Lakehouse: Kapalka visit + Victoria BC

Victoria BC

Ron and Nancy came to visit in July 2016. A bit unpatriotically, we spent Forth of July weekend in Canada! Ginger has always wanted to visit there, after her family's 1998 trip there (in sixth grade).

We took the ferry from Port Angeles.

The best place in Victoria is the Butchart Gardens.

We walked all over downtown Victoria, including China Town.

On the ferry, we bought tickets to tour Craigdarroch Castle. It reminded us of our many house tours in Newport. One unique aspect of this tour was the multi-level focus on the different lives of the house- a family home for a coal baron, a hospital during the World Wars, and a small University. They decorated different rooms to represent different times, and had a large collection of anecdotes from the house's history. 

We ate at the Fisherman's Wharf, and got to see seals close up!

 Back in the US, we drove up to Hurricane Ridge, part of the Olympic Mountains.

Seattle WA

Nancy has family in Seattle, her cousins and their family. Cynthia and Jim and their daughters Brynn and Michaela. Cynthia's twin sister Marilyn.

We visited the Boeing Factory- the largest building we've ever been inside!

(You can't take photos inside the factory, but the small museum next door has a green screen photo area.)

Marilyn lives right in the rainforest! Nancy and Ginger enjoyed a walk near her house.

A day in Seattle

We even made time for one house project- painting the marigold yellow laundry room with some cool greys.

Stephen even treated the concert floor with acid to repaint it.

Our last Tacoma tour was the Food Forest, a different kind of community garden where Theresa does her Master Gardener work. This pile of logs will become a hugulculture garden bed, where new plants grow out of burned wood.

Lakehouse: Grit City Church Plant

Together connecting to the Story of God

Church is a gathering of people who live out the story of God in everyday life. Each person is in the process of developing identity as we are together transformed by Jesus and find our place in the story. We share the good news, minister to the marginalized, and celebrate creativity as we serve with each member's unique talents.

Grit City Church connects the unchurched and the discouraged to a spiritual family, cultivating community in a dinner church model. By sharing a meal with our new neighbors, we also create a space where everyone can pursue authenticity and worship honestly amidst hurt, trouble, celebration and joy. 

We value:

Developing Identity - Deeply knowing that God loves you and has called you to know God and be known by God. This happens when we lay down our self-created identity and embrace the Story of God.

Pursuing Authenticity - We want to match our words with our actions. We work to eliminate the gap between what we say and what we do.

Cultivating Community - Just as gardens and home environments need to be cultivated, so do communities. We aim to live out the love and ethics that Jesus called us to in the Story of God. We want to see bit by bit the reign of God expressed here on earth, especially as we serve Tacoma.

Celebrating Creativity - Every person has been uniquely created by God. You have a distinct voice and gift to share. We will champion and elevate each person's contribution to the church.

The church is being planted by our friends Cole and Ashley. They have four children, Judah, Addy, Oren and Cadie. We've joined to help as part of their core team.

Chamber's family blog update: Wanted: Armpit People

What could a Dinner Church look like? 

What are other Seattle area churches doing to care for their communities? see this King5 News Report

Helping the Homeless

Grit City Church has joined with a group of people whose hearts break for the poor, forming "Project Trunk Run." Last Saturday, we loaded four vehicles full of men and women's clothing, personal hygiene supplies, blankets, and hot beverages. We served over 40 men and women that night.

This will be an ongoing outreach ministry of Grit City Church. We will gather local donations through our friends and family to help those in need every 3rd Saturday of the month. This once a month strategy will give us time, focus, and energy needed to sustain this ministry. 

We hope to incorporate more into this ministry: good conversations, spiritual encouragement, invitation to Christian fellowship, and to become good listeners who learn how to care for others more.

We are working on a new website, but also keep updates on our facebook page.

Lakehouse: Summer

We took our anniversary trip #6 to Leavenworth, WA, a small cute town full of German descendents, archiecture, shops, accordians and more.

Stephen has an Absher friend living in town, who showed us the wood and riverside where his family visit.

In June, Nathaneil was visiting WA to wrap up a class he's been taking at Gonzaga to get his masters degree.

We visited the capital building and paid tribute to the state's namesake.

At STEM Tutoring, we hosted two summer camps, doing reading, math and robotics. 

Theresa teaching young readers

The students wrote simple computer programs to make the robots travel certain distances, respond to basic inputs like color or motion.

Bennett teaching Lego Robotics

Ginger's co-worker Theresa brought her garden club to take one of the organic soil garden boxes and give it a new home in the community.

Speaking of the yard, Stephen made an amazing video, hoping HGTV would pick us for a free yard makeover. 

Setting off little fireworks on the dry summer grass was risky.

 

Last fun of the summer was the WA State Fair, seeing adorable goats and more exotic animals...

Happy Summer!