Welcome Week Update

Ilsa and Eli after the fireworks yesterday

Maddie, Eli, Ilsa

Rachel & Maddie's hair!

Ilsa peeking
Phil, Eli, Ilsa
Maddie

Hi Family!

This is why I like the blog format- I can update. So much is going on that it would take forever to get it all to you in a newsletter :) The lake photos above are from our trip last week to the north shore- Grace is working at Naniboujou for the fall, waitressing. So if you get up there, stop in and give her a hug! She's doing great, finding friends, making tips! She comes home end of October.

The other pictures are from our first night of Chi Alpha last night. We forgot that there is a big bash on campus the first Tuesday- so it was a small group, but it was great. We have several that want to help with worship this year, so we have a schedule down for the entire semester. Our students want to have a big worship event on campus twice this semester, so we planned the dates for those and are reserving the Beaux Arts Ballroom. And we scheduled in a few bonfires and pizza feeds at our house. When we left, the big outdoor bash I was telling you about was having fireworks, so the kids climbed up on the suburban to watch. Not sure I've ever been that close to fireworks- I could smell them. Everyone is pretty excited to start a new school year!

Another new development- Ruth Velo has joined us! Ruth is a North Central University graduate who was taking her nursing courses at Hibbing Tech. She pioneered a Chi Alpha there, and now has transferred to BSU to complete her nursing training and is living with our family. The girls are loving having her around! (especially with Grace gone :( ) She and one of our grad students, Mark, have really taken the reins this year. They spent about eight hours on campus yesterday just talking with people, putting up signs, getting us an office, meeting our faculty advisor. They're social butterflies. They're doing everything Phil can't do while he's in this season of working and doing chi alpha part time. But looking at our calendar, chi alpha is definitely running full time on campus this year! God is good!

We are looking forward to Fall retreat with UMD again this year in October, hitting a few of Ian's rugby games at UND, visiting Grace on the north shore, and our first international get together this next Sunday. We asked for all the Nepalis again, so we're expecting a crowd!

Phil wants to start a men's purity group, but the curriculum is $450. If any of you would like to help cover that, that would be great. I am looking at finding a way to allow you to give right from this blog site- will keep you posted.

We also had a bummer the other night- our amp seems to have died. Does anyone out there have any resources along those lines?

Keep us posted on how we can be praying for you all- we love getting your emails! Thanks so much- and we'll update again soon!

Love, Us Thoofts