would be possible.

Go Attack!
Jake

Nana Yaw Update

Well, Nana Yaw finally gets to play in his first ‘home’ tournament this weekend as All Iowa Attack hosts the USSSA Midwest Festival of Teams at the Ankeny facility! Nana Yaw has endured quite a grueling travel schedule over the past couple of weeks. So far he has been to Wisconsin, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kansas, and Minnesota for tournaments. Yowza!

I think I’ve mentioned on here before that Nana Yaw is applying for a student visa. Currently he is visiting the U.S. on a type of visitor’s visa. Originally when he came here Nana Yaw did not intend to do any sort of schooling here, in fact he has already graduated from highschool in Ghana. However, since coming, an opportunity has presented itself for Nana Yaw to attend Des Moines Christian High School for 1 year. Jake’s Kingdom Hoops Foundation will offer Nana Yaw a scholarship to attend school and will also cover his living expenses while he is here. Jake is currently working on setting up an international hosting program to offer this sort of opportunity to others like Nana Yaw….Jake has had so many other kids contact him that would like to come to the U.S. Of course there are lots of restrictions, criteria, and legal things that have to be worked out to start this up, and you guessed it, Jake is on it! He has hired lawyers that specialize in this sort of thing, and I am sure it won’t be too long before I am writing a post with details about how YOU can host an international student in your home! :) Trust me, we alone do not have enough rooms in our house for all the people that Jake wants to help! :) The great thing is that there have also been a few corporations that have stepped in to donate to the Kingdom Hoops Foundation soley for the purpose of their money going towards the hosting program. It would be great if the Kingdom Hoops Foundation could cover all living expenses for the students so that finances would not be a limitation to those who want to host a student. Jake is also working with another private school in the Des Moines area that has proposed to accept students that would come to the U.S. through this hosting program. So, great things are happening in developing a hosting program and I will have to keep you updated.

Anyways, back to Nana Yaw….so, we are still filling out paperwork for the student visa, and then we will be waiting on his final approval for the visa. Of course we know firsthand that nothing is set in stone until we have his approval, but it certainly is exciting to think about! Nana Yaw will be attending team camp with the Des Moines Christian team in June to get his feet wet and get some experience with the team that he would be playing on come fall. I can’t even imagine how much fun it will be to get to go to his highschool games this winter….I think I might actually look forward to winter then!

So, that’s the scoop! If you will be in the Ankeny area this weekend think about stopping by the Kingdom Hoops facility and taking in a few games! You will find the schedule for the tournament at http://www.alliowaattack.com/ Once there click on ‘parent’, then ‘hosted events’, then USSSA Midwest Festival of Teams. Then scroll down and click on ‘schedule’ which is in blue at the bottom. Here you will find a playing schedule for all the teams. Nana Yaw’s team will be listed on the 17U/11th grade boys schedule and he is on All Iowa Attack Black.

Big Bro, Lil Sis

There's a "miracle" called Friendship,

That dwells within the heart,

And you don't know how it happens,

Or when it gets its start,

But the happiness it brings you

Always gives a special lift,

And you realize that friendship. . .

Is God's very precious gift!