Troyer Family Update

Kris and I bought matching shirts for all of my dad’s grandsons and got pictures of them together last night as we had a little late Christmas gathering at our house. Everyone seemed to have a good time and the kids really did well playing together. The food was good too which is pretty important at these type of events.

I have been meaning to update my blog for some time with the latest information on my family and I just finished explaining to Amy and to Tisra over the phone what is happening with my brother Joel and why he is planning to move to Michigan. I’ll post a brief explanation here and updates on the rest of my siblings as well.

Joel has known for years that he is called to the ministry. Doing what, none of us knows but how can you know unless you surrender to God’s call and take the time to let Him show you the details and direct you into the right places? God isn’t likely to tell me His calling for Joel, so I haven’t been much help. For many years now, he has been avoiding that call for reasons only he knows and doing pretty much whatever he wants to do at the moment. Always sticking to a morality he has adopted as good and trying to be an upstanding guy. He’s done well at the good guy thing and has lots of friends and has always been able to make new ones if needed. He has, of late, shown signs of wanting more fulfillment in his life and without having spoken to him about details or specific motivation all I know is that he has decided to make some changes. He is moving to Michigan for at least a year, into my dad’s house where he has a job waiting and more specifically a church expecting him. He is going to embark on a discipleship course with the pastor who has been an inspiration to many of my family members up there. Several aunts and uncles and cousins attend this church and are being fed truth on a regular basis. Pretty cool. I’m cautiously excited for Joel as he does this and have hopes for good things for him.

My sister Kathy…brace yourselves…has moved out of my dad’s house! I know…shocking! She, with the help of her church, has found an apartment within walking distance of her church and the schools her girls attend. As she has no vehicle this is ideal, and she is hopefully looking for a job that will also be within walking distance. She is a good strong worker when she has a job it’s just that she doesn’t have a lot of motivation to stick with a job…maybe independence is the motivator that she has needed. I certainly hope so. I know my dad is delighted and I think they will both find their relationship strengthened by this move. She won’t be totally independent as the apartment rent is being funded by HUD, but she will be responsible for utilities. Her church is helping her get started but hopefully a part time job in the near future will be sufficient to cover those bills.

My sister Kristy is here in the states for a little while and we have been glad for the opportunity to see them all. Little Thadeus is a charming addition to their family and Clay is even more fun than ever before. He’s just as cute as his last visit but he and Owen are at a more playful age and seem to be getting along pretty well.

My sister Becky is almost ready to deliver baby number 4, a third girl and has decided on the name Adia Faith. She will go by Faith as all her children go by their middle name. Please pray with us that we can figure out ways to help her efficiently once the baby arrives. She doesn’t need to be lifting Grace but needs to have a way to get her ready for school early each morning and then take care of her in the afternoon’s before Bobby gets home from work. I imagine that I will be helping some but with two little ones of my own I’m not sure how it will all work out. I may just have to take them up there and sleep there at her house, until she feels strong enough to lift Grace again. There is a way!

That’s it…I don’t have any more siblings. I think that’s enough, don’t you?