Recent Messelt News

Here are some news highlights for the Messelts of Tumwater:

Eric attends for-credit seminar taught by Millard Erickson: "Current Issues in Evangelical Theology"
Yet another power failure!
Barb buys a scooter to better enjoy motorcycling
Eric starts a new semester:

Super Bowl - actually entertaining this year
Marian does driving lessons
Eric learns about an open pastoral position in Rainier and begins application process
Theo finishes up his basketball season
Repairs to Irene's car are estimated and too much - have to let it go
Eric is licensed to the Gospel Ministry from Emmanuel Baptist Church
Family gets word that a good friend from California, Mark Etzen, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Eric takes Theo to school with him and Theo has a great time.
We sell Irene's car
Marian buys a Buick Park Avenue from Black Lake Bible Camp
Theo gets a birthday present from God - it snows!
Irene's friend, Geoff Prozora, commits suicide - devastating

We attend Geoff's memorial and family is showing grief reactions
Eric starts driving Marian's car to school
Barb and Eric see the movie, "Amazing Grace"
Eric travels to SoCal to see his friend Mark for the last time (until The Day); sees lots of old friends; has a great time with Mark (learning a couple of fishing tips)
Eric begins a pre-marital counseling relationship with Mark Rouse and Juanita Hawthorne
Barb is technical lead for the Girlz Getaway
Our church debates disassociation from CBNW and name change
Irene is 18 and gets a laptop and tickets for a local production of "Pirates of Penzance" for her B-day
Barb, Theo, and Eric take a day trip to Spokane for Barb's B-day to help Theo get some information for a school report

Irene gets financial-aid award letter from Biola: all those years of hard school work pay off!
We have guests over for Easter
Irene goes to school with her dad
Barb, her friend Kathleen, Theo, and 'Zander all go to the Seattle Science Center
Eric delivers a devotional for the Olympia Light Riders as part of a class assignment
Irene is accepted to the Biola honors program, Torrey Institute - yippee!
Barb and Eric take Irene to "Pirates of Penzance"
Eric and Barb enjoy Olympia's Arts Walk
Eric works as student help for Western Seminary's commencement

Eric participates in Day of Prayer on the Capitol Steps
Eric and Barb ride in Run For The Son with Christian Motorcyclist Association
Bill Smith comes over and helps us get the Honda 750 running better
Eric begins summer school
Irene goes to the prom with Jacob Goodin
For Mother's Day, Barb goes out to the Wooden Ships with her gal-friends
Eric chaperone's a field trip for Theo's class to the museum district and completes his paper on the obscure prophet, Obadiah - enjoy

Barb and Eric get away for their 25th wedding anniversary: Port Angeles (Hidden Haven B&B - VERY nice!) and Victoria (The Empress); BTW, we enthusiastically recommend the Hidden Haven B&B
Received news that our friend, Mark Etzen had passed away

Eric takes Theology of Man course from Greg Allison
Our church suffers a casualty in the Iraq war - Scott Oswell dies piloting a helicopter
Marian's car dies while Eric is driving it from school
Irene comes home from her time in Louisiana
Marian sprains her ankle
Eric takes Theology of Old Testament from Ray Lubeck
Marian's B-day!
Eric and Theo ride The Classic with Christian Motorcyclist Association
Eric and some folks from church distribute water at Lakefair
Eric, Barb, and Irene go to a local Biola University event and Barb re-connects with an old friend, Becky Gerlach - much reminiscing
Theo does VBS at two churches this summer: Emmanuel Bible Fellowship and Hope Community

Eric and Barb take Irene to college - road trip! Able to see old friends and get up-to-date; take Irene to Biola, get her registered, room, and resourced; more visiting with friends and then back on the road
Eric and Barb have lunch with Barb's sister Patty in Santa Maria
Elliot, the family cat, weakens - we determine it might be related to food allergies
We 'repurpose' Irene's old bedroom
Eric gets Theo up in the middle of the morning to see the lunar eclipse

Eric's friend, Doug Humphreys, comes to the Northwest for his doctoral program and visits with us
Eric has changed is degree program to Master of Arts in Exegetical Theology and makes plans to graduate in the Spring
Irene spends Thanksgiving with relatives of church friends
We have a 'reduced' Thanksgiving: fewer family, smaller meal
Eric sells his identity-defining pick-up truck
Eric gathers courage to apply for another church position
Eric does community service for the school by informing students of holiday gifts

It's December so we have to loose power for a couple of hours
Flooding closes down I-5 so Eric has to fly from Portland to Seattle and back again
Barb works on set decoration for the Kids Choir Christmas production
Eric begins working with the church's "Clothing Closet"
Barb herds the family out to get a Christmas tree
Irene comes home for the holidays
Marian's Neon quits on the freeway - yikes!
Happy Birthday, Jesus! And Jesus says 'thank you' with a snow-fall
Family goes to Seattle for day trip: Starbucks Store #1; throwing fish; the Crumpet Shop; Pikes Place Market; and the Asian market

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