Family Letter 2013

                                            ~~The Powell family newsletter & update!~~

Most of you have been following us on Facebook, but for those who do not, or if you want just a recap of things long forgotten here you go!

Jack went in January for 5 weeks to help out and visit his father since his mom passed away several months prior. (8/2012), Wayne seems to be faring well. At the end of June after 7 years Jack left his job at Alere Healthcare and now works for Corbis Imaging. He is still a software developer in their QA/Dev department. He continues to play guitar regularly on our church's worship team and enjoys that a lot.

Mia worked several temp jobs this year including as a Nanny for Wounded Warrior Project, Office Personnel at an Adoption Agency and as a Nanny for a family from church. Currently she is unemployed but actively seeking employment. She would love to get back into Part-time or Full-time Ministry with youth or children. She also went for 2 weeks to Texas to visit with and help out her aunt/uncle Don & Helen Johnson (Don has been ill due to ALS for 2+ years). She also nursed Maryn back to health after surgery (see below) and got Maryn off to college! It was a very busy summer.

Maryn (18) graduated from High School and from Pierce Community College with both her H.S. diploma and Associates Degree. She currently is living in Kirkland, WA and attending Northwest University, she is a Junior in their Psychology program. She continues to pursue Law Enforcement and hopes (as of right now, but we all know how  majors and career plans change in College) to join the FBI one day as a Criminal Psychologist. She also has a special interest in the anti-human trafficking movement, not so much as victim advocate, but "catching the bad guys". She is involved in the "Embargo" club at school which generates funds and awareness to fight human trafficking. She also continues to sing and play guitar. She is very talented. This past June Maryn underwent major surgery on her kidney and was in the Hospital 5 days. She is well now and this "fix" of some issues she had been having, we were told, would be a "one-time" fix and be fixed forever. So even though it was a huge ordeal at the time with a lot of pre-and post-surgery tests and appointments, we are thankful it's all over and she is perfectly healthy now.

Kylie is a 17 year old Junior at Challenger H.S. and is doing very well there, she is "at grade level" for the first time in her life and is getting A's and B's. We are so proud of her. She had previously enrolled at a local Technical College to complete High School and get a cosmetology degree but decided that 12 hours a day of school would be a little much, so re-enrolled at Challenger. We are very thankful she is doing so well. At this point her goal is to graduate in 2015 and then go on to a 2 year Community College and then decide "what she wants to be when she grows up." She also has a boyfriend, Travis-who is 22 and they are pretty "serious". So who knows what the future holds there. He is gainfully employed and very hard working. He treats her well, and we really like him. He is ready to "settle down" but she is still a bit young... in my opinion. :) We are just praying Gods will for them both.

Joshua is a Freshmen at Spanaway Lake H.S. where Maryn recently graduated from. He is enjoying learning engineering and he is in Choir. (he is a bit of legacy there thanks to Maryn). He is popular and has a lot of great friends. He is active in youth group and is growing in the Lord as well. He is still very innocent in many ways and immature and I am thankful for that! He will be 15 in just a few weeks.

Allyson is in 6th grade at Cedarcrest Middle School and has had some challenges with her diagnosis of Autism and Sensory Disorder. She has a great team of specialists who enjoy her and are doing great work with her, but it is very exhausting for her and was quite a transition from 1 classroom/teacher to 6. She is doing 4th grade level Math and Science and is also in Choir and P.E. and is actually at Grade Level for English and Social Studies! She is working very hard and we are so proud of her. She also joined a couple of different after school clubs. She is a very gifted artist, so she is in the "Anime" club and also she loves to dance with her friends, so is in a drill-team club. With her social/emotional delays, we are very very thankful she enjoys being involved in clubs at all! She will be 12 in a few weeks.

Please pray for a job for me, please pray for healing of grief for both Jack and Myself, because of the many wonderful friends and loved ones who have passed away in the last year, the most recent being my Uncle Don Johnson just this past Thursday. (Don & Helen were Missionaries in Ecuador and with Wycliffe for 60 years) I rejoice for all my friends who knew and loved Jesus for I have hope that I will reunite with them again! And that brings me to say, that among the grief of this past year (and there was/is much) I also rejoice in the birth of my Savior Jesus who takes away the sin of the world. He bring gladness for Sorrow and turns mourning into Joy! He is the reason for the season and the reason for which I celebrate in spite of the troubles of this world.

Jesus said, "In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world!" John 16:33b

May you also find Joy in our Savior Jesus and may His presence help you overcome all your troubles. 

Blessings to you all. MERRY CHRISTMAS & Happy new year!


Much Love
Jacky, Mia, Maryn, Kylie, Joshua & Allyson.

Welcome

I'm so glad you found us here in our neck of the World Wide Web. Here I will post photos of the kids, home, travel and work stuff. I will update you all on family news and adventures. I hope you enjoy your look around...

Its that time again....

Well this is our annual Powell Family New Years Letter! Only about 2 months too late. Sorry. 2008! What can I say? Not much has changed really.
*Jack is working at Free & Clear Inc. in Seattle, WA he is what they call an SDET. He works with computer programs for their website or something. Together he and I went to Cabo san Lucas and in September he went on a week long Carribbean Cruise with some of the College-age guys. He had a blast and it was well deserved and long over-due.
*I am still working at Praise Covenant Church overseeing the Childcare and K & Under classrooms, as well as working under the Childrens Pastor as her assistant which involves the elementary and Jr. High age as well. I LOVE my job and my church family. Jack and I had a wonderful time in Cabo thanks to a dear friend allowing us to use her timeshare. Also, this summer I am leading a team of 10 women to Casa de Fe Orphanage in Shell Ecuador S. America this JUNE 2009. (We are still in need of 30K due in the next 3 months! Please consider how you might contribute and e-mail me!) I am also busy with Women Ministries and of course, 4 kids, husband and home. Also my team is selling CD's of Piano Music for $20 all proceeds helping to send us. Its beautiful music, let me know if you wish to purchase one!
*Maryn -my eldest turned 13 in 2008 and officially became a teenager. She had a little summer babysitting job and made good money and learned a lot. She is currently in 8th grade at Spanaway Jr. High and this past October was chosen to attend a People to People Student ambassadorship in WA D.C. She was there for 1 week chaperoned by my mother... she had an amazing experience and made a lot of new friends and earned 2 H.S. credits to boot! She is in 10th grade math (Geometry) and 9th grade Choir. She is a straight A student who has her sites set on Running Start (Community College) in just 2.5 short years!! I can't believe it. She is also in Piano Lessons and is advancing quite rapidly.
*Kylie- is in 6th grade at Elk Plain School of Choice! Its a "School of the Arts" and she is thriving and getting excellent grades! Her teachers love her and she has quite a few friends. She attended 6th grade Camp last month and stayed a week in a cabin with 7 other classmates. She is still singing somewhat although not much publicly. She has taken up 2 new hobbies --Filmmaking and Guitar lessons. She is great at both! She also has 2 jobs! A babysitting job every week and she cleans house for my best friend Dena 1x a week as well. She makes pretty good money and works very hard. I'm very very proud of her. She is creative, hardworking, and talented.
*Joshua-is in 4th grade at Naches Trail elementary. He's doing very well. His hobbies have recently included Legos. He received a bin-full from one of the college age guys a few months ago and has become addicted! So now we have lego's all over the house. Typical.
*Allyson-is in 1st grade! Hooray I finally have all 4 of my kids in school all-day! Yes! She is also at Elk Plain SOC. She is in Special Ed services and seems to be thriving very well. She is an amazing and gifted artist-drawing. She has a very sweet disposition and is cute as can be. I cant believe my "baby" is 7!

2008 was full of changes and fun! We spent a lot of time at the beach and zoo this summer! I have had a lot of fun on Facebook catching up with friends both old and new. We had a wonderful Christmas -3 weeks of break- thanks to record breaking snow falls! It was a white Christmas and we enjoyed spending time as a family and remembering the Birth of our Savior. We hope you did too.

Maryn all decked out for the Annual Formal Christmas Banquet

Having fun in the snow during Winter Break Maryn, Kylie & Ally

Ally all bundled up and ready to play.

Maryn in WA D.C. with her roomies Jesssica & Regina what a grown up thing to do stay in a Grand Hotel with 2 of your friends.

All my "kids" at the zoo 3 of the young adults plus my 4. Fun times. The Kids at Point Defiance! We had a lot of fun at the beach this summer.

Maryn turned the big 1-3 in April. Officially a teenager with all her "peeps".

I threw Jack a random age Surprise Birthday Party in March.

Josh Turned 10 just this last month Jan. 09

Ally turned 7 this past Jan. 09. She's a big girl now.

Missions Missions Missions

"The Purpose of Missions is teach people to Worship Jesus. Missions Exists because Worship Doesn't. There is no Missions in Heaven! Worship should be a never ending, internal way of living. Our singing, our music, our instruments, our art, our writing, our prayers, our posturing, they are all outward manifestations of a constant inward, personal, praise to God."

My brief story:

I was adopted by short-term Missionaries working under Wycliffe Bible Translators in Ecuador S. America in 1975. My "Aunt and Uncle" who had been living there since the 1950's continue to this day to work part-time with Wycliffe and SIL (Linguistic Institute in Texas). Missions is a very important part of my life. Most importantly however, is not the fact that I was "rescued" from a very uncertain, poverty stricken life and literally saved from malnutritioin, neglect and death, but that I came to know Jesus as my savior. The realization at age 22 that God loved me so much, so specifically, so individually, so deliberately that he went to so much trouble and saved me in such a dramatic way JUST so I could have relationship with Him and know Jesus- blew my mind! He instilled in me since I was 15 years old and went on my first Mission Trip to Mexico with my youth group a strong desire to be sent out. A hunger and longing to show other kids like me, that Jesus also loved them so deliberately etc... He instilled in me a burden and an urgency for others to know Jesus so that they too might have eternal life with him in Heaven, and not perish. He gave me a love for people, that is only from God, an ability to love the unlovable. He gave me a servants heart. A desire to reach people through Acts of Service and sacrifice. To SHOW them Gods love, not just say it. To be like Jesus is the passion of my heart and life. This is the legacy I am passing on to my own children. They dont even realize at this phase of their life, how much Missions has played a role in their very existance. But I can assure you they will.

SO What does this mean to you???? Why should you care??

This SUMMER 2009!!! Members My family will have an opportunity in one form or another to be sent out! Maryn and Kylie will be going to YWAM's Gleanings for the Hungry in Sultana CA. Aug. 14-24th. Watch the amazing video below to hear what they will be doing! They willbe working hard and learning to serve, and grow in their personal relationship with Christ.

I myself am leading a team of 12-15 women to Ecuador S. America, June 21st - July 2nd under International Teams Youth World. We will be working in a Hospital or Orphanage. More information will be coming to you via snail mail... but I wanted to plant these seeds into your heart. Please consider how you might be able to contribute in spreading Gods Love to the World. Regardless of your religious affiliation you would be literally helping to feed the hungry and minister to the sick & broken.

The girls and I need to raise a total (that is for all 3 of us to go on our respective Missions trips) of $3,600. Thats $400 for Maryn, $400 for Kylie, and $2,800 for Me.

As I said you will get more information via snail mail... in the meantime watch the video of Gleanings



and visit the Youth World Website at http://www.youthworld.org.ec/

Thank you in advance so much for your support and prayers!


(Tax Deductible Contributions can be made payable to Praise Covenant Church 3501 S. Orchard St Tacoma WA 98466 (253) 564-8563 Please Note on the Memo Line Either WM Ecuador 2009 OR GLEANINGS Include a sticky note with Mia Powell or Maryn or Kylie Powell so we can receive proper credit and keep track of when we have reached our goal! Thanks.)

Soo I have this friend...

I've known him since about 1st or 2nd grade. He is a professional photographer. He never shoots kids! But as a personal favor to me, he did an entire portfolio of my children. Over 300 + pics were taken and I am only sharing with you a handful. We were at the zoo for about 3 hours. I guess this is kind of like photo journalism.... but really its just ART if you ask me. He also does not "do" events. He primarily shoots fine art, nudes, still life etc... but some of his work has been featured in photog circles and magazines, galleries etc... I am/feel completely honored to have some original "D. Manny" prints. Now you can enjoy them also. I think these pics are amazing, they are all candid shots. The kids just did their thing and he snapped away! Fantastic.

Just a few more... by D. Manny 8/27/08

At the Zoo Aug. 27th 2008 by D. Manny