There's "snow" place like Pioche!

Jake the snow dog:

and his igloo kennel:

Travis & Linda visit Pioche

Last weekend we were blessed to host our friends Travis & Linda from Fort Worth. We enjoyed having them in our home, showing them around the area, introducing them to our church family, and worshiping them. They were a tremendous encouragement to us and it was just a wonderful weekend. Wouldn't you like to see beautiful Pioche and worship with us at our church? We are always blessed to host friends and family.

Thank you for your continued prayers for us and for the ministry here. Jane has just begun a new ladies' Bible study (Beth Moore's Daniel) with 25 ladies participating. Mitch will start a new preaching series on eschatology.

Nicole would like you to know that she had a great Christmas. She got Dance Praise (a computer game with dance mat), a snow cone machine, and other wonderful things. She invites you to come over and eat a snow cone and try beating her score at Dance Praise.

Thanks, again, for your prayers.

Fiscus Family Christmas Hip Hop

Click here to see the Fiscus family do a little hip hop. Then click the back button to return to our blog and leave us a comment. (Note: This dance will not be available after 1/15/10. So hurry!)

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

Nicole's 10th Birthday

Nicole has enjoyed celebrating her 10th birthday over the last several days. It began the day before Thanksgiving when she received a package from Wyoming and ended today, a day after her actual birthday, with a party with friends. Nicole is certainly excited to have reached the double-digit milestone. Jane and Mitch are just amazed how quickly time flies.

A blessed Thanksgiving

The Fiscus family had a blessed Thanksgiving. On the day before, Mitch's mom flew in from Wyoming and Jane's parents arrived after having visited Jane's brother in Indiana. These special guests plus a man from our church joined us for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner in our home. Even Jake the dog got his share of Thanksgiving table scraps.

Nicole with Dad and Grandma Jeannette (Mitch's mom):

Nicole with Mom and Pap and Gigi (Jane's mom and dad):

Jake enjoyed some extra attention from Grandma Jeannette:

Pap & Gigi left on Friday morning while we took Grandma Jeannette to St. George, UT to brave the crowds and do some Christmas shopping.

On Sunday Jeannette worshiped with us at our church in the morning and went with us in the evening to a Christmas hymn sing at a sister Baptist church.

It's been a wonderful Thanksgiving! This week at school Nicole will perform with her class in the elementary Christmas program. On Friday, the 4th, she'll invite several friends to our home for her 10th birthday party. At church, we're decorating for Christmas, preparing for our children's program, and for a Christmas Eve candlelight Lord's Supper.

We thank the Lord for His grace and goodness! We also thank Him for your prayers for the ministry here.

Dr. Fiscus, Apostle Paul, and Laundry

For Halloween this year, Nicole dressed as a doctor, Mitch was the Apostle Paul, and Jane went as laundry. After the school carnival, several members from our church participated in our 2nd annual Trunk-or-Treat. We passed out candy and Gospel tracts to nearly 100 kids!

"Dr. Fiscus" wins a prize at the school carnival

Mom and laundry work the ring toss at the school carnival

Mom, still unable to escape the laundry, at Trunk-or-Treat

The "Apostle Paul" and his pickup

How to make a newpaper dome

If you're interested in making the newspaper dome like Nicole, you'll find instructions from "Family Fun" magazine (http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/cutpaste/feature/famf39newspaper/famf39newspaper5.html). Enjoy!