The Fiscus Buzz 2009

At Christmastime we publish a summary of memorable family events for the year. Here's our 2009 newsletter:

January

• Jane continues to sub at Pioche Elementary.
• Mitch has sinus surgery to bring some relief from severe and frequent sinus infections and headaches.

February

• Jane’s Grandma Freda passes away in Indiana.
• Nicole plays intramural basketball at school.

March

• We celebrate our one-year anniversary at Berean Baptist Church.
• Our church publishes a cookbook with proceeds benefiting its ladies’ ministry.
• The church interior is painted.
• Mitch baptizes three this month.

April

• Mitch celebrates the big 4-0! Our church family surprises him with a party.
• Jake, our black lab, turns 1 year old.
• Mitch baptizes one this month.

May

• Our school district plans to go to a four-day school week in the fall to reduce costs (which would reduce the number of subs needed). We pray about the economic change this will mean for us.
• We plant our first Pioche garden (lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and onions). Mitch builds a deer-proof fence for it so we don’t have to share our garden with the deer.
• Nicole joins the girl’s softball team.
• Mitch baptizes one this month.

June

• Nicole participates in a 4-H horsemanship camp.
• Our church celebrates a great week of VBS with an Australian theme. Several kids trust Christ as their Savior. We end the week with an Outback carnival, complete with an inflatable bounce house/rock wall/slide. Four summer missionaries help us during the week.
• Mitch finds a discarded basketball goal at our landfill and puts it to good use in the church’s parking lot.
• Jane is one of three leaders for a 5th/6th grade 4-H cooking club in Pioche.
• Jane begins a certified nursing assistant (CNA) training program at our county hospital and hopes to work at the hospital to offset the lack of substitute jobs in the upcoming school year. Interestingly, at the same time a one-year teaching position is advertised at Pioche Elementary. Jane prayerfully applies and we wonder which of the two might be God’s will.

July

• Jane is hired to teach 2nd grade at Pioche Elementary.
• Jane completes her CNA training and wonders how God may use this in our future.

August

• We take a much-needed family vacation in Las Vegas.
• Nicole starts 4th grade and Jane begins teaching at Pioche Elementary.
• The church’s exterior is painted.

September

• Berean has a church yard sale in the morning then sets up a ministry booth in the afternoon to give out free water and gospel tracts at the park during the town’s big Labor Day celebration.
• We buy a go-cart and Nicole learns to drive!

November

• Mitch’s mom and Jane’s parents spend Thanksgiving with us in Pioche.

December

• Nicole turns 10.
• Mitch baptizes one this month.

We have seen God at work in profound and sovereign ways throughout this past year! Thank you for your prayers for us and for the ministry here.

Love,

Mitch, Jane, and Nicole