It's a Boy!!!

Many of you have been anxiously awaiting for the images from our 20 week ultrasound. Just click HERE and enjoy!

WE'RE PREGNANT !!!!!!!

That's right, we're gonna have a baby! We found out shortly after we moved to Arizona and things have been pretty crazy since then. We're through the first trimester so that's encouraging and exciting. We have been given a few different due dates, but they all fall within the first week of April. The baby seems to be very healthy and is looking more and more like a person each time we get an ultrasound :-) We'll keep you updated!

Sermons

Aaron is preaching at Desert Cross now. Because many have asked us for copies of the sermons, he has created a website with a paraphrased text version of each sermon as well as a link to its audio file.

Check out the website at http://stampersermon.blogspot.com

Thanks for your interest in Aaron's ministry.

Feed My Starving Children

We have spent a few hours this weekend helping out with one of the most amazing programs that we have ever been a part of. Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is a Christian organization which packs meals (rice, soy, dehydrated veggies and vitamins) and send them overseas to impoverished countries. It's a slick operation which can handle hundreds of volunteers at once. There are two or three permanent sites in Minnesota and one traveling site (which is what we participated in). People from Desert Cross participated a few months ago and organized a FMSC stop here in Tempe. We had people from all over the valley come and participate (the ASU women's basketball team even showed up!).

Here are some figures which should help you get a grip on what we accomplished. In two hours we packed 50,926 meals. That is enough food to feed 140 kids for a whole year. It's also $8,700 worth of food. And it's all being sent to North Korea through missionaries! If you would like to find out more about FMSC, here's their website: www.fmsc.org

Our Nephew!!!!!

Say hi to Matthew Ryan Brueggemeier! The little guy was born on August 17, weighing 6lb 4oz and 19" long. Amanda is doing well, despite a very long labor. All the grandparents are there; no doubt they're having trouble taking turns holding the baby!

Congratulations to Shawn and Amanda. We can't wait to see you all in October!

Self-Imposed Exile Lifted

Since I preached back home on July 13 I have been observing a vow to not go to church until my internship starts. My rationale was two-fold: 1) I thought it might be awkward to be at church before my official start date (Aug 17); and 2) once the internship starts each and every Sunday for the rest of my life (after all, pastors don't retire) will be dedicated to church. I might as well relish the freedom while I can!

My vow was broken yesterday as I attended Desert Cross for the first time. Pastor Steve had mentioned that this was the assistant youth director's last Sunday and he would be preaching and having his son baptized. I wanted to be there because this guy has been a huge help to me through this transition. I got to know him last April when I was down in Tempe for a conference. He was very welcoming - showing me his apartment complex (which we eventually moved into) and introducing me to his then 4 day old son. It was great to see him and I'm glad I lifted my church exile to be there.

Here are a few of my impressions from my first worship service at Desert Cross.

1. It's way laid back and casual; no clerical collar for me!.

2. Pastor Steve has memorized the entire baptismal liturgy, which I find incredible (maybe I will have it memorized after I am a pastor for nearly 40 years).

3. I love how everyone holds hands during the Lord's Prayer.

4. Everyone whom I have met at Desert Cross (no matter how briefly) went right up to me to say hi (even during the middle of the service!).

5. The wine for communion was pretty bad!

6. The music was very well done; and I don't generally like contemporary praise music.

7. It feels like home.

We've Arrived

Are humans meant to live in a place where the temperatures are over 100 degrees at night?

That's the question I asked myself last night as Lindz and I took Lana for a 5-minute walk to our mailbox and back. Oh, and next time someone mentions how it's a "dry heat," tell them to visit in July - it's pretty darn humid here right now. The moving truck arrived at 7am Sunday morning and the temps were already in the nineties with pretty high humidity. I must have gone through a gallon of water that day. Luckily we had plenty of help unloading the truck, thanks to a friendly neighbor and Lindsey's aunt and uncle who sacrificed a few hours of their family vacation to help us.

The trip out was made much easier thanks to our moms coming with us and helping with the driving. We took five days to make the 2300 mile drive, stopping in Columbia MO, Denver CO, Santa Fe NM, and Flagstaff AZ. It was a beautiful drive once we hit Denver; although both of our cars had some trouble with the inclines and heat (the Sentra couldn't go the speed limit when driving uphill; the GrandAm kept stalling even though it's an automatic). But we made it to Arizona safely and have so far managed to avoid all the problems of our move to St. Paul last year.

All things considered we're adjusting and enjoying Arizona. There are only a few boxes left to be unpacked. Our new apartment is substantially larger than our previous ones and is starting to feel like home. We've got an extra bed here so come out when you can!

Update - 10 months later

Everyday when I open my web browser the link for our blog shows up, begging for attention. For various reasons I never could bring myself to update it. Well, now is as good a time as ever. Since the last post dates back to August, I have some catching up to do.

Since August I (Aaron) completed my four-month internship as a chaplain in a hospital. It was awesome, frustrating, exhausting, and affirming. After that I took classes full-time at Luther Seminary. Right now I am taking the very last course required for my degree. The only thing left is to complete a 12-month internship in a congregation. This will take place at Desert Cross Lutheran Church in Tempe, Arizona. Yup, another move across country!

Lindsey has been working hard at a private clinic in Bloomington, MN (home of the Mall of America). She enjoys working with the kids (particularly the ones who do not try to bite her). In a few weeks the Tempe Elementary School District will welcome Lindz as their newest Occupational Therapist. She's excited about getting back into the school environment. In addition to working she has also completed 1/2 of her online professional masters degree through San Jose State University. Even though there has been limited face-to-face time with her classmates she feels a significant bond with them and is excited to see them again, in person, in August.

We leave Minnesota on June 28 and first head to Ohio for two weeks. From Ohio Lindsey and I (along with both of our moms) will drive to Arizona. We'll be arriving in Tempe on July 18. Our hope is that we will love living in Arizona and be able to stay there (and avoid another costly cross-country move).

All I can say is that at least we don't have a kayak to lose on this trip!