Learning to "plod"

As it's been been quite a while since out last update, I will do my best to summarize the last several months as well as give some idea of our status in the way of ministry and preparation.
 I'd like to start back in the summer of  '11. we moved up to Grand Rapids area were I am originally from in the hopes of building a sending church relationship with Kent City Baptist Church. One year later we began to transition away from KCBC toward  our next faze of training with New Tribes Mission (NTM).  Somewhere in this process we were asked by the leadership at KCBC to consider spending more time pouring into this church. So we stayed here another year.  As we once again began the process of applying to NTM's Missions Training Center, we ran aground. We found that there were some things in our own relationships (both with each other and with Christ) that needed work before we could continue on. Also, as we began to communicate with church leaders, as well as our mentors, we were questioned as to whether NTM was a wise choice for us right now and were encouraged to examine our personal engiftments  and to pray and seek a ministry that we could thrive in. We were also challenged to learn how to be "plodders." Plodders are the people that come what may, put one foot in front of the other and walk with Christ, being faithful to do what has been entrusted to them, even when its hard to see the Lord working there. In doing this we have taken some additional time to serve, work, save, and pray.

Also during this whole time there has been the ongoing issue of Karalise's health, and our pursuit of answers there. We have seen many specialists, had many tests done, and so far we have narrowed the possibilities, yet have no concrete answers as to why she is sick. Its now been 6 years and she is growing weary of this. Yet there is hope as we are meeting with a doctor this coming month to schedule some more in depth testing in an area that was previously not an option because of insurance issues. Please be in prayer for her as  we are running out of options, and still have no answers.

Malachi: As for what we have been doing. I have have been working...a lot. I am the turf management/shop supervisor for a lawn and landscape company in our area. This means that I work long hours in all weather conditions, as it is my responsibility to make sure my side of the business gets done. I also have been working with the senior high youth group as a small group leader, and take my turns teaching both with the senior high as well as a 4-6th grade Sunday school class. I have also taught an institute class for adults on the book of Genesis.  Recently I have been invited to take part in a men's small group that allows me to be on the flip side of ministry, I get to be a sponge in a room filled with Biblical wisdom, as I am the youngest in the group as well as having the youngest children. These men have helped me process through a lot and I thank the Lord for them. Please be in prayer for me that I would manage my time better, that I can find time to be with Kara and the kids and still get done all that needs to be done, as well as finding time in the Word.

Kara: I have been spending a lot of time with our two little stinkers and some days I feel like all I do is change butts and wash dishes, however I am so thankful that I get to stay home with Shiloh and Asher. I just recently started cleaning houses with a good friend one day a week to help us as we are trying to save money. I've really been enjoying getting to know the girls in my Jr High small group better and helping out with the Kindergarten class at church. I'm so thankful for the amazing friends that I have made since we've been here, as they have been a huge encouragement to me as I figure out how to be a Mama, wife, and manage our household frugally. The ladies Bible study at our church has been really cool too. I love that Shiloh and Asher are close enough in age to enjoy doing a lot of the same things together, especially now that they are getting a bit bigger.

Shiloh: Shiloh is 2 1/2 now and knows exactly what she thinks about everything. She loves to do whatever Mama is doing and she does not miss anything that is going on around her. She loves to read books, play with babies, big trucks, her kitchen, puzzles, and mamas dishes. She is a little daredevil and likes to dive from couch to couch and jump off of anything. She is still quite attached to her "fluffy" (a dingy, used-to be-pink-blanky) and plays all sort of imaginary games with fluffy as her "bes fren". She is super social like her daddy, and loves to go places and visit people, she usually cries on the days we just stay home.

Asher: Asher just turned 1 at the end of October and wants to do everything by himself now, he can walk but he doesn't want to, because apparently he likes crawling like a monkey much better. He is quite stubborn, (apparently that's a family trait), smiley, and he loves to read books. Asher loves to play with cars and trucks especially, but also whatever Shiloh is playing with. When he gets tired he rubs his nose on anything fuzzy. We call him our little monster because he loves food and tries to eat anything in sight. He is fascinated by cows (thanks to one of his grandpas :) and has decided that almost all animals should "Mooo".

So you may be asking yourself  "what are they saving for?" Well for a while we were wondering about that ourselves, we looked at buying a house and staying here for while. We looked at going to the MTC, We looked at doing migrant ministry....and we dont think that any of these would be the best use of our lives. So for now we will continue to pray,and wait and save. Right now we are looking at me finishing my education, but we aren't sure what that will look like at this point. Please be in prayer for us as we begin to wrestle through that process of finding a school, what to major in, etc...

Thank you,
     Much love and Happy New Year,
             The Pratts

Frederick Meijer Gardens with Grandma Dee

   Yesterday Grandma Dee took Shiloh, Asher, and me to the Frederick Meijer Gardens to check out the Butterfly Exhibit. At first Shiloh was pretty bummed that we were not going to the farm to "help" Grandpa feed the cows, but once we arrived, she got very excited. 

It was hot and humid inside!

Looking at the waterfall through the rocks

 

Watching the butterflies fly around while she recharged with some water. 

No Mom, i want to run around, not hold Asher for a picture!

 

So excited at everything to see outside!

This was Shiloh's favorite place, a pretend beaver lodge complete with puppet beavers and logs to climb on. We had a hard time getting Shiloh to want to go anywhere else!

"Bird, eggs, bird, eggs, bird, eggs, etc..." "Yes Shiloh, those are eggs and the birds sit  on them" :)

Running and bouncing across the bridge

It was a fun day, but we were all very tired when we left, thanks for the fun day Grandma Dee! :)

Pie for breakfast?!?

   Yesterday evening while Malachi was gone fixing our car, Shiloh and I decided to make a treat for when he got home. At the ripe old age of 21 months, I figured Shiloh was old enough to learn how to make a pie herself...

rolling out the crust

She loved every second of it and our floor and table were thoroughly dusted with flour. 

adding the fruit

A berry for the pie, then one for the baby. Her favorite part was dipping the frozen berries in the pie filling and sucking on them. 

putting on the "lid"

After I put it in the oven, Shiloh kept running around the kitchen yelling: "hot, pie" "hot, pie" Since her little pie was not finished until after her bedtime; she had to wait til the next morning to enjoy it...

Pie (and eggs) for  breakfast :)

I hope this made you smile...have a wonderful day!

Application finished!

Applied to MTC:
Late Monday night, we excitedly pressed the "submit" button to turn in our applications for Missions Training Center (MTC) to complete our training with New Tribes Mission. All we have left is to turn in our physicals results which will be the first week of April. I never realized how long it would take to apply with 2 little ones demanding attention every few minutes. :) We aren't sure whether to go to the campus in Durham, ON, Canada or in Roach, Missouri. We are praying for guidance as to where to go if we get accepted and also how soon we will be able to go because of the cost. Ideally we would like to head there this coming August, but we will see what the Lord has planned!

Asher~5 months, Shiloh~20 months  

Shiloh and Asher:
The kids, especially Shiloh, continue to be sick on a regular basis, probably due to Shiloh sticking everything she finds in her Mouth. :( Though they still have snotty noses this morning, I think they are once again starting to feel better. Shiloh is 20 months old today and has learned some new things this past month, its so fun to watch her grow!

playing with Play-doh

helping dada hang Asher's bouncer

Jumping

Asher continues to get more fun and interactive, he loves to jump in his bouncer and kick and squirm around.  He just started eating solids and loves eating at the table with the rest of us.

First solid food

Malachi's Genesis class on Thursday nights continues to go well, he's going to be talking about the Flood tomorrow night. We were able to get a "new" and what we hoped was a reliable vehicle last week with our tax return, however, it started having problems on the drive back home. So far Malachi has not been able to figure out what is wrong, so please pray that we can get it resolved soon and have a reliable vehicle! 

Hey all just a quick update on our situation. I received  word yesterday that we will not be coming on staff in Jackson this fall. We are still looking to the Lord for direction and are currently looking at our options for phase 2 of our training. please keep us in your prayers in coming weeks as we really just seek His will for our next step.  thanks again for your prayers. much love ~ The Pratts

Visit to NTBI and Albion

  Last week we had a wonderful time reconnecting with some old friends as well as meeting some new ones during our visit to Albion and Jackson, Michigan.

NTBI Volunteer Week:
  A few months ago, Malachi was in contact with the PPD (maintenance department) at New Tribes Bible Institute (NTBI) in Jackson, MI.Several of the guys working on PPD are being transferred elsewhere or retiring, which means there is a huge need for maintenance guys there. They wanted Malachi to come down and volunteer for a week to see if his skill set was what they needed to fill in some of the gaps. So we prayed about it and decided that we needed to be open to the possibility of going there to work for several years before going  to Missions Training Center (MTC) in the fall if that was where the Lord wanted us. We won't hear anything for a few weeks as some of the staff are on vacation right now, but we are praying that when we do hear back from the staff that God will make it clear whether we are to continue to try to go to MTC this fall or whether we should apply as associate missionaries with New Tribes Mission so that Malachi can help out at NTBI for a few years first. Please pray!!!

Asher with our good friends Wooh-ah and Enoch

  While we were there, we had some great opportunities to get to know some of the new students at NTBI as well as see some old and very dear friends. We loved being able to spend some time with TJ (Kara's brother, who is a senior at NTBI right now) and hear how he is doing and what God is teaching him.

Malachi and "Uncle TJ" Playing "catch" with Shiloh, her favorite game

 We also had the opportunity to go to church, at First Baptist in Albion MI and to catch up with our friends there! We enjoyed going to a date night hosted by our church on Valentines and the opportunity to spend time with friends!

Our Kiddos:
  Shiloh is 19 months old, and a little stinker!She loves to make people laugh, to visit people and to get into mischief. She is cutting her 4 canines right now and also fighting an ear infection, but even though she is miserable, she was chasing Malachi around the house yesterday yelling like a little banshee. She wants to help us with everything we are doing and doesn't miss anything that goes on.

Shiloh "reading" books to Asher

  Asher is 4 months old on Wednesday and is a very chunky, happy baby. He smiles as soon as Malachi or Shiloh comes into sight and whenever he's laying on the ground he's constantly kicking and squirming. He has just started to take an interest in grabbing things, he loves to pull my hair and grab at toys.

We will keep you posted! Thanks for praying!
Malachi, Karalise, Shiloh, and Asher Pratt

a little "break"

  These past few months have been crazy for the Pratt family. Malachi working a ton trying to get ahead before a slow winter. Karalise stuck in bed for half the summer trying to make it to full term before she had Asher; then having him and trying to chase after Shiloh and recover from labor. Plus all the work we have been doing on our house so that it will be ready to sell by the time we leave for MTC next summer...etc. Needless to say, tension has been building in our household. So this weekend we decided to take a vacation. Malachi took Monday and Tuesday off from work and we headed south to Indiana for a couple of days with our church family and friends from First Baptist of Mentone, Indiana, for some much needed reconnecting and fellowship. On Wednesday however it is back to the daily grind. With this comes good news though; the winter season is upon us, and as a lawn and landscape professional there won't be as much on Malachi's plate in the coming weeks. He will be doing some plow driving this winter and since he will have some more time he will finally be able to get back to his internship at our church. We are hoping to make a few trips this winter and hope to get a chance to see all of you. For now we will leave you with just a little update on the kids.

Shiloh: Shi is growing like a weed. She's up and running now and has been for months. She is beautiful like her mom and a bit on the fiery side like her daddy,which should make for some rather interesting years to come. She is on the verge of talking on a more than just "mama" and "dada" basis, and is becoming quite the little helper, filling her role as big sister quite well.

Asher: Ash is a brute. He is already half  his sisters size at almost 22 inches and right around 10 lbs. He has held his head up since the day he came home from the hospital. His physical size and resilience come in handy as his big sister is still wrestling with how to handle him. Sometimes she wants to kiss him and other times she tries to hit him. All and all he is a great baby, he sleeps fairly well and he is for the most part quiet and content. We are looking forward to getting to see a little more of his personality in coming months.

Much love from the Pratts

Asher Malachi Pratt

Hey guys sorry for the serious lack of posts in the past few months but we are still working on getting internet hooked up at our house.  however we are at the hospital for the moment and so i figure i better update you as to our currant  situation.  first i would like to let you all know that our beautiful baby boy came to see the world on Saturday the 20th  at 11.15 am.  The labor yet again reminds me that my wife is one tough cookie as it went so fast she almost had him before the nurses could get an epidural ordered. That said. Asher Malachi Pratt, 8lbs 3.6oz, 21 inches long. He is a little brick. He can already lift his head up =).

Other than that  things are going well. i have spent the summer remodeling one of my mothers houses in return for staying there rent free. we are almost finished. just a few more things on the inside and we will be ready to jump on the exterior in the spring.  also i am working for a small lawn and landscape company, and keeping myself real busy. Kara has had her hands full this summer as well. she has been staying at home with shiloh, keeping a garden, attempting to learn to can and preserve, all the while she has been brewing up the little guy. This hasnt been the easiest task as she spent a good portion of the summer on bed rest and a few more weeks on limited activity. so needless to say she is glad that Asher is hear for more than just the fact that he is adorable.

Please be in prayer for us in the coming months as we start to look forward and plan for our next step. we are still planning on  attending the New Tribes Mission's MTC (Missionary Training Center)  August of 2013. However some potential ministry opportunities have been brought to our attention as of late that would allow us more time to grow  as a family as well as for me to gain some more much needed experience, before heading over seas. pray that the LORD would direct our path clearly so that we wont let good distract us from the best.

much love from the Pratts

Malachi, Karalise, Shiloh, and Baby Asher.

We are gonna have a boy!

Baby Boy:
We were so excited to find out yesterday that we are going to have a baby boy arriving in mid-october! His due date is October 16th and we will be nameing him Asher Malachi. Asher means "to smile/happiness" and Malachi means "Messenger of God". We were a bit shocked to find out a few months ago that I was pregnant again, but as the time gets closer and things are a bit less overwhelming with Shiloh, we are really getting excited about our little guy!
Please pray that he will continue to stay healthy and grow and that I won't have as many contractions so early on. (I'm 21 weeks along now)

Shiloh:
Shiloh is now 10 months old (everyone told me time would fly and it definitely has) and still brings so much joy to Malachi and I! She is now crawling everywhere and is attempting to walk and climb whenever she can get something to hang onto. She still has an instant smile, which we love as it just brightens up the day. Shiloh can now say "dada", "mama", and "mmm mmm"(more food, please) and has a constant little baby babble throughout the day.
Please pray for us as we continue to train her that we will have patience, wisdom, and consistency. Also, Shiloh seems to have some allergy and eczema problems. We have not been able to track down any triggers for her discomforts yet, so hopefully we can figure those soon to giver her some relief. Besides that, she is a very healthy and happy baby, so we are very thankful!

Moving, Again?!?
Yes, we have just moved once again. We are now (as of this week) living in the tiny town of Casnovia, Michigan. Its about 7 miles from our old house, so we are now even closer to family and our church. We were planning on going to Missouri to finish our training with New Tribes Mission this August, however we had a change of plans. Malachi met with the leadership of our church here at Kent City Baptist and they highly recommended that we stay in the area for 1 more year. They thought it would be best for our family with having another baby coming so soon and for us to continue to have more time to build relationships with the people at our church. They also would really like to see Malachi get some more teaching experience and to really develop that skill. Since we've been here he has done quite a bit of teaching, but mostly just for the kids and hasn't been able to teach the adults (mostly my fault, he pulled out of a lot when I was first pregnant because the morning sickness was so bad).

Please continue to pray for our family with the new adjustments to moving (including all the remodeling that needs done before we can unpack), as we train our children, and that we will use our time wisely.
Love,
The Pratts: Mac, Kara, Shiloh, and baby Asher

a busy-ish fall

so its been a rather jam packed fall. youth retreats, counseling sessions, family stuff...etc. so i will begin by stating that i (malachi) started a new job in early November, working at a recycling center in Grand rapids. i strip electronics down to plastic, metal, and computer chips. it is an amazing blessing. i have a believing boss who actually lets his faith have an impact on his daily life. this has been a great encouragment to me. also this is allowing us financially to begin looking toward the future and saving for the MTC. praise the Lord for this provision. Shiloh is growing like a weed, and has recently begun the exciting adventure that is teething. this has been a challenge for Kara. however she has also begun to interact with us a lot more and that makes being parents much more fun.

for the last few months i have been interning @ Kent City Baptist church. this has been a great time of growth for as i now have accountability and assignments to keep me reading books as well as in the word.

well its thanksgiving and our guests just arrived and ill have to finish later.

happy thanksgiving all

Shiloh all bundled up and ready to go on a walk with her daddy.
Micah (karas brother) had just shot a deer, so we dressed Shiloh up for the occasion
Last time we were in Indiana we were able to reconnect with some good friends, the Howells, Daileys and McQuades.

September Update

Shiloh:

Shiloh is now over 2 months old and she is continuing to grow, stay healthy, and still fascinate us with her smiles, expressions and little squeaks and coos. She had her 2 month check-up last week and she is now a whopping 10 pounds 3 ounces and 23 inches long. She is staying healthy except for a mark on her shoulder that is swollen and filled with blood, which we are getting checked out by a pediatrician next Wednesday. She has been given 2 lovely baby showers since I last wrote, one by First Baptist church in Mentone, IN and one by Kent City Baptist here in Michigan. We are so thankful for everyone's support, encouragement, and generosity!

Malachi:

Malachi is continuing to work for Tender Lawn Care, but keeping an eye out for more permanent and regular work for this fall and winter. He has had one interview and will have another this week, so please pray for wisdom as he considers other jobs. Right now he is getting pretty busy preparing for church activities and is involved in a men's Bible study on Monday nights as well as one on Friday morning. I have enjoyed watching him get involved wholeheartedly and to see him being an encouragement to those around him. Malachi is preparing lessons to be able to teach a course on Genesis, so please pray for clarity for him and that he will be able to organize his thoughts well and in a way that is understandable.

Malachi had an endoscopy a few weeks ago because of his stomach pain, everything came back ok, but he is still trying to figure out ways to control the pain and hopefully heal his esophagus and stomach. Right now we are trying a diet without meat (except for fish) and it seems to be helping some, but my carnivorous husband sure isn't enjoying it! He has another doctors appointment on Friday and hopefully the doc will have some more ideas of stuff we can try for Malachi's discomfort.

Karalise:

I'm staying at home with Shiloh right now, and though I thought I would get bored, I definitely am not! I've been staying very busy with nursing, changing poopy diapers, cooking, and some cleaning. I just started 2 ladies Bible studies which I am enjoying and it has been a great way to get to know some of the women in our church. I've also had a few opportunities to build some new friendships with ladies my age and I'm so thankful for the new friends God has given me. We both just started helping out with Youth group at Kent City Baptist (the church we attend and where Malachi went before we were married) and are looking forward to getting to know the teens better and building relationships with them. Life has been very busy lately so please pray that I will be organized and also flexible as things change. My headaches have been a lot worse this past week, so please pray for pain relief and that I won't take out any of my frustration on Mac.

Traveling to IN:

We were able to go down to IN this past weekend and really enjoyed seeing family and friends! Malachi took Micah (my 15 year old brother) hunting and was able to witness him shoot a button buck. We dressed Shiloh up in camouflage in honor of the occasion. :)

We also got to see all 3 of my close friends from high school along with their husbands and babies. We all got married and started having babies in the last 2 years, so that was fun! It was also great to be able to see friends from church that we haven't seen in several months, though we wish we would've have more time to visit with everyone.

Well a very cute little person just woke up wanting to eat, so I will have to post more, along with our pictures from this weekend at a later date...

Thanks for your prayers and interest!

Karalise (and Malachi and Shiloh)

wrong address...oops

So I was a bit sleep deprived when I updated our blog last and I typed in the wrong address. Our actual address is:

14166 Division Ave

Cedar Springs, MI 49319

Unpacking:

Things are going well although they are challenging as we continue to adjust to Shiloh and get settled in. We still have a few boxes to unpack and some stuff still stored at Malachi's parents house that we need to bring over here.

Work:

Malachi is still working doing lawn care, but he really does not like the job and it doesn't look like they will be able to keep him on for the winter snow removal crews, so he is looking for other work. He has applied for 2 post office jobs and will be taking the test for those within the next 2 weeks. please be praying as he studies for the tests and that the Lord will provide a job for him that Malachi enjoys and allows us to save more for our next phase of training.

Shiloh:

Shiloh is just over 1 month now, she is gaining weight well and staying healthy. Her tummy seems to bother her a lot in the evenings though as she has been VERY fussy/screaming in the evenings and at night. Please pray that the Lord would give us patience and wisdom as we deal with her and that we would be able to find ways to give her little tummy some relief from her discomfort. She is slowly starting to be more alert during the day and sleep a little more at night so her mama is very thankful for that. She is a little one with very definite opinions of what she does and does not like and she lets us know exactly when she wants to eat, wants changed and burped. She loves showers, baths, being held, music, bouncing, and being upright so she can see everything going on around her. She does not like taking naps in a room by herself, getting dressed, or being laid down when there is someone around to hold her. (In fact this post is taking quite a while to write as Shiloh keeps deciding that is not enough to lay next me, she wants me to hold her.)

Traveling:

Two weekends ago we had the privilege of attending two special events. The first was the 50th wedding Anniversary of my (kara's) Grandpa and Grandma Buck. It was so neat to be able to celebrate with them their 50 years of faithfulness, not many couples stay married for that long anymore and their example is a huge encouragement to us. They were able to celebrate with all of their kids and all but one of their grandchildren who is in Mexico on a missions trip. Shiloh loved all the attention and being constantly held. This is Shiloh with Great-grandma Buck.

The second was Malachi's brother Jared's wedding. We actually didn't make it to the wedding (cuz of driving back from IN) but the reception was great and Jared's bride Lisa looked gorgeous! We had fun hanging out with family and Mac and his brothers got some pretty entertaining pictures at the photo booth. Grandma Dee had fun showing off her little grandbaby to all the friends and fam that Shiloh hadn't met yet.

Mrs Shunk:

Wile we were in Indiana for Grandpa and Grandpa's50th, we were able to stop by and see a very special friend and prayer warrior. I have known Mrs Shunk since Jr High when my youth group used to go and do yard work for the elderly women in our church. Since then she has faithfully prayed for me and now also Malachi and Shiloh. Mrs Shunk is in her late nineties and is an amazing and godly woman, it was an honor to be able to introduce our daughter to her and to be able to visit with her for a few hours! we left her apartment very encouraged and excited as she is such a godly example and the love of Christ flows through her to those she talks to. Here's a picture of Shiloh and Mrs Shunk.

Well, Shiloh finally fell asleep so I need to run and get some dishes done before she wants to eat again! Thanks for all your prayers!

Malachi, Karalise, and Shiloh Pratt

Shiloh Eliana:

Shiloh was born on July 15th at 9:00pm, her due date. She is almost on month old now and is doing great. Malachi and I are enjoying being new parents although we are definitely very tired. She has gained over a pound since she was born and 3/4 of an inch. Having a new baby has definitely brought quite a few new changes. Malachi and I are both learning how to multitask better and we do not take the time that we get together for granted. I didn't realize just how much time and energy a new baby would take. It seems that just feeding Shiloh takes the majority of my time. Malachi is still working hard for Tender Lawn Care and he also helps quite a bit with Shiloh when he is home in the evenings. She loves her Daddy and still responds to his voice when she hears him get home from work.

House:

We were very blessed in that one week after Shiloh was born a woman from our church contacted us about a house that we could rent. She is giving us a great deal and we are so thankful to have a two bedroom house out in the country with lots of space. Our new address is:

16144 Division Ave

Cedar Springs MI 49319

We are still unpacking and getting settled in, this move is taking quite a bit longer now that we have a new member of our family who seems to want quite a bit of attention and she is just so cute that we can't seem to leave her alone. :)

We are really enjoying being in the GR area and its really nice to be so close to Malachi's family. We've been enjoying being able to spend time with them and I really like the opportunity to get to know everyone better. We are also enjoying going to Kent City Baptist Church although we have not been able to get involved there yet, though we are hoping to soon!

Thanks for your prayers!

Love,

Mac, Kara, and Shiloh Pratt

Malachi has a job!

Work:The last few weeks have been busy, but we have also gotten some much needed time to rest up after the craziness of the last few weeks of school and moving. Most of Malachi's time has been taken with searching for full time work in the Grand rapids area and also for a house (we are staying with his parents until we find something). He has found full time work at "Tender Lawn Care" and today is his second day there. we are very thankful for how God has provided! He is doing landscaping, lawn mowing, etc so its nice that it is something that is not completely new for him to learn.

Still looking for a house:

Please keep praying that we will find a house now that he has work nailed down and we have a better idea of what we will be able to afford and yet still save money for our next phase of training at the Missions Training Center in Missouri. Some of our friends and family helped us move our stuff from Jackson to here, so we really appreciated their help as we could not have done it all on our own.

The baby:

Our baby is due in a little less than 4 weeks now, so we are excited about being able to see her soon. We found a doctor in the area and we are going in for check-ups every week now. She is head down and things are looking good so far. Last week we were able to tour St Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids where we plan to have her, so it was neat to have a better idea of where things are.

Baby Showers:

Since I last wrote we have been given 2 wonderful baby showers and we are so blessed by everyone's generosity as we now have almost everything we need for our little girl to get here. One was given by my Mother-in Law and sisters-in-law and it as great to be able to see family that I haven't seen for a while! The other was given by our church family in Albion. We are so thankful for how the Lord has provided for what we needed for our baby!

Traveling:

This weekend we were able to travel down to Tennessee with a few of our friends for our very close friends Bob and Chelsea's Wedding. It was really neat to be able to be there as we watched them continue to commit their lives to the Lord in this new phase of their lives. The trip was long so hopefully we will recover quickly as Malachi is exhausted after 16 hours of driving and my feet are still pretty swollen.

Thanks again for your prayers and interest!

Mac, Kara, and Baby Pratt

We've Graduated!

This past Saturday we graduated from New Tribes Bible Institute, 2 years of intensely studying God's Word and also completing the first phase of our training to go with New Tribes Mission. We've had the privilege of studying through almost the entire Bible (there were a few electives that we we did not have the time to take).

So you may be wondering what we will be doing next? Our deans and the leadership at school have recommended that we take some time off to grow as a family before we head on to the Missions Training Institute in either Missouri or Canada. So we are going to be taking 1-2 years off from training. We are going to be moving to Grand Rapids during that time and are hoping to be able to save up some money for MTC as well as work on tracking down some health issues that could become a problem when we move overseas. We are looking forward to the time that we will have around our family and also our church in Kent City.

Right now we are staying in Indiana with Karalise's family for the week while Malachi does some work for some for some friends. Next week we will be heading for Grand Rapids, Michigan where we will be staying with Malachi's family until we can find a house. Malachi has some part-time work lined up for when we get there, but please pray that he will be able to find full-time work and an apartment.

Our baby continues to be growing and she is due in eight weeks so we are so excited to be able to meet her. She is around 3-3.5 pounds right now and continues to be very active, causing quite a bit of entertainment as we watch my belly.

Thanks for your prayers!

~the Pratts

We are graduating!

It seems that it was only just a few months ago that we arrived here at New Tribes Bible Institute to begin our two years of an in depth study of God's Word. However hard they may have been, the past two years have flown by and it seems there have also been quite a few changes along the way. We have learned so much in God's Word, yet we see we still have so much to learn. We have built some great friendships with fellow students and staff here at NTBI, and also with many people at our church in Albion. We have now been married two years (rather than just a few months), we have a baby girl on the way, and we have learned to live quite easily without running water in our little apartment. We are excited to see some of the changes that we will have in the coming years.

We graduate from NTBI this Saturday and after that we are looking to move to the Grand Rapids, MI area for the next 1-2 years as we learn how to be parents, work to save up for our next stage of training, and also hope to spend time with our family and at Kent City Baptist Church. The Leadership team here at the school thinks it would be best for us to take this time to just grow as a family before we go on with New Tribes Mission. Please pray that the Lord would provide both work and housing for us as those are still a bit up in the air.

If you would like to come to our graduation it is at 11:00am on Saturday and the address is:
Grace Church
2692 Dettman Rd
Jackson, MI 49201.
There will be a cake and punch reception for all the students back at the school after the ceremony.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and encouragement!
Malachi, Karalise, and Baby Girl Pratt

It's a girl!

Yesterday we had our ultra-sound! It was so fun to see our little baby moving around inside of me and it was super cool to find out that we are having a little girl! Everything seems to be fine with her, so we are thankful for that. Now the hard part, Malachi and I have to agree on a name (which we won't be disclosing until she is born...we have to have some sort of suspense).

Love Malachi, Karalise, and Baby Girl Pratt

happy valentines day!

SCHOOL:
Well, we just started our 2nd block here at New Tribes Bible Institute. It's been a bit of a gradual incline as things are starting to get busier and busier with our homework, especially for Malachi. We just finished studying Philippians and 1st and 2nd Thessalonians and Malachi is continuing to study Daniel and Revelation. On Thursday we started in on the Pastoral Epistles (1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus) and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John. Malachi is starting an elective this week to study Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

This semester we had an incoming class and we are enjoying getting to know some of the freshman couples and also that my brother TJ is here, though he seems to stay pretty busy with homework and with stuff going on for the singles, we enjoy seeing him every once in a while as well as pawning off leftover desserts to him and his roomies. :)

BABY AND KARA:

We are anxiously awaiting this coming Thursday as we have an ultrasound and if the baby cooperates we will be able to find out if its a boy or a girl! The baby is now 18 weeks old, around 5 inches long and weighs around 5-6 ounces. I don't think I've felt our baby moving yet, so i can't wait for that to happen!

I've been feeling quite a bit better as far as the nausea goes, most of the time i'm actually able to enjoy cooking again and poor Malachi no longer has to live off of egg sandwiches, toast, and cold cereal. I'm still having a lot of pain, but i think the majority of it is from my health issues from before.

MALACHI:

Mac is still working at Hot Topic he has anywhere from 5-15 hours a week depending on how busy they are. Though he doesn't have tons of hours we are still thankful for the work and also that when he isn't busy with work he is actually able to relax a bit instead of having to go non-stop all day long. He has been having a lot of sinus issues lately, especially sinus headaches, he's gone to the Doctor a few times but hasn't found anything that helps all that much, so this winter he has had some pretty miserable days. He has also been continuing to work on people's cars when he has extra time.

VALENTINES

Last night we got to go to a valentines banquet with some friends from church, it was so nice to get out for a while and not have any responsibilities, we were really blessed as another couple paid for our tickets. I enjoyed not having to cook or clean up as well as the laughter we enjoyed with our friends. The speaker was pretty cool too and we were challenged to really focus on our marriage and not just let things slide.

(the pictures are from last night)

Thanks for all your continued prayers! We really appreciate them!

Love, Malachi, Karalise, and Baby