Five Years

Today marks our fifth wedding anniversary. Wow. Has it really been five years? (Look at the picture and you'll see that it has.) At the same time, it's pretty hard to remember when we weren't together.

It was a VERY hot day in Wilmore when we walked over to Estes Chapel and said our vows in front of friends and family. (So hot that the balloons sagged along the sidewalk.)

It has been a good five years that we wouldn't trade for anything. God has been very good to us. We've never had much, but we've never needed for anything. After five years we still enjoy each other's company. (Which is a good thing, because all our friends either move away or get pregnant.) We have been happy to live together, work together, serve together, sing together, laugh together, and just be together.

We are hopeful that next year, at our sixth anniversary, our family will be one little Ugandan boy larger.

Too Long Between Posts

Sorry it's been so long between posts. We've been very busy lately. Last weekend was Asbury Alumni Reunion, so Amy worked about 80 hours. It was the reunion year for the class that graduated after us, so we did get to see several friends from our college years.

This week we have been going out to Wilmore Camp Meeting. Matt's boss, Roy Lauter, is the evangelist this year, and Matt sang last night and is singing tonight (Thursday). Tonight is missions night at the camp, and New Hope is the missions representative.

Some of you have wondered whatever became of Amy's thyroid treatment...was it successful? Well, she had a doctor's appointment with the endocrinologist yesterday to read the bloodwork results. However, when she had her doctor send in the bloodwork for thyroid tests, the lab did a pregnancy test instead. So...her endocrinologist said he would review the bloodwork once he gets the result and mail her the results. From some physical ailments that Amy has started having, it looks like they gave her too much radiation and now she has hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid), but we have to wait for the bloodwork to confirm that. If it is confirmed, she will have to start taking medicine. She'll also have to go back to the doctor in 3 months to get her levels checked again. Her appointment is October 24. (that's right, the endocrinologist had no appointments available until October - someone's going to the beach for a long vacation).

An Evening at Ichthus

Last night we went over to Ichthus (instead of just listening to it from our backyard). The reason was simple...Amy's favorite group, Third Day, was playing. It was a good show, even if it was the latest we'd been out since we went to the emergency room when Matt had kidney stones. We're so old.

The Long-Awaited Release!

(Long awaited by whom?) Well, it's finally here anyway. After about six months of waiting, UPS delivered six boxes of CDs to our front porch today. It feels really good to finally have the finished product in hand. It is a pretty surreal thing to be holding my CD in my hands. I never thought I would feel this attached to a product (that seems so artsy), but it really does feel kind of like my child. I'm still very nervous about what people will think of it, but that's not what it's all about. My hope and highest prayer is that God uses this to speak to somebody.

So, now to the really tough part...selling enough to cover the production costs. We have determined that we need to sell the CDs for $10.00 each to cover our costs. So, if you want one, you can email me at kinnell01@yahoo.com for information on how to get one. We're very happy to mail copies to those of you we won't be seeing anytime soon...just add $2.50 shipping/handling (plus $1.00 for each multiple copy). You can view the YouTube promo/sampler for the album here.

The songlist is as follows: I Will Sing the Wondrous Story; I Want to Be Like Jesus/O to Be Like Thee; I'd Rather Have Jesus; Satisfied; Give Me a Holy Life; Just As I Am; Day by Day; The Master Has Come; Fill Me Now; It Is Well; Nearer, Still Nearer; Wesley Medley (This Is Thy Will I Know/And Can I Yet Delay/Jesus Lover of My Soul).

A Busy Couple of Weeks

We're gearing up for a very busy time of the year. Yesterday was Amy's birthday, and we celebrated by going to Bella Notte on Friday night, and going to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and eating supper with friends at Ramsey's yesterday.

This week is the week of the Ichthus Christian Music Festival here in Wilmore, and Amy has several work responsibilities at the festival. Next week is Amy's busiest week of the year, Asbury Alumni Reunion. The week after that is Wilmore Camp Meeting where Matt's boss is the evangelist, New Hope is the missions representative, and Matt will be singing once or twice. June 29th is our wedding anniversary...5 years! Wow! Then it's a week of preparation before our church mission trip to Guatemala on July 8th.

By the way, Matt's CD is scheduled to be delivered by Thursday!

More on Kenya

Okay, so you all know that I did more in Kenya than just look at animals, here are a few pictures of some of the things that we saw God doing in Kenya:

Holding baby Daniel at the AGC Baby Center in Nakuru

Our friend Staci Wells, who is the manager of the AGC Baby Center

Our team sings a song in chapel at Kenya Highlands Bible College in Kericho

Patients wait to be seen at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet

Playing with the children at Good Samaritan Childrens Home in the Mathare Slum of Nairobi

Our team with WGM East Africa Regional Directors Terry & Karen Duncan and our driver, Francis, in Nairobi on our last day