We're still trying to dig ourselves out from under a sea of boxes here on Argyle Road, and we still don’t have an internet connection hooked up at the house! But in addition to all of the unpacking and settling in, there have been significant milestones for us nearly every day since our arrival here in London two weeks ago today. Shanna has kept busy trying to make our house a home, and Dawson has started getting his feet wet with some basic ministry responsibilities with the church as we continue to learn about and explore our new ministry context. 

Today’s milestone, and probably one of the biggest so far, is that Joshua (16) started school as a year eleven at The Fulham Boys School! To say that school dress codes in the U.K. are a bit *ahem* -different- from what we’re used to back in Texas might be a bit of an understatement, but Joshua seems pretty proud of his school uniform (coat and tie is the standard uniform for boys at just about every school in the U.K.), and strutted around the house like a peacock with it on Saturday night when he tried it all on together for the first time!

Please pray for school placements for our younger two, Caleb (14) and Mary Elisabeth (12). Unfortunately, Fulham Boys was completely full for Caleb’s year but he is at the top of their waitlist and we are hoping a placement may open up for him there soon. In the U.S., we would simply show up at the local school with a utility bill in hand to prove our address and the schools pretty much have to take them on, but in the U.K., school placements are not quite so simple. We have applied at several area schools for Caleb and Mary Elisabeth, and are still waiting for a placement. In the meantime, they have no complaints whatsoever about enjoying a really long extended Christmas holiday while they wait.