2014 was a wild year for the Steeres: we moved from Kosovo to America to France and back again to the States. Now, as the new year begins, we find ourselves living more slowly, simply waiting for Baby to arrive. However, once our little 2015 kickstart comes, we'll be back to life full of ministry, community, and creativity.
Here's what to expect from the Steeres this year.
Here's what to expect from the Steeres this year.
Baby Steere
I am now 36 weeks pregnant, which means that Baby Steere could come at pretty much any time in the next 4-5 weeks. I continue to feel great, if a little tired, and baby keeps an active schedule of bouncing off the walls whenever I lay down. In France, someone prophesied that our baby would be a "free spirit" and from what I can tell, this is a very accurate description of our wild-and-wiggling kiddo. We are very excited to meet her/him face-to-face!
Thank you to all who have sent gifts and hand-me-downs, and who have prayed for us during this time. And thank you in advance for grace as we stumble through the first few months of parenthood. We will probably err on the hermit side, but I promise we'll eventually come out again to socialize with you.
Thank you to all who have sent gifts and hand-me-downs, and who have prayed for us during this time. And thank you in advance for grace as we stumble through the first few months of parenthood. We will probably err on the hermit side, but I promise we'll eventually come out again to socialize with you.
New Writing Projects
As you may have noticed, it's been pretty quiet around this blog. I took a little hiatus from writing, but am now back in the swing of things at a brand new domain: ElizabethSteere.com There, I continue my weekly musings on faith, culture, and life in ministry. If you enjoy those, you can sign up for the email updates at that site. If you only want updates on our life and ministry, this Weebly blog is still the place to be. Eventually, we plan to switch from a public blog to a private email newsletter, but I will use this email roster for that.
My favorite project thus far on the new blog has been writing a call and response piece on race and neighborliness with my dear friend Monica Prince. Check out "Dear Black Neighbor" and "Dear White Neighbor," and you'll see why it was such a difficult, but rewarding endeavor.
I also continue to write for Awaken Magazine, with recent articles on resisting the urge to nest and how to thrive in dark corners of the world.
My favorite project thus far on the new blog has been writing a call and response piece on race and neighborliness with my dear friend Monica Prince. Check out "Dear Black Neighbor" and "Dear White Neighbor," and you'll see why it was such a difficult, but rewarding endeavor.
I also continue to write for Awaken Magazine, with recent articles on resisting the urge to nest and how to thrive in dark corners of the world.
New Music Projects
In November, Sam went full steam ahead on his very first album. In a matter of weeks, he fundraised for, wrote, recorded, mixed, and mastered a beautiful Christmas album: "The First Noel." You can preview, download, or buy a physical copy of the album by clicking here.
Below is a fan-favorite from the album, "Merry Christmas, I Guess." A quirky original piece by Sam, sure to warm even the grinchiest of hearts.
Below is a fan-favorite from the album, "Merry Christmas, I Guess." A quirky original piece by Sam, sure to warm even the grinchiest of hearts.
Besides being a fun project for our furlough time, Sam's album has also been a major fundraiser for our upcoming move to France. Last weekend, we sold copies at our church by donation, and we received enough to pay for an entire plane ticket! Praise the Lord for the ability to use our talents and for the best patrons anyone could ask for!
In 2015, Sam hopes to work on an album of hymns, both new and old. He is also busy recording YouTube videos and building a Patreon portfolio. If you would like to follow/support his music, Patreon acts as a virtual "tip jar" for Sam and will give you access to his latest creations.
In 2015, Sam hopes to work on an album of hymns, both new and old. He is also busy recording YouTube videos and building a Patreon portfolio. If you would like to follow/support his music, Patreon acts as a virtual "tip jar" for Sam and will give you access to his latest creations.
Moving to France
We are still planning to move to St. Hippolyte du Fort, France in May to join the base staff at YWAM Bridges of Life. However, our plans with the base have taken an exciting turn. In our last update, we were leaving our work plans very open-ended, expecting to do a little of this and that on the base as we adjusted to life abroad with an infant. Several weeks ago, the base leaders contacted us to ask us if we would consider leading a Discipleship Training School—a huge undertaking that would put us in charge of curriculum, staff, and students for a six-month intensive school. Even though the proposition scared the daylights out of us--who us? leading the whole thing? with a baby??—we felt the peace of God prompting us to say a wholehearted YES.
So, come September, we'll be leading the One Thing DTS, acting as Mom and Dad to our baby and whoever else God calls to join the school. We are humbled and excited to step into this pastoral role, finally co-leading in the kind of egalitarian setting we've been longing for since we began mission work. We are expectant for all the ways God plans to use each of our giftings—even Baby Steere's!
Now, we are crunching the numbers and looking over all our paperwork, trying to nail down a monthly fundraising goal and get ourselves ready for the big move. We'll keep you updated on that process, though we are excited to say that we don't expect our daily expenses to be that much more than they were in Kosovo (about $1300 per month). We will have a higher start-up cost, as we'll be furnishing an apartment and shipping some items from the States to cut down on travel baggage (because 1 baby + 4 suitcases + 1 tiny European train is not a happy equation). But, again, we'll keep you posted once we have a better estimate. For now, we encourage all our supporters to listen to the voice of God. If he leads you to give to our ministry, great. If he leads you to invest your resources elsewhere, that's great too. He has always given us our daily bread, and we trust him for all our needs this coming year, too.
So, come September, we'll be leading the One Thing DTS, acting as Mom and Dad to our baby and whoever else God calls to join the school. We are humbled and excited to step into this pastoral role, finally co-leading in the kind of egalitarian setting we've been longing for since we began mission work. We are expectant for all the ways God plans to use each of our giftings—even Baby Steere's!
Now, we are crunching the numbers and looking over all our paperwork, trying to nail down a monthly fundraising goal and get ourselves ready for the big move. We'll keep you updated on that process, though we are excited to say that we don't expect our daily expenses to be that much more than they were in Kosovo (about $1300 per month). We will have a higher start-up cost, as we'll be furnishing an apartment and shipping some items from the States to cut down on travel baggage (because 1 baby + 4 suitcases + 1 tiny European train is not a happy equation). But, again, we'll keep you posted once we have a better estimate. For now, we encourage all our supporters to listen to the voice of God. If he leads you to give to our ministry, great. If he leads you to invest your resources elsewhere, that's great too. He has always given us our daily bread, and we trust him for all our needs this coming year, too.
Between a baby, a move, and a school, 2015 is bound to be an exciting year for us!
Please keep us in your prayers: for a good birth, a happy transition into parenthood, continued creativity, the wisdom to lead well in France, daily provision, and God's faithful presence in all these areas.
We are so thankful for each one of you, and we pray that you have an abundant year!
Love,
Liz, Sam, and Baby Steere
Please keep us in your prayers: for a good birth, a happy transition into parenthood, continued creativity, the wisdom to lead well in France, daily provision, and God's faithful presence in all these areas.
We are so thankful for each one of you, and we pray that you have an abundant year!
Love,
Liz, Sam, and Baby Steere
