December 18, 2006--FPU

Last night we finished the first round of Financial Peace University as coordinators. We had ten in our class that graduated. I was a little disappointed at first that only ten of them were able to get certificates, but I didn't feel too bad after counting them up and found that we had two more graduates than the Pastor's class. It's easy to feel like it was our fault that not everyone showed up enough to earn their certificate, that maybe we weren't doing a good enough job at leading it. After all, this was our first real time of teaching a Sunday School class for any real length of time. Erick taught for five or six weeks in Springfield as a fill-in between teachers, but this was the first time of doing it "for real". We really enjoyed the last few months of teaching this class. It's been exciting to see people's lives change. We didn't get a good count of debt paid off yet during the course, but we did add up the other stats and we had over 30 credit cards off and over $15,000 put into savings as an entire group (Pastor's class and our class put together.) Each of us also had at least one couple in our class express interest in becoming FPU coordinators. Erick and I are going to lead the class again starting in January. We are also going to be training up the future coordinators of the class, and in the fall they are going to lead the class. The pastor wants Erick to lead a Bible study and get experience in other areas of the church. I'm also going to be helping plan an adoption shower for our pastor and his wife, as they are adopting four children. I'm excited for them! At one point they were rejected and the children were given to another family, but God was still working. There have been so many things along the way that have been too coincidental to not be God. When we heard that they had been rejected, we all just felt in our hearts that things weren't over. At the last minute, the other family backed out. Pastor and his family will be doubling the size of their family all at once! They will have children the same ages of ours, now. I'm so thrilled for them. They are going to need so much help. I'm sure they don't really know what they are in for! LOL! Some of the other ladies and I decided to give them an adoption shower. They are going to be a tremendous blessing to these children, and we want to bless them for that.