Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all! It is Christmas eve, which means Christmas day in Australia. We are getting ready for our Christmas Eve service here at the church. This morning we got to hang out together and give each other our gifts.

Clint finished up the semester well. It's so great to know that he only has one semester to go and then he will be done! Yeah! We can hardly wait. Clint starts working full time at the church January 1st and will be speaking Sunday morning, January 2nd on prayer. This is exciting for us and will be even better in May when he can focus fully on Student Ministry! But God is at work in the midst of it all.

Work is going well for me. My office is closed the week between Christmas and New Years so that is a huge blessing - the family will be together and I didn't even have to ask for that time off! The week I go back I will be getting 5 families of my "own" and then I will get more each week from there. I am very excited and a bit nervous. It is interesting talking to parents about being parents when I am not one myself... but the important thing is that I am there to listen to the families and be their encourager and advocate. Many of them have no one to believe in them. So I pray I can be that person.

Highlights of the last two weeks...

• Clint got his long awaited bass! I'll have Clint post about that with a picture or two. He is extremely excited and sometimes just looks at it for periods of time (I'm trying not to be jealous!).
• Alex, one of our high school students, works for the Pacers (For the Australians - that's the NBA basketball team for Indiana). He got us 6th row tickets, center court! It was AMAZING! We will put pictures of that on too... unbelievable. Clint is now fully a Pacer's and Colt's fan!

Tonight we go up to Michigan to be with the Jackson's for Christmas. Josh & Kari are back from Sydney to spend time with friends and family over the holiday season, so we're totally pumped to see them... We are looking forward to having a week away to relax and spend quality time together. It's been snowing so hopefully the roads aren't too bad tonight. Anyway...

Have a great New Year! We hope your holidays are relaxing and wonderful!

Clint and Jamie

A little late...

Well, this was my second week at my new job, so I wasn't on top of posting straight away. The job is going really well, though. I am meeting a lot of new people and loving everything I learn. I will most likely start picking up clients after Christmas and New Years. Currently I am just getting all the curriculum and training that I need to do the job well. Thanks for your prayers!

Clint is finishing up final projects and exams this week and next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. He has done such an amazing job of balancing life, but we will be so happy that he can focus on only one during Christmas break (and then, of course, once he graduates)! God continues to give Clint vision and desire to have students strong in the Lord.

I don't think I mentioned this before, but "we" started a young adults group about 5 weeks ago. Clint is not involved until he is done with school, but a couple of guys from our church and I get together each week with a core group. God is moving and it has been great to get something going since it seems to be a lost age at our church currently. We went through 2 Timothy and now will start another book.

Please continue to pray for Clint and I - especially as it has to do with the Kingdom (here and around the world). I was just talking last night with one of the student leaders in high school about prayer. It is so crucial. I am reminded again that I must be free from the enemies bondage and lies, and be abiding in Christ to have the life He offers. The life of abundance, love, fruit, joy, peace, etc. that Christ offers is possible! May we claim that in prayer and desire nothing less.

Have a great weekend!
Clint and Jamie

Hello again!

Back again this week! We are off to a good start! I thought I would write today since tomorrow I start at my new job and do not know how the day will be. Thank you, in advance, for your prayers as I adjust and learn a lot.

This past week has been wonderful! Julie (Jamie's sister) came on Tuesday night and we got to hang out with her. Joni and her boyfriend Mike came EARLY Wednesday morning. My parents and our good friend Regina joined us on Wednesday afternoon/night and my mom's parents came on Thursday! So, we had a ton of fun with a lot of people around! We all stayed at a hotel a few miles from our house and very much so enjoyed the pool, hot tub, and rooms we had! It was such a blessing!!!

Clint worked a lot toward the beginning of the week and then was able to relax for the second half. We were blessed to have Julie stay with us for the rest of the weekend and we had an amazing and relaxing time with her. It was great to be around family for a few days!

We love you all and it means a ton that you care about our lives! God continues to grow and teach us in life. Continue to pray that He would fill us with His Spirit and that we would experience Him in new ways. Pray also that we would love others and strive to live for God's glory.

Think of you all often!
Clint and Jamie

So sorry...

Well, it has been a long while. We are so very sorry! Clint started the blog, but his load has been too heavy and it has gotten neglected. All to say...I am going to take over for a little while (like the rest of the school year).

Okay, as an update of the last month or so...

• The retreat that was talked about in the last update went really well. Brian Bradford and the worship team did an amazing job and really led everyone closer to the Lord. Every student that came made a decision to join in on the revolution that God is doing in our world! We want to be a part of whatever God lead's us to!
• I (Jamie) actually finished my undergrad. degree (for good now) and started applying to jobs within my field. I start a job through Indiana University school of nursing/Healthy families of Indiana called the MOM's project on Monday, Nov. 29th. I'm really excited about this! It has been amazing watching God bring it all together. I will miss the people at Maggiano's where I was waitressing, but it will be so great to see Clint more and do a job that I am super passionate about. The job is working with new and/or young mom's and teaching them parenting skills as well as some life skills. I will keep you all updated to how it goes and thank you for your prayers as I begin next week.
• Clint had the opportunity to go to the Willow Creek preaching conference and then recently to North Point Community Church in Atlanta. These were great vision stretching times and Clint is very excited about all that God will do as the church prays and obeys where God leads (I'm excited too).

That is the short of it! This week is Thanksgiving and my family (except for Josh and Kari, of course) will be down here in Indianapolis. We are staying in a hotel and are all very excited! A little bit longer and Josh and Kar will be with us too and then in May we'll be in with Clint's family!

We love you and miss you all! Thanks again for your prayers and I really will try to update you all each week! Thanks for your patience!

Clint and Jamie

Fall Retreat (Oct. 8-10)

... just a quick update to let you know that this weekend we are heading to Kokomo, IN for our Fall Retreat for our High School students. Needless to say this will be TONS of fun! Furthermore we have a guest speaker coming to share and worship team coming from IWU.

This was to ask you if you would join us in praying with/for us this weekend - this could be a "defining moment" in the life of our Student Ministry at Eagle Church! Brian Bradford (Snr. High Youth Pastor from Spring Lake Wesleyan Church) is coming as our guest speaker and will be sharing a series of 4 messages with us along the lines of being a part of a "REVOLUTION"! We are really excited about how God might use these messages to change the hearts, minds and lives of our young people. The basic message is that God started this REVOLUTION a long time ago, but now is relying on us to continue and further it along... However, the BEST part about all this is that not only is He relying on us, but He actually BELIEVES in us to do it! He believes that we can actually become like Him and play a significant role in furthering His Kingdom here in Indianapolis! Imagine what could happen if our group of young people really captured these thoughts and ideas and began to live it out... ONLY GOD!

So, will you join us in praying accordingly? I will update you further on living at "Home and Away" really soon... Be Blessed today!
Clint.

All good things must come to an end...

Good Morning - hope you are all doing well! I know, we have been really slack lately at keeping this updated... we won't let it happen again (we hope)!

Well, things just keep trucking on for us - it's hard to believe that we are already almost through the month of September! Jamie is still working at Maggiano's and LOVES it and spending any other spare time she has catching up with some old school friends, studying etc.

Clint is now in FULL swing back at school (already 2 full weeks gone) and is only just starting to fully adjust to the added load, and new schedule... Last week he played bass on the worship team for the IWU Fall Summit (Spiritual Emphasis Week) which was a really great experience and kept him even more busy than normal. Clint has a really BIG month (or 6 weeks) coming up in October - we'll post some specific events, dates and prayer requests next week...

Being that all good things must come to an end, our Senior Pastor, Kerry Bowman has now returned from his 5 month sabbatical, so it has been really fun to re-connect with him and his family... hearing all the stories, what God's stirring in his heart etc. It is even more exciting to discover that much of what God has been teaching Kerry over the past months is similar to what some of the rest of our Church staff have been sensing also - God is Sovereign! More to come next week... till then - Peace OUT!

Be Blessed,
Clint & Jamie

The Countdown...

Well the Countdown is in FULL swing... Only 8 days left before Clint starts back into the crazy schedule of balancing school and ministry... so, we are headed to Michigan tonight (Sunday PM) to spend the next three days with Jamie's parents & sisters! The main agenda is some R & R!!! Perhaps some Golf, Water Skiing/Wake Boarding etc...

This week Jamie took another CLEP test and gained another 6 credits toward her degree, which means that she only needs to take one more "elective" class this semester to finish! So, she is taking a class in Sign Language and is LOVING it... this is something that she has always wanted to learn! Anyway, classes began for her this past week and she was shocked to discover that her instructor is deaf - so, she has no choice other learn how to communicate using Sign Language! A good challenge!

Other than that, our biggest news from this past week came from Australia... (no, not the Olympics this time...) Clint's brother Jeff Ussher called us REALLY early on Thursday morning to let us know that he'd just gotten ENGAGED!!! So, we are so excited for Jeff & Sharee - CONGRATULATIONS!!! We really wish we could be there to celebrate with you...

Added to this we were surprised by a phone call on Friday from Janessa Horne which was really great to just connect and hear some updated news from some of our family and friends back in Australia!!! So - here's a special "shout out" to everyone over there... WE MISS YOU ALL!!! It's at times like these (engagements, b'days, etc.) that it is really hard to be away from those we love...

Be Blessed this week!
Clint & Jamie

Home, Church, Work, School...

Well - life keeps going for us. The last two weeks have been filled with activity... here's the overview:

:: AT HOME - we finished painting our living room and bedroom several weeks ago, but haven't really been home much to enjoy it... Anytime we have been home, the OLYMPICS can be found showing either on the TV or the computer (online) trying to keep up with the latest Aussie action over in Athens. It really is an experience to be in another country for the Olympics... you get their bias throughout the media, so the only time we see the Aussies is when they beat the USA! You can be assured that Clint screams, hollers and shouts EVERY time that they do! The only sad thing for Clint is that he has been over here (in the US) for the last 2 olympics - 2000 in Sydney, and now this year... oh well!

:: AT CHURCH - things are going really well... we are preparing to welcome back our Senior Pastor (Kerry Bowman) from his 5 month sabbatical in about 3 weeks time - very excited! It'll be so great to have Kerry back with us! We are experiencing a really deep sense of anticipation and excitement this year as the school year gets underway - one that we haven't sensed in a long time... Please join with us in praying that God would really build His Kingdom through Eagle Church and that would be found faithful to the task He has called us to do here on the N/W side of Indianapolis!

:: AT WORK - Jamie continues to enjoy her job at Maggiano's - she loves being a server & the opportunity to be constantly working with people! She is building some really great relationships - and we believe that God has placed her there for a reason, so please join with us in praying that God would use her to challenge and impact lives for eternity...

:: AT SCHOOL - well, we are counting down the days before Clint starts back for his final year at IWU... Classes start on Tues, Sept. 7 - please be praying specifically for Clint over these next 3 months as he navigates a full school load (in Marion, IN) while leading a ministry team into this next season of growth and development (in Indianapolis, IN) and living in Indianapolis as opposed to Marion for the next year... Needless to say, these next 3 months are going to be TOUGH!

Jamie will also be taking a couple of classes this semester because testing out of one of her classes (CLEP test) did not go as planned... Jamie petitioned to IWU asking them to allow her to finish out the credits necessary for her graduation at a local university here in Indianapolis... This was a long-shot and we weren't expecting much, but they DID APPROVE IT! So, the last part of this week Jamie was downtown getting enrolled and registering for classes etc. This is a HUGE deal for us as it means that only Clint will have to drive to Marion for school... not both of us!

Well, I think that about sums it up... Thanks for keeping in touch, and please know that your prayers are invaluable to us! We'd love to hear back from you too... let us know how we can be praying for you and your family... You can contact us at the details listed above (at the top of this BLOG).

We love you all!
Clint & Jamie

Good Times!

This week has been really busy, but a lot of fun at the same time... Last week we both just continued working through what seemed to be a relatively uneventful week - Jamie began her first regular shifts at Maggiano's after training, and Clint was preparing for our Student Ministry Adult Leaders Retreat (Fri PM - Sat.)...

We had an AMAZING weekend! The retreat went really well... God is really bringing unity, vision and motivation to our team - it is so FUN to serve alongside these people! Good Times! Other than that, Jamie's sister Julie came and spent the weekend with us... Good Times! We just hung out on Saturday night, went to Church Sunday and then after lunch and a short nap drove down to Louisville, Kentucky where we spent the night exploring the downtown area and stayed in a hotel! Good Times! Monday Morning we got up and drove about another hour to Holiday World which is a small amusement park in Southern Indiana - but it has a really cool waterpark which is where we spent the majority of our time... Good Times!

Unfortunately Jamie had to leave early to work on Monday night... Julie and I stayed and rode back with the Bak family (Worship & Arts pastor at Eagle...) who had also come down to meet us on Monday. Julie left on Tuesday afternoon to head back to MI, but just after she left Chris DeMarse showed up to hang out with us for a night... We went down to The Vogue Theatre in Broadripple, for a concert - Gavin DeGraw! Good Times!

So, all in all this has been a really great week with getting lots done at work as well as some necessary "fun" times - so refreshing! You can be praying for us this next week as we are facing the reality of school starting in only a matter of weeks for Clint, and that means that all the High Schools are starting up again after their summer break - so Student Ministry KICKS OFF once again! Good Times! We will also be attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit as a staff team again this year... Good Times! So, you can be praying that it would be a really great time of inspiration, vision, and sensing God's leading for us as a Church body... Furthermore, Clint has the opportunity to meet with the Elder Board tonight to give a report on Student Ministry as well as update them on the coming year, how we are doing personally and our commitment to stay here at the Church for another 3 years - (till summer, 2007)! Good Times!

Well, that about sums up this week... Hope you all get some "Good Times" of refreshing, building, renewing activities amidst your busy schedules also...

Be Blessed,
Clint & Jamie

A New Job...

Good Morning from Indianapolis! Well, the past couple of weeks have been absolutely insane for us... Jamie started training in a new job and Clint was gone all last week at IGNITE Youth Camp.

So, since our last post Jamie has quit her job at Applebees and is now finishing out her Training to become a server at Maggiano's - a really cool (and fairly expensive) Italian restaurant which is only about 10 minutes from where we live. We are both so excited about this job, as there is far greater potential for her to make more money than at Applebees and also we really feel like this is where God wants her to work. After only 4 days of training, meeting some of the other staff etc. Jamie came away with a deep burden for her co-workers who don't know God - even to the point of tears! She works alongside some really solid believers, but the majority of her co-workers are completely oblivious to God... and are caught up in anything you can imagine (homosexuality, drugs, alcohol abuse, etc.) Please join with us in praying that Jamie might be able to build some good friendships and relationships with people at work - that they don't just write her off as a "Christian", but rather that they would give her the chance to become their friend!

Clint had an incredible week at Camp last week (even though I am still recovering...) where we got to done TONS of really fun activities - everything from a waterslide, blob, karoake, rec. games, ultimate Frisbee etc. etc. etc. However the biggest highlight from camp was without a doubt witnessing 4 students make first time commitments to Christ, 24 students sensing a call into ministry, and countless more who re-committed their lives to Christ! Praise God! This camp was a HUGE success and we all had a BLAST!

We got home from camp on Friday evening (July 30) and Clint had another opportunity to preach on Sunday morning (Aug. 1) so he hasn't had much of a chance to recover until yesterday afternoon and today... He shared on Sunday morning a series of thoughts, ideas, questions, and concerns that he has been sensing God stirring in his own heart and life about our MISSION as followers of Christ... It seemed to go really well and we received a lot of really positive feedback - but the coolest part of it all was the way that God is stirring the same thing in both of our hearts! Clint came home from camp and began sharing some of his thoughts etc. which mirrored perfectly what God had been doing in Jamie's heart of the past week... SOOOO COOL! Anyway, this is getting kind of long, so if you are interested in hearing more about what we sense God teaching us recently - check back later this week for some updated thoughts etc. on that front.

Well, we love you all and miss you like CRAZY (esp. our Australian family and friends...) - can't wait to catch up with you again soon...

Be Blessed,
Clint & Jamie

Relatively Uneventful... (?)

G'day - how are all our favorite people doing this week?  I trust this finds you well...
 
We have had two relatively uneventful weeks... work, hangin with students, some play (movies, golf etc.) and another couple weeks of Ultimate Frisbee...  Good times!
 
The highlight recently was without a doubt having Jamie's parents (Dennis & Gwen Jackson) come and stay with us for a couple of days.  We had a BLAST!!!  It was so fun to have them come and hang out with us and catch a glimpse of what our life is like here in Indianapolis!  We jammed tons of stuff into a couple of short days during their stay including visiting a couple of Churches, coffeeshops, and an evening out at an Indians game (Indianapolis' AAA-league baseball team) until the game was called due to a significant thunder and lightning storm...  Good times!
 
Well, that's almost all there is to share, however we would really appreciate your prayers for this coming week.  Clint leaves on Monday next week for IGNITE Youth Camp (www.ignitecamp.com) with our students...  This should be an amazing time of growing closer to God and really being challenged to the core of our being.  Please pray that God might use this time to really capture the hearts and lives of our young people...  We are excited to see all that God does - check back in 2 weeks for some updated pics!  Due to camp next week, we won't be able to leave a written post, but be sure to check back for an audio update... we'll be able to leave a voice message for you to listen to right from your computer.
 
Have a BLESSED week - we love you all!
Clint & Jamie

... a "good" tired

Good Morning from Indianapolis! The weather here has been really great this past week... beautiful sunny days, warm enough without being overly hot... if only we had a beach it would have been perfect - oh well!

So, we celebrated our anniversary and had a really great evening out to dinner at an amazing seafood restaurant before going to a movie and then back home to just relax and be together... (sorry folks - we forgot to take pictures). IT WAS A BLAST!!! We had a great time over dinner re-living and discussing some of our most memorable moments shared as a couple from this past year... always fun! We both left feeling totally overwhelmed by God's goodness, faithfulness and blessing in our lives - extremely grateful!

The rest of the week was spent working for Clint and Jamie finished out her "Training Shifts" at Applebees. Thursday afternoon we left and headed up to Spring Lake, MI where Clint had several meetings in preparation for our up-coming Youth Camp as well as just being able to connect and catch-up with family. Clint had the amazing privilege of re-connecting with Lex Akers who was one of his pastor's back in Australia before moving over here to the USA. Lex has been a significant mentor and influencer in Clint's life for many years now and they had a really special time of just catching up and talking about God & Life together...

Upon returning home to Indy, we found two messages waiting on our answering machine which were returned phone calls from places where Jamie applied to work... both wanting an interview. Please pray with us that we would follow God's leading and guidance through this process - that we would know where HE desires for Jamie to work...

We celebrated the 4th of July (Independence Day) with friends here at the Church finishing the evening watching fireworks together in a park downtown Zionsville and then migrated back to Brad & Jayne Bak's home (our worship & arts pastor & wife) where we set off our own fireworks... GOOD TIMES!!! Highly illegal back in Australia I understand, however I have noticed that over here people really don't understand what the Law is on fireworks - it's different in every state! One thing that is well understood is that it doesn't REALLY matter where you are, on July 4th the "Law" will turn a blind-eye... WHAT(???)

Anyway, we have both been feeling rather tired lately and Clint has actually been slightly sick (lost his voice) over the past few days. We both agree that it is probably due to exhaustion and a crazy schedule over the past month... but we both agree that it is definitely a "good" tired!

Clint & Jamie

Beginning Year 3!

Well here it is - the first REAL and official update on our new BLOG!!!

Today (Mon. June 28) we celebrate our 2nd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!! We are both very excited to begin our 3rd year of marriage! Jamie is working for half the day and then we plan to spend the afternoon and evening celebrating together - watch for some pics and details next week!

Some other BIG news on our front is that Jamie just got a job! Praise God! She begins today with training and orientation etc. to become a server at Applebees (for all you Aussies: a popular restaurant over here in the US). This is a great job for us as it allows flexibility in schedule - meaning that Jamie can determine what hours she wants to work and therefore allows her to keep the same job once school gets going again.

Things have been going really well for us recently (busy, but well)... whoever said that ministry slows down during the summer obviously wasn't referring to Student Ministry! We are doing more than twice as much stuff during the summer as we would do during the school semester - but seeing God move in students lives makes it all worth while! Here is a brief overview of what the past weeks/months have looked like for us:

:: Colorado Trip :: (May 24-26) Clint had the amazing privelege of spending 3 days out in Denver, CO at Kingdom Building Ministries where he spent time in different meetings with different people discussing different things... The primary purpose for this trip was to spend some time being mentored, encouraged and invested in - this was definately true!

:: New York City :: (June 7-10) We both led a trip with our graduating seniors (from High School) to New York City for our annual "Senior Trip"! This was so much FUN! We had a blast taking in all the sights and sounds of the City! Some highlights include: Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero (World Trade Center site), Broadway Musical, Yankees Baseball Game, Central Park, Shopping, Shopping, Shopping... and MORE Shopping! The purpose for this trip is simple - to help encourage and affirm these students before heading off to College and also to talk about some basic College preparation stuff. This afforded a really great conversation in the car on the way back home discussing what it would take to continue growing closer to God when these students move away to College in a couple of short months...

:: Student Ministry Leaders Retreat :: (June 11-12) The day after returning from NYC we left again for an overnight retreat with our adult leaders. This was an incredible time of connecting together, praying and dreaming about what God might be leading us toward as a ministry. This retreat was so beneficial for building a deeper sense of unity, commitment and TEAMWORK amongst us - Praise God!

:: Zion Lake Youth Camp :: (June 16-20) This was the first of 2 Youth Camps that we are doing this summer and was an amazing time. We camped out in tents, showered in cold water from a hose, and connected with God and other people in truly authentic and powerful times of worship. The theme for the whole camp was "Worship" - going beyond singing songs to really living a lifestyle of worship.

The last week has been a time of catching our breath... catching up on all the stuff that was dropped to go away as much as we have... and preparing for the weeks ahead. Hopefully this has been helpful for you to get a better idea about what's been happening in our lives! Here's some things you can be praying with us for:

1. Our Wedding Anniversary - that it would be a blessed, joyous occasion... we look forward to many more!

2. Jamie's new job - that she would learn her responsibilities quickly but more importantly that she would build relationships with co-workers who don't know Christ.

3. That we would have great opportunities to meet and connect with our neighbors with the hope that we might share Christ through the way we live our own lives.

I know this has been a long post, next week will be shorter - I promise! Have a great week and thanks for your continued support, encouragement, prayers and investment in our lives... it means more than you know!

Clint & Jamie

P.S. Check out the pics below of our "new" apartment here in Indianapolis!

Here's some pictures of our new apartment - click to enlarge!

Here's some pictures of our new apartment - click to enlarge!

The Beginning...

Well, here it is... After a little pressure from family and friends, we have decided to set up this BLOG so that our family and friends can stay "up-to-date" on all that is happening in our lives... (at your own convenience!) This will also mean that you will no longer be receiving those painful and frustrating "Updates from Clint & Jamie"... instead it is totally up to you to check us out here at this address.

Please feel free to come back as often as you would like... drop a line in the comment section... make yourselves at home!

We will be doing our best to keep this updated regularly with both pictures and notes on living at HOME & AWAY!

Clint & Jamie