Kindred Spirits

KINDRED SPIRITS

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous Fall day. There was a cool, gentle breeze and every now and then you could see a gold or brown leaf floating lazily to the ground.
Everyone wanted to be outside—this is the perfect time of year to me! Fall has arrived and I love it.

A friend whose son plays baseball with Alex came over to our house to provide haircuts for our boys. She comes to the ranch every few weeks and provides haircuts for $5. It is such a blessing for us for two reasons. Trying to fit haircuts for 10 into an extremely busy schedule is difficult…. and expensive, too! (Ten times anything is a lot!) It’s great for her, too, because she is a single mom and can use the extra money. A couple of the other housemoms brought some of their boys over for haircuts as well. In all, I think she cut about 17 heads last night.

So needless to say, as seems to be the case for us wherever we are, we had a revolving door going on with kids coming in and out for haircuts, stopping to visit with friends, hanging around in the driveway shooting hoops, adults chatting, etc.

This day is, also, the end of what we call “Home Visit Weekend”. Many of the kids at the Ranch had gone “home” or to visit other relatives for the weekend. This happens a couple of times during the year. The children go to Grandma’s or Aunt’s or a family friend, etc. and just have a chance to be part of their family (if that is a possibility). For some, that is not an option and they stay here at the Ranch.

Anyway, the kids who had been gone for the weekend began coming home. This usually isn’t much of a big deal. Most actually seem ready to come back to their ranch home and the security and stability that they receive here. However, we now have the youngest boy we’ve had in our home (a small 9 year old, weighing in at 50 pounds) and things would prove to be a little different this time.

Mike and I were both in the house chatting with one of the other housemoms who was here with her boys for haircuts (actually the boys had already left, but she was just hanging out, visiting, enjoying the party). Mike looked at me and said, “Uh-oh, I think we may be needed outside”. He heard “Littleman”, as we sometimes call our 9 year old, wailing. We hastened out the back door and sure enough, there he was clinging to his daddy, not wanting to let him go. We are talking gigantic crocodile tears accompanied by red, puffy eyes—REAL tears, not the contrived ones we have seen from time to time used in an effort to gain attention or a break from discipline.

He turned to us and said that he didn’t want to have to leave his mommy (back at the hospital) or his daddy now. He was truly heartbroken. I reached out to him and he came and clung to me with all of his might, sobbing (Thank you, God, that we did not have to pry him off of his daddy). Boy, talk about taking your breath away. Of course, this was hard for his dad, too. Probably, the hardest thing a loving dad could ever have to do and he IS a very loving dad. He hugged him goodbye a couple of more times and then had to turn and leave.

Meanwhile, the revolving door is still revolving. Someone is sitting on the steps waiting his turn for a haircut, a few are playing basketball, etc. There is one boy standing nearby who seems to be really taking all of this in. He is a high school senior, tough-guy, awesome football player who has been at the Ranch for five years. Did I say tough-guy? I don’t mean one of those tough-guy, gentle giant types—I mean tough as in steel (cold, hard steel—that doesn’t bend or break)! He’s been hardened by a tough past and it’s actually a miracle of God that he is still at the Ranch. For some reason, he is one of those boys you don’t want to give up on, no matter how many times he has been in trouble, fights, etc. I’ve had a special place in my heart for him since the very first day that we came to visit Big Oak Ranch.

As things began to settle down a bit, Mike went back inside to keep the haircut rotation going and I continued standing with “Littleman” just hugging and talking. The tough guy walks over to us and puts his arms around both of us and looks down so gently and says, “You okay there, little man?” The three of us stood there hugging for a long couple of minutes as the breeze blew gently around us and a leaf or two fell to the ground. Not much was said, but I felt that those two kindred spirits bonded in a way that few of us can really understand.

Maybe, just maybe, a new season has begun in more than one way.

Lord, I pray for Littleman (and his Daddy)
and Tough Guy
and all of the broken hearts at Big Oak Ranch.

Late Summer Update- Finally!

Holy Cow!  Here it is the end of August and we are just now giving a summer update.  Guess that indicates that our summer was a little busy…   It was!  Going into the summer, we were worried about what we would do with “all that spare time” and the “boys being out of school.”  Well, summer school, football workouts, basketball workouts and summer baseball quickly took care of that.  Before we knew it, it was time for our annual Panama City Beach trip.  Then, back to school. 

 

OUR FAMILY GROWS

Our family has gone through more changes since our last update.  Patrick has left the ranch and we have added Bryan and brothers, Steve and Aaron.  Our three new boys have brought much joy, laughter and love to our lives.  We now have seven boys!  Alex (13), Nic (13), Steven (15), Jordan (14), Bryan (15), Steve (15) and Aaron (9).  The boys are getting along quite well (with usual sibling skirmishes) and we really feel like our house is “stabilizing” and “maturing” in many ways.  The boys are very good at taking care of Aaron, although they do love to pick on him (because he’s so darn expressive). 

 

SUMMER ACTIVITIES

Some of the things we did get to do this summer--- swimming in the ranch pool, swimming/canoeing in the lake at the Girl’s ranch, jumping off cliffs at Little River Canyon, lots of baseball tournaments, “slippy sliding”, going bowling and skating, visiting “Aunt Joy and Uncle Jimmy’s house” and watching a lot of movies at home when it was too hot to do anything else.  Our boys attended Student Life Camp and several participated in mission activities at a Chattanooga inner-city nursing home. We were also blessed by visits from Peter McMilion, “Cousin Cissy” and family, Mike’s brother David and family, and the Moores and Merritts from Pensacola.  Andrew brought Jeremy Jenkins and Haley brought her friend Whitney to visit.

 

LOVE AND LOSS

Steven’s mom had not been able to visit him at the ranch due to health challenges.   So, for his 15th birthday, in conjunction with our trip to Pensacola, we were able to arrange a surprise birthday reunion for Steven, his twin brother Stephan, and their mother, Glenda, at Lambert’s “House of Throwed Rolls” in Foley.  That was July 18th.  On July 31st, their mother passed away resting in the knowledge that her baby boys were happy, well taken care of and succeeding at Big Oak Ranch.  We were blessed to be able to travel to Mobile and share in the celebration of her life with Steven’s nine brothers and sisters and extended family.   Since that time, Steven has truly embraced us and Big Oak Ranch as his home.   God’s timing and ways continue to amaze us.   Thanks to Carol and Marty Norden for their help in making the reunion possible and for their hospitality while we were in Mobile.  For the past year and a half, they have gone above and beyond to help minister to these boys and their entire family. 

 

PENSACOLA TRIP

The highlight of the summer was our trip to Pensacola Beach.  There, our friends Greg and Tara Woodfin generously provided us a place to stay at the beach; Dale, Sheila and Chandler Moore took us deep sea fishing and to the Blue Angels show on Reel Grace.; Jerry Mistretta fed us a great Cajun meal, Steve and Cindy Smith took us tubing and boat riding, Cindy Smith and Sheila Moore stocked our kitchen with all types of goodies; Patti and Louis McMilion hosted us at their pool and fed us like kings; Walter Pierce treated us to a morning at Portofino Resort; and Greg and Joy Hodges provided us with a cooler-load of fresh, filleted snapper and trigger fish.  Dale Moore (the party planner) coordinated all of this. What a great group of friends!  Needless to say, the boys (and the Perkins) had a blast.  They have been talking about it all summer and asking “when are we going back to Pensacola?”  They even asked if it was possible to move the boys ranch to Pensacola Beach.   We told them they would have to take that up with John Croyle.   

 

MIDLAND CITY/PANAMA CITY

Just two weeks after our Pensacola trip, we were packing up again for a 10 day trip to Midland City to stay a couple of days with Mimi and Papa, and then a week at Panama City Beach for a retreat with the entire boys and girls ranch.  We also got to stay a couple of days at Aunt Joy and Uncle Jimmy’s beach condo.  We did everything from riding four wheelers and shooting shotguns at the farm, to visiting Sylvan Grove Methodist Church and having dinner at “Aunt Jill and Uncle Scotts”,  to playing volleyball, riding go karts and water slides at the beach.  There were 202 ranch children and staff members at the beach retreat!  A great time was had by all.  At the end of if all, Mom and Pop Perkins were wiped out and ready for school to start.

 

BACK TO SCHOOL

School started on August 15th and the boys are back in their school routine.   All of them have started strong academically.   Steven made the highest grade he’s ever made on a recent physical science test, and Aaron memorizes Bible verses like the days of the week.  Alex loves being in Mid High where he can attend “High School Chapel” on Fridays.  We are finally catching up with all the things that fell through the cracks while the boys were at home and while we were traveling.  It promises to be a very busy Fall.  We have four boys playing JV Football (Bryan, Steven, Jordan and Nic), Steven is also in the “Drumline”.  Alex is playing travel baseball with at least one weekend tournament a month.  That means we will be attending two football games a week and a lot of baseball games.  Once football is over, Alex and Steven will be playing school basketball, then baseball. 

 

Coordinating the schedules, academics, meals, clothing and medical care for seven boys keeps our heads spinning.  We have one “off weekend” per month and when it comes, we are ready!  In fact, we sort of pass out…  Mike just turned 50 and Kim turns 50 on September 25th, so we have to dig deep to find the energy to keep up with all these teenagers.

 

ANDREW, HALEY AND ALEX

Andrew is back in school for his second year at Cumberland School of Law.   He will continue to work part-time for the Cochran Firm in Birmingham.  We were blessed to be able to visit with him several times this summer.  Haley spent the summer waitressing at Landry’s in Pensacola and is now back for her Junior year at Auburn (technically, she is a second semester Junior).  We were pleased to hear that David and Donna Woods’ daughter, Dana, pledged Alpha Gamma Delta and will be Haley’s sorority sister.  Too cool! Lots of other friends with kids going to Auburn this year.  Should be a fun time for all of them.  Haley was recently blessed to be invited to join a very select accounting honorary that should open a lot of job opportunities for her.  She is a Marketing major, but has done quite well in a number of accounting courses.  Apparently, all of the major CPA firms and large businesses use this honorary as a recruiting vehicle.   Haley continues to express an interest in teaching—so it will be interesting to see what transpires over the next year.  Alex continues to excel in school and is VP of the Mid High SGA at Westbrook.  His baseball team won the championship for the Coosa Cal Ripken League and he played shortstop, center field and pitcher for the All Star Team.  They finished third in the state tournament (although we had the talent to beat every team there, we were tripped up by a superstar pitcher in single elimination finals).  Now, it is on to travel baseball and getting ready for basketball season.  He was fortunate to be selected for the Mid High “A” team and is the only seventh grader on that team.  He decided to bypass football this Fall so he can work on his basketball skills in the afternoons. 

 

OUR MINISTRY AT BIG OAK

This ministry has proven to be the most challenging thing we have every done.  It stretches our energy, our patience, our sense of humor and our parenting skills.  We miss our friends and family a great deal and particularly miss the flexibility of being able to travel and visit “at will.”  But, this is a God-blessed place and program, and the school is first rate!  We continue to be blessed by the knowledge that we are serving God’s children and helping our boys learn how Godly young men should act, to stay alcohol and drug free, and to be healthy, well-fed and well-educated.  Things that most of us take for granted.  Sometimes, it is a thankless task.   The boys’ “love tanks” have often been drained or stopped up.  But, we are now starting to see and experience some of the fruits.   Increased health, better hygiene, academic progress (and stability), healthier meals, good, clean fun, better manners, occasional hugs and “thanks.” 

 

ENDLESS LOVE

God answers prayers when we least expect it.  On Mike’s birthday eve, we were blessed to receive Aaron and Steve into our home.  These young men are truly grateful for everything they have been given here.  “Wow, my own bed”; “These are the nicest clothes I have ever had;”  “I love my glasses- I can really see now.”  Aaron is absolutely full of love.  He has hugs and kisses for everyone.  He cried his first day of school because “I miss my housepop.”  His nightly prayers start off with “Thanks for Mom and Pop, for my housebrothers and for my teachers.”  Although his boundless energy can be exhausting, his endless love energizes even the most weary.  Just what we needed, just when we needed it most.   We are most blessed by his presence.

 

PRAY, CALL AND WRITE

We don’t have the time or flexibility to travel and stay in touch with our friends and family as much as we would like.  That is the truly the toughest part of this ministry.  So, we have to count on you to call and visit.  We always have room and time for visitors.  We love to “show off” our boys, our home and the Big Oak Ranch.  We love receiving phone calls, letter and emails.  You cannot imagine how encouraging they are to us.  Also, our boys love meeting our friends and family.   It helps them to appreciate the importance of developing and nurturing close, lifelong relationships.  We mostly appreciate your prayers.  Please pray for our energy, for our health, for our wisdom and perseverance.   Please pray for our boys and for Andrew, Haley and Alex.    

Our email addresses are cphmap@aol.com and kimperky@aol.com.

 

Thanks and come see us.  

Mike, Kim, Alex, Nic, Steven, Jordan, Bryan, Steve and Aaron

 

Spring Update from our Family

Wow- How time flies!  We have been at Big Oak Ranch over eight months now.  We really enjoyed the wonderful winter weather-- and hoped it would last a while longer-- when, all of a sudden, the robins are back, the dogwoods are blooming, and the grass is turning green again. The pollen is thick in the air and our allergies are driving us crazy. That's okay because Spring brings a certain "feel" of excitement, new beginnings, fresh air and growth. 

While our family continues to experience changes, some of our boys have been with us long enough that they are starting to feel like this is truly their home. Patrick joined us last November. Nic and Steven came shortly afterward.  Tim left the ranch in February and is hoping to enter the Job Corp.  He is a very loving young man and we wish him much success as he seeks to learn a trade and enhance his life experience.  In March, Jordan joined us-- just in time for Spring Break!  Jordan is 13 and in the 7th grade.  Our family now consists of Steven (14; 7th grade), Patrick (14; 7th grade), Jordan, Nic (13; 6th grade) and Alex (12; 6th grade).  Five teen-aged boys; not many dull moments around here! 

Steven, Nic and Patrick recently made decisions to renew their spiritual vows and were baptized at Meadowbrook Baptist Church.  We are proud of them for making that important decision.  All of our boys are Christians and are making a valiant effort to walk closer with God (not always easy for teenaged boys)...

Speaking of Spring Break, we had an awesome one!  Along with the Ryan Family (our next door neighbors), we drove to Snowshoe, West Virginia, and took the boys snow skiing (11 boys; 4 adults). We were greeted by 10" of new-fallen snow and cold temperatures.  Truly a winter wonderland.  Most of the boys had never seen "real snow" before so that was a real treat.  As the week progressed, the snow melted and the temps rose but the skiing remained fantastic.  By the end of the week, we were skiing in t-shirts.   All of the boys learned to ski or snowboard and many of them were conquering black diamond slopes at week's end.  Ironically, the main attraction for our boys was the pool.  Snowshoe has a great indoor-outdoor heated pool with hot tubs and saunas.  The boys spent every evening playing in the pool.  Well, I have to admit, there were a few girls that might have had some part in drawing them there...

Alex will become a teenager on May 16th.  While at times it can be frustrating to have to share your mom and dad with others who are hungry for attention, Alex continues to be patient, understanding of our ministry and appreciative of the limited one-on-one time we have with him. Fortunately, he really enjoys school at Westbrook Christian and stays very active in sports. He has made a lot of great friends at school and they often spend the night at the ranch or invite him to stay with them in town.  He just completed basketball season and baseball season is already in full swing. He is playing shortstop/pitcher for the "Yankees" in the Coosa Baseball League and is batting in the 500 range.  A lot of his close friends are on his team, so he is enjoying himself (and they are winning).   They are the favorites to win the league but there is some pretty stiff competition.

Easter weekend was a real blessing.  Although we sorely missed being able to visit with our extended family, Andrew and Haley were able to join us at the Ranch for the weekend.  The boys really enjoy hanging out with both of them.  Andrew plays basketball with them and "slays" them in video games.  We attended an inspiring service at church and the boys got Easter baskets (some for the first time in years).   They actually even agreed to let us take some Easter pictures (without much of a fight).  I think they were proud to show off their new Easter shirts.

A few other activities we have been involved in:  restoring a junked go-kart, rock climbing at Sand Rock, attending a Harlem Globetrotters game, watching Steven and Alex play baseball, swimming in the ranch "swimming hole" (some of us are in the "Polar Bear Club"), going to a youth retreat weekend at Shocco Springs, helping with baseball practice and working to get in shape for next football season. 

Andrew will soon successfully complete his first year at Cumberland Law School. He was very fortunate to obtain a summer clerkship at the "Cochran Firm" in Birmingham.  He will soon find out if criminal law is really his cup of tea.  Haley has decided to spend her summer taking a couple of classes and waiting tables at Landry's in Pensacola.  She wanted to spend one more summer with all her hometown friends (and making some decent money) before she has to get a "real job."  She is burning up her business classes at Auburn (all A's last semester) and is really starting to lean toward accounting as a possible career choice.  She was recently selected for the Golden Key Honorary (top 15% of class). 

Mike has added a new educational/vocational credential-- He obtained his CDL license and now drives the school bus one week out of every 6 weeks (in rotation with other CDL-licensed housedads).  What a hoot that is!  You have to see it and experience it to believe it.  He is thinking about having some cards printed that read "Michael A. Perkins, J.D., CDL".  Kim serves as "bus monitor" when Mike drives.  Talk about testing your patience and mental stability!  Imagine being surrounded by 45 kids of all ages and stages  (some of whom woke up on the wrong side of the bed) in a big tin can for about half an hour each way.  She will very soon be certified as boxing referee, mediator and comedian-- all those skills are finely honed on the bus. 

While there are many challenges involved with raising children from broken homes, it is clear that Big Oak Ranch is truly a God-inspired and blessed place. We continue to be amazed at how the Holy Spirit leads John, the directors, staff and us in the "big picture" and in the day-to-day situations and decisions.  At a recent staff meeting, John Croyle announced that 7 out of our 8 2007 high school graduates will be attending college.  There will also be 3 weddings of girls who grew up at the Girls' Ranch and are coming back to exchange vows and celebrate their weddings with their Ranch families.  Once a child truly accepts Big Oak Ranch as his or her home (not all make that choice), we become their family for life.  It makes us break out in goose bumps (and tears)  when we hear the testimonies of some of the children who have trusted in and grown from the love of God, and the training and love provided by the Ranch familes and staff.  They truly have a new lease on life and, in many cases, have broken multi-generational cycles of addiction, abuse, neglect, illiteracy or whatever "challenges" they brought with them when they came.

We are sorry that our updates aren't was frequent as we intended.  But finding time to sit down and think/writeis more difficult than we imagined.  We have finally made time to take daily "prayer walks" around the Ranch.  This refreshes our bodies and our spirits.  This place is really beautiful and we often have to pause to remind ourselves of just how blessed we are to be able to serve in such an incredible environment. 

Blessings to our families and friends, and to all who have supported us and Big Oak Ranch in your thoughts and prayers.  Email us, visit us, pray for us. 

Mike's email is cphmap@aol.com.  Kim's is kimperky@aol.com.

Mike, Kim, Alex, Andrew, Haley, Patrick, Steven, Nic and Jordan

 

 

New Years Greetings

Happy New Year from the Perkins Family at Big Oak Ranch! 

We survived the month of December and our first Christmas at the ranch.  As you can imagine, family holidays are highly emotional times for the boys (and for the houseparents...).  Our boys had a great Christmas morning with us, then some were able to spend a few days on "home visits" with extended family.  They are all back now and seem happy to be back with us.  We will start back into our school routine on Thursday, January 4th. 

This was a different kind of Christmas for us.  While there was plenty of good Christmas cheer, we really missed being at our home of 20 years with our children, their friends home from college, and our long-time friends. That sense of longing was somewhat offset by the excited faces of the kids when they opened their presents on Christmas morning. 

We did get to continue our tradition of spending Christmas evening and the next day with Kim's family in Midland City, Alabama.  Nick, our new 12 year old, joined us and had a great time with his "new cousins."  We were also able to squeeze in a last minute visit to Pensacola.   Prior to this visit, we have been too busy to be homesick but we have to say that it was great to be home again.  We would have enjoyed staying longer and getting to visit with everyone but we had to get back to the ranch to take care of our boys and our 5 new baby puppies who were born the night before we returned.  Sandy, an abandoned lab-mix, moved in with us about 6 weeks ago.  She has fit in quite well with our "mixed" family.  Little did we know that she would expand our family so quickly.     

We are learning some of the "ropes" of being houseparents and hope that we can continue to improve in this new year.  While some of our parenting experience has been helpful, there is much to learn about parenting the children who are now in our care. Their life experiences have been far different than most.  

Please keep us and our children in your prayers as we grow in this ministry and adjust to life away from our longtime friends and home.  Also, keep our new children in your prayers as they learn to live within our extended family at Big Oak Ranch.

Wishing you a Blessed 2007-- Mike, Kim, Andrew, Haley, Alex, Tim, Steven, Patrick and Nick

 

 

Christmas at Big Oak Ranch

The Spirit of Christmas is alive and well at Big Oak Ranch.   The boys are eagerly anticipating Christmas Day but are constantly reminded that Christmas is really about "Christ among us."  Yesterday started off with a sponsored shopping trip to Target.  You should have seen the excitement as the boys' and girls' rushed around buying gifts for themselves, friends and extended family.  Last night's ranch Christmas party culminated in a beautiful ceremony of the younger children spreading the light from one candle (signifying Jesus' birth) throughout a darkened room.  We all sang "Silent Night" as the light was shared from one person to another and the room was illuminated by two hundred little candles.   What a wonderful illustration of how Christ has lightened our world. 

We wanted to take this opportunity to share a few pictures from this week and to wish you and your family a Blessed Christmas.  Stay in touch and come visit us. 

Many friends have asked for our physical address.  It is 250 Jake Mintz Road, Gadsden, AL  35905.  We have enjoyed receiving your Christmas cards and watching your families grow. 

With Love-- Mike, Kim, Alex, Andrew, Haley, Tim, Patrick, Nick and Steven

Seasons Change, Christmas Approaches

We apologize that our updates have not been as frequent as we had hoped.  Our time and energy has been stretched beyond our expectations.   But, God has been good to give us the ability to spend our time where needed most.  And your prayers have helped sustain us through trying times and good times. 

Already, we have been through seasons of change.  Chaz and Mitchell are no longer in our home or at the ranch.  The effort and discipline required to change to a small private school and to live in a structured home (with firm rules and boundaries) are often too much when you have previously lived in a mostly self-governed environment. The ranch gives boys lots of chances to succeed, but the boys have to really want to make positive changes in their lives.   We stay in touch with Chaz and Mitchell and they seem to be doing okay-- but please help us keep them surrounded by prayer. 

Our deep sense of loss has been softened by the addition of some new boys in need. We have been blessed to add four new boys to our household:  Tim, aged 16; Steven, aged 14;  Patrick, aged 13; and Nic, aged 12.   These boys are all excited to have a loving home and room to roam.  They have already brought a great deal of joy and laughter to our lives. 

Tim and Patrick were able to spend Thanksgiving with us and Kim's family in Birmingham.  We had a great family time together.  Unfortunately, Patrick took a fall down some steep stairs and knocked loose two of his front permanent teeth.  Thanks to timely advice from our good Pensacola friend, Dr. Charles Stavely (Thanks, Charlie, for letting us interrupt your Thanksgiving gathering), we quickly got him to the emergency room and an oral surgeon was able to secure the teeth until we could get him to a pediatric dental specialist.  Patrick and Mike spent most of Thanksgiving Day at the ER.  Time will tell but it looks like the teeth will survive! 

On his first Sunday at the ranch, Tim made a public profession of faith at Church.  We are so proud of him and his commitment to Christ.

Patrick and Tim attended school dances Saturday night.  They were so excited that they dressed in their suits at 11:00 Saturday morning for pictures (on their own volition)!  They both looked very handsome all dressed up.   Nic's idea of dressing up is camo and cowboy boots.  He is a fun-loving young man and keeps us quite entertained.   Steven just joined us.  He is quiet and athletic-- should fit in great. 

Alex is doing well in school and has transitioned from football to basketball.  He is playing on a church league team with several of his friends from school.  Haley is continuing to do very well at Auburn and visits us often (about two hours away).  Andrew is preparing for his first set of law school finals but we also manage to see him fairly often.  Please keep him in your prayers as he goes through finals. 

The holidays are especially tough on the children as they are separated from their biological relatives.  The ranch staff does a great job of trying to fill their time with fun, reflection and gifts (giving and receiving).  Our children have lots of activites planned for the Christmas holidays-- movies, plays, shopping trips and play time. 

This is also a great time to reflect upon our blessings.  The ranch is blessed to have many dedicated supporters.  We have doctors, dentists, and veterinarians who donate services.  They are joined by companies, churches, schools and individuals who donate food, services, clothing, gifts and money.   With over 100 children, 18 houses and vehicles, hundreds of acres and a large staff-- it takes a lot to sustain this ministry.  It is really quite amazing how so many people pitch in to make it all work out.

Thanks for your love and prayers.   We love hearing from you and we especially love visitors.  So please stay in touch and plan to visit.  We wish you all a very blessed Christmas.   Mike and Kim

New Pictures of "Life at Big Oak"

Praise God-- It was a great week at Big Oak last week.  Our boys all made "A's" on tests and did well at home, school and on the football field.  Mitchell's JV team is undefeated.  Though the varsity lost a close one Friday night, Chaz led the team in tackles and recovered two fumbles.  He also got to see his grandma and relatives from Louisiana.  Alex's team is playing their first year in a very competitive league and continues to learn a lot of "life lessons".   He is a resilient soul and keeps giving it his best. 

Had a great visit from Mike and Cindy Smith last week.  So good to see our wonderful friends from home.  Cindy brought some beautiful mums for the front porch.  Mike brought some great stories from home. 

Kim has been enjoying a Beth Moore Bible Study on the Book of Daniel at a local church.  She is being a great "mom" for our boys and providing a lot of love and wisdom.  She is also largely responsible for encouraging them in their schoolwork. 

Mike is enjoying being a "pop" and role model for the boys.  Last Monday, they worked on the tree fort together.  He and Alex got to join some other ranch families and go to the Talladega 500 for the Saturday Nextel Cup qualifying and Craftsman truck race.  Mike and Alex also got to help with the Legends of Bama tournament (a big fundraiser for the ranch) and had the chance to meet a lot of Alabama football heros of the past.  David Thoms benefit tournament is this week and Mike will be helping transport golf pros from the airport to the hotel and Old Overton golf course in B'ham.  Should be fun.

We finally sold our Toyoto and found a great used Suburban.  We use the RV (ranch van) for most things and use our car for personal trips.  Glad to have that hassle behind us so we can continue to focus on our mission here. 

God has blessed us in so many ways.  We love and appreciate all of you and continue to enjoy your emails, notes and visits.  We especially appreciate your prayers.  Mike, Kim and Alex. 

OUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS CPHMAP@AOL.COM