Update on Life

There has been much going on in the McConnell household and most of it has been overshadowed by the pursuit of our 3 sons, so I wanted to give you all an update on a few other extremely important things that have happened in our lives recently.

#1. Arianna Marie Jade Phillips (Jennifer is holding her in this picture) became Ariana Marie Joy McConnell on 6/20/07, her second birthday. Ana has faced many challenges in her young life and it has been God's grace that has brought her to us. We picked Ana up in Yakima when she was 5 months old and she was a beautiful, quietly sleeping baby. Within 15 minutes on the road back to Spokane we became very aware of how she would be for the next year and a half - a constant scream! I mean that literally and figuratively. She has been a great joy (Joy) in our lives and we couldn't imagine life without her. She is only one of two cuddlers (Makayla) among our daughters and has a HUGE laugh when you get her going. I have a tendency to pace around the house when I talk on my cell phone and Ana has picked that up. You will constantly find her walking all over the house by herself talking on one of my old cell phones. If you ask her about it she says, "talking Daddy, talking".

Many family and friends came out to Ana's court date including her biological grandparents, Roy & Charlene, who have become an important part of our family. They are also Bri's grandparents and have basically adopted Emma and Kayla as grandchildren. They have been a real blessing to our family. After the court date we went to Riverfront Park and celebrated by riding the carousel, eating ice cream and playing on the big red wagon with our friends the Streltzoff's and of course Grandma T (Takisaki). Ana is very excited about her brothers and everytime she see's a black or brown person she asks us "Caleb?" or "Noah?" or "Josiah"? It's really cute, but it shows how much we have been praying for them and how much we have tried to include the entire family in the journey.

#2 Katie Heidenreich is like a daughter to us and we had the great pleasure of sending her off to Romania on a mission trip to work with Romanian Orphans. Katie has felt like overseas missions could be a real possibility for life for her and we have been encouraging her in that direction. God made it very clear that she was to go on this trip through a lot of affirming circumstantial moments and the affirmation of the Elder's and the Church Body of VBC. Katie is in Romania this very moment for a week so please be in prayer for her. We are praying that the Lord would make it clear whether or not He is calling her into longterm overseas missions. Katie has been very patient and faithful in prayer as she has waited for the Lord to open this door and so it is very exciting to see her acting on her faith. We miss you Katie!!

#3 This past Sunday the Elder's and VBC body installed me (Patrick) as an Elder at VBC! This was a very exciting and incredibly humbling moment for me. The Lord has done so much in my life personally and I stand in awe that He wastes/spends His time on a lowly creature like me. It has been a great pleasure and an honor to serve among the VBC Body and I work along some truly great men. Currently our Elder Board includes Ben Orchard who is the Teaching Pastor, Doug Snook and Dave Jones. I enjoy ministering with these men greatly and am constantly encouraged by their commitment to the Body of Christ and His mission.

Although none of these men read my blog, I would like to thank several key men who have invested time, sweat, and tears into my life.

1. David Burns - Burnie confronted me in the Spring of 1992 with the Gospel and pursued me like the hound from Heaven. I will never know what he saw in me or what drove him to be so faithful in pursuing a pathetic wretch. But he was extremely faithful in pursuing me every day for 9 months and taking every opportunity to point me to Christ. Burnie is an evangelist and he taught me to love the unlovely and that everyone deserves to hear the Gospel again and again. In February of 1993 I knelt beside his bed and confessed Christ.
2. John Smith - I met John in 1997 and he was/is the most influential man in my life. For me John is the epitome of humility and has become no less than my spiritual father and mentor. Although we no longer serve in the same church I think of him continually and often ask myself, "What would John do in this situation?"
3. John Koh - I initially met John Koh on a church softball team and had no idea at the time what the Lord had in store for the intersection of our lives. At the end of our 3 years of ministry together I would say, "John Koh is the anvil that the Lord has brought to beat my life upon" and I meant every word of it. John taught me faithfulness, purity, "unction" and what it means to shepherd a family.
4. Roland Sanchez - I met Roland in 1998 in a discipleship group with John Smith, Geoff Kellogg, Roland and myself...and we positively did not like each other. Roland was very black and white and I was very....not. But over the years God fashioned a friendship that will stand the test of time. I love Roland as Jonathan loved David and he taught me what it means to make the family central, to be ready to sacrifice self, and how to be honest even when it hurts.
5. Geoff Kellogg - I never had an older brother, if I had, Geoff would be it. Geoff knows the scriptures like I never will and is as steady as a man can be. Geoff has taught me what it means to need a brother in this life and how to be a brother. He has taught me what it means to be a man who must stand up when everyone around him tells him to sit down. I talk to Geoff daily and I love our conversations which range from our current favorite micro-brew to the latest family issue in our sordid extended families. Geoff is a man among men and a brother among brothers.

These are probably the 5 men who have had the most impact in my life. There have been many, many more, ranging from my two Dad's, my two brothers, Mike Rosario, Bob DeLateur, Joe Sousa, Henry Yan, Keith Watson and many, many, many more. But there has been only one woman who has influenced me greater than all these men.

Jennifer and I have been married for 12 years this past March. We have been through soooo much together that we often sit and say, "That seems like a lifetime ago". Jennifer has taught me how to serve others even when you don't feel like it, she has taught how to exercise my faith and not settle with comfort and ease, she has taught me how to pray big, she has taught me how to laugh at myself, how to enjoy my family more than my job, she has taught me how to give love and receive love. The greatest thing that she has taught me is how to be a man. I know, it sounds weird. She has taught me to be a man by not trying to lead, by growing in submissiveness and by being the wife I can not image living without. By not stepping in and trying to run the show, she has forced me to follow the Lord and lead!

So thank you all for your investment into my life. I continue to be a pot in the Master's Hands and look forward to the next spin on the Potter's wheel.