E-mail

**For those of you referencing this website bc of the mass e-mail that I just sent, this is just a copy of the e-mail....scroll down for more exciting stuff (she sarcastically says)**

Hello Everyone,

I have been promising many of you to send our new address and other information for awhile...so here's the update: After a humbling, but overall good experience in Colorado (more info on the blog), we DID move back to the Memphis area in December so that Jed could take a position as the IT Director at NICS (Network of International Christian School). NICS plants Christian schools all around the world. They have over 20 schools in 16 different countries and the home office is here in Southaven (suburb of Memphis for those of youwho don't know). He is absolutely loving his job and the people that he works with. God is doing ALOT around the world and these schools come with some pretty amazing stories.I will post some eventually on our blog for those of you who care to check it out :) Because it is a mission organization, we are allowed to raise extra support if we need it. This will eventually become a need when we have children, but for now, we are trying to avoid it.

I just finished my fourth week at Streets Ministries as their Development Coordinator. This can mean a number of things but in this case, means that I am the Volunteer Coordinator and will be doing grant writing as well. Streets is located in downtown Memphis (38126-3rd poorest zip in our country) and serves kids in the Foote and CleabornHomes communities--the downtown housing projects. The ministry has a facility in which there is a gym, computerlab, playstation room, club room, and more. The students come hang out after school and enjoy the facility and are tutored and mentored through a variety of programs. It is most famous among people outside of this community because Ken Bennett, the founder and director of Streets, is the chaplain for the Memphis Tigers (many of whomcame through Streets themselves). Anyways, I love my job and feel really blessed to wake up excited about it.

Right now our address is 3295 Bonner Dr., Olive Branch, MS 38654 but next Sunday it will change to 5315 KalianCove, Southaven, MS 38671. Yes, this means that we bought a house! We are so excited and cannot wait to move in. Come visit us--we LOVE visitors and miss SO many of you!!

So-I am trying not to make this a forever long e-mail but if you want to know more about what is going on-see our blog:whitneyhale.blogspot.com. It includes more announcements such as my parents and sisters are moving back this summer to plant a church in downtown Memphis. I am warning you, the blog is a bit raw at times, but it does show that although everything seems like it's going perfectly, it's really not. We're still two stupid sinners trying to love each other and Jesus. This last year has been the most eventful of my life and I am somewhat exhausted. I am really thankful for this because Jesus has been so evident and we have been really humbled which I do not mean in a sweet spiritual way--We have been knocked on our butts!

Anyways, hope everything is well with everyone--Please let me know what is going on with all of you as well!

Sorry for no Christmas letter and pic this year, a colossal sanctification period was more predominant at the time (ha!)

Grace, Whitney Hale (for both me and Jed)