Greetings from Holly Springs!

We've arrived... and we're preparing for a great first birthday party. More photos to come...

See more photos of Noah.

Three Generations

Kris and Rebecca pose with Grandma Carolyn for a Mother's Day memory. Click on the photo for a full resolution copy. Great lookin' ladies, huh?

Welcome Elijah Edward Michels!

Grant and Therese are Dad and Mom! Congratulations!

Birthday: April 29, 2007
Name: Elijah Edward Michels
Weight:3180 grams (about 7 pounds)
Height: 49 CM or 18”
Hair: curly brown

Watch Video Short

Here's Grant's announcement -

"What a day! Last night our little boy decided he didn’t want to wait another month… we were visiting Therese’s parents in Stockholm for the weekend Therese’s water broke at midnight. The decision was made to make the two hour drive back to Örebro to deliver our baby. After being in the hospital in Örebro for a little less than nine hours our little Elijah Edward was born… We choose this name because God laid it on our hearts that our boy will, “Go on before the Lord in the Spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17). There is so much to process, and many tears. Mother and child are recovering well… Now off I go to get some rest after quite an exhausting day."

Kenny's First T-Ball Game

Last Saturday, on a cold and windy day before Easter, we watched Kenny play his first game. Ben is assistant coach, Mom (Kristyn) and Rebecca were there along with William to cheer him on. Remember - Kenny's four. Ha! Go Giants!

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Trevi Fountain - Rome

Roma!

Today, we toured the magnificent remains of the nearly two thousand year old Coliseum. There’s a surprising (for us, anyway) link to our Jerusalem visit. When Vespasian launched the construction of the mammoth arena, it was in celebration of the suppression of the Jewish revolt. Roman soldiers transported slaves and booty from the spoils of a destroyed Jerusalem and surrounding cities. The remnants were used to build the mighty stadium. Perhaps some of the stones from the Temple in Jerusalem now support the ruins of the Coliseum… a cruel irony.
This is but one of the many discoveries jumping off the pages of history as we tour the city of Rome. We got our first look at a Michelangelo original – Moses in the Chapel of St. Peter’s Chains. Later, we wandered deep below ground level to observe ancient Christian gravesites in the Catacombs.

We’re still waiting for the delivery of two lost pieces of luggage. An annoyance for sure; but it hasn’t dampened our spirits. Scott and Terri Last have joined us, as have Steve and Lana Giacumakis. Both couples are adding a lot to our group; joining right in.

Tomorrow – Vatican City. It’s Palm Sunday week – pilgrims are pouring into the city.

Thanks for keeping up. More to come.

Late night in Tel Aviv

Greetings on our last night in Israel.

It’s been an unforgettable week… the stories are piling up. We’ve barely had time to keep a sketchy journal. After four days in Jerusalem, we learned our way around – from the Mount of Olives, down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane then up to the Lion’s Gate. Just inside, we sang worship songs and hymns in the pitch-perfect acoustics of St. Anne’s and up the hill down narrow cobblestone streets of the Via Dolorosa. The Archeological exhibition at the ancient Herodian Wall (the South West corner) gave us a sense of the sheer enormity of the construction effort – and then the sheer horror of the crushing Roman defeat of the Jewish rebellion of 70AD. Following the Western Wall north, under the city down tunnels deep beneath ground level, we got as close as one might to the spot where the Holy of Holies was restricted to an annual visit by the High Priest. We watched as hundreds approached the Western Wall with round-the-clock fervent prayers for the restoration of God’s presence in that place.

The last two days took us out of the city to Qumran and the community of the Essenes, then north through the Jordan River Valley and the ruin at Beth Sh’an where Saul and his sons had the corpses put on display in humiliation. It opened the door for David’s reign. The kibbutz at Galilee hosted us for the night, and in the morning, we boarded a quaint replica of a first century boat. We crossed over to Capernaum on a picture perfect day; read passages from the Gospels that came alive on the spot. We followed the steps of Jesus when he found his disciples, among them fishermen from these shores. Then over to Nazareth and up to Mt Carmel where Elijah faced the prophets of Baal. There, we met with Vonnie and Greg at the Mt Carmel Assembly. We got a glimpse of their work with a gathering of Messianic believers making a profound impact on their international community. We finished the day off at Caesarea, where Paul sat in prison for nearly two years; finally appealing to Rome; where he was sent for trial.

We follow his journey to the same city in the morning. Early morning. We depart the hotel for Ben Gurion Airport at four in the morning.

Still more to come.

Ken

More Photos from Jerusalem

Check out the additional photos posted from Jerusalem.

We just finished our third day in Jerusalem. Our guide Yohanan (Hal) led us through the Old City and beyond. We've seen the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls), the International Christian Embassy, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ Church (Anglican) and the Western Wall. We visited the Holocaust Museum and then up to the Hebrew University for a panoramic view of the Old City. We traced the Via Dolorosa, the traditional walk up the cobble-stone streets of Jerusalem where Jesus is thought to have carried the cross to Calvary. We sang hymns in St Anne's Church and viewed the archaeological digs outside the city walls and then inside by the Pool of Bethesda. In the mornings, George starts our day with an orientation.

We celebrated Sabbath supper at the King Solomon Hotel. Vonnie and Greg Michels joined us - Greg shared the traditions of the Sabbath meal. We are learning and growing, and enjoying the company of fellow travelers.

More to come! (See more information on the History on the Move blog)

Greetings from Israel!

Greetings from Israel! Dale and Sue met us at LAX. About eleven hours after take off (we saw the giant Airbus on the tarmac) we landed in London… and checked into a hotel. Six of us rented a taxi and visited London – Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament and the Thames.

Then back on a British Air 767 from London to Tel Aviv.We arrived safely in Jerusalem at 7:30 AM after a Tel Aviv arrival of 5:30. You can imagine the time zone blur for our thirty adventurers.

Already today, we visited the Dead Sea Scroll Museum and the Old City model… and we are settling in at the King Solomon Hotel – Vonnie and Greg were waiting for us. We delivered a suitcase (thanks Karin) chock full of stuff for the ministry at Mt. Carmel. We’re adjusting to the time zone… wow. Two nights in the air.

We’re in Jerusalem at King Solomon for four nights. Here are some photos. We’ll share more as time and connectivity allow.

Ken

Family Shot

... from our Family Reunion. You can click on the photo... then "save copy as" by right clicking on the larger image. Save it to your desktop... make a print! Enjoy.

Kenny's Birthday Video

Saturday, January 27, Kris and Ben threw a backyard party for Kenny, who turned four that very day. "Welcome to Kenny City," the sign read. And as you will see, Kenny's friends and cousins and their parents entered right in. It was one for the memory books.

Watch video.
Purchase still photos at Costco.

Enjoy!

Ken

Great Shot of Kevin and Sonya

Here's a terrific photo, shot by Grayson, of Kevin and Sonya at the Family Reunion a few weeks ago.

Enjoy!

K

News from Grant and Therese

Here's a note from Israel for the family...

From: "Vonnie Michels" shalom247@gmail.com
To: Kemp Family
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 23:37:35 +0200Subject: Grant and Therese in Turkey
Hi Mom,

Hi Family!

It was so great to hear Grant's voice from Dubai saying they safely arrived out of Afghanistan. They had blessed farewells in Mazar and Kabul and I'm sure they'll be writing when they can.

We got an email today that they arrived at 1:30 am to Istanbul and found their way to an apartment via taxi with MANY bags to an apartment (probably an OM contact). They have gone to Antalya for a week on the coast--this time of year, they were happy to get a bargain at the beach city.In the email he said they were pretty exhausted and looking forward to this week to rest and also to take the time to process.

Loads of love to you all,
Vonnie

Things are looking better for Kevin

Thanks again for your prayers. Carolyn has written a summary of the situation - the Police located Kevin's car. He's got it running again.

We spent Saturday morning with Kevin - and Sonya, too, before she headed out to Solo. Kev and I took an extended bike ride all around Point Loma, Ocean Beach, up to Old Town and Mission Hills... then through Balboa Park and down to the Harbor for lunch at Anthony's on the waterfront (just beside the Star of India). It was like the old days when I had lunch with him weekly before graduation, marriage and fatherhood.

Check out some shots!

Love to all.

Ken

Carolyn Reports: Update on the Stolen Honda

From: Carolyn Kemp [mailto:ckemp572@adelphia.net]
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 6:56 AMTo: KempFamily@yahoogroups.com; HunerdosseClan@yahoogroups.comSubject: [KempFamily] Kevin & Sonya

Hi Family,
I know many of you have been praying for our kids and all they have been through these last couple of days with the stolen car. Well, the police called yesterday and told Kevin they found his car. He was excited at first, but then found out it had been towed to a place that is not in the car repair business and it was without wheels, an ignition part and had a dead battery. The radio and speakers had also been stripped from it. He also had to pay for the towing, which wasn’t cheap. He was very discouraged, to say the least, plus they had stolen the really nice stroller Kevin and Sonya had splurged on for Em and also a car seat. When I talked to Kevin last night, he was on his way to pick up tires, he told me. Well, I didn’t realize fully what his bright idea was. I just knew I was praying like crazy for him. Well, he found 3 friends who have Honda Civics and they all have a spare tire (the little kind that is well hidden in these cars). He found 3 friends who were willing to loan their spare tire plus he had the one from his car (fortunately they hadn’t stripped that from the car also). He went over to the place where his car was and they fork-lifted his car to him. He put on the 4 funny looking spares, borrowed jumper cables and used a screw driver to start up the car. It actually started and he called me from the car today as he was driving it. He was so proud of himself for only” putting out” his friends for less than 24 hours of their spares. He found a deal at a junkyard on 4 wheels and tires, with better tread on them than he had before. He still isn’t sure how the car is running, since he only drove it with the little tires, so it felt a little funny. Keep praying, and hopefully this will be the end of this saga. He did get a steering wheel lock (I forget what you call them). Oh, and Ben had recently given Kevin a new CD player for his car, which was stolen, but he still had the old one, so he still has his music as soon as he installs it. I’ll keep you informed of any new news.

Love to you all,

Carolyn

Kevin and Sonya

Here's a prayer request from Placentia... we're thinkin' about our kids in San Diego...

On Monday morning, Kevin left the apartment like any other morning to head for work at the university. When he got to the carport, their Honda Civic was gone. During the night, someone broke into the car and somhow started it. This morning, the Police located it.... but it was "stripped" of all four wheels, the stereo and the dashboard is smashed at the ignition. Some personal stuff left in the car is also gone... including Emerson's carseat and their good stroller.

Hard to understand a car thief. Hard to adapt to the loss, the surprise expenses, the inconvenience and the distractions. Tough for a great young couple just starting out...

Kevin's attitude is good. Sonya's, too. He's diligently working to figure it all out. Please pray for them as they sort through the decisions. We're burdened for them, but thankful for their maturity and all of us trust a God who works all things well.

Thanks for bein' there... and for your support and care.

Ken and Carolyn

Dad's 80th Birthday

Here's a terrific e-mail from Vonnie... read, and comment...

Happy Birthday to our Dad
sent - Wed 10/18/2006 12:24 PM

It really struck me again today when I was thanking God for our Dad on his 80th birthday.....sure miss him being around and so thankful to have had such a great dad and grandpa for our kids...........just needed to share that with our brothers and sisters and Kemps--no one knows it like we do.

He'd sure be proud to see his growing grandchildren and how they have done......he'd have sure been proud of his great-grandchildren and seeing a number of his grandchildren in their roles as parents. He'd have felt old to hear his own kids be called "grandma and grandpa." :) Today, I could really hear his laughter and joy and delight in his family.

And of course, he's always been proud of his loving wife......

We miss you, Dad.

Vonnie

The Test is Now History

Well… I’m home now. They tell me I should consider this a recovery day… Carolyn drove me home. As I left the Surgery Center, they told me not to drive. If I got caught behind the wheel, they said, it would be a certain DUI. So I sat in the passenger seat – relieved and thankful.

As I regained consciousness, Dr. Bali told me that the one polyp discovered by Dr. May several months ago is all they found. The colonoscopy took the scope all the way up into that abysmal internal tunnel; no more polyps, I’m told. No suspicious evidence of any other complications. The test confirms that I’m basically healthy. The polyp got snipped and sent to the lab. The good doctor expressed her doubts that the tiny growth is cancerous; the biopsy will confirm that view. That will take some two weeks.

We’ve not talked a lot about this little sidetrack in our regular schedule, mainly because there is no real news here. I went in for a routine inspection with our family doctor last May. Guys my age should do this, I’ve been told for a decade or so. Sure enough, they found a tiny polyp – which is not a trigger for a declaration of war on cancer cells – but is a cause for concern and warrants more thorough testing. That’s what was scheduled for today.

For both procedures, the preparation is worse than the test. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, I’ll spare you the detail.

All to say that this morning, I’m feeling relieved and grateful. While I’m still a little foggy… after one of Carolyn’s first rate breakfasts and a cup of hot coffee, I’m sitting here with the laptop, feet up in a comfortable chair, filled up with gratitude that I’m done with this (at least for the next three years). I know people who are fighting the good fight… and after a day’s journey through the system, I’ve got just a little taste of what life is like in the world of sterile machines and monitors with graphs and beeps and needles and open-backed gowns and IVs and people buzzing around in royal blue scrubs and caps and white masks and badges and stethoscopes and pointless, muffled jabbering on the other side of a curtain as you lay there contemplating your eternal destiny.

It’s a world I rarely observe from a mattress and pillow inclined on a bed with rails… until today. The work of the anesthesiologist was a welcome exit as the beeping droned on in a darkened room and doctors snapped rubber gloves over their wrists and chattered on about the traffic on the 57 and then it all faded gently into a relaxation state one rarely finds unassisted by some sort of chemical.

It feels incredibly self-centered to be so thankful for good health. All God’s gifts are good and his blessing of grace extravagant. Somehow it’s just a little easier to feel it now that the doctor looked me in the eye with a smile and said, “looks like you are clear.” Not everyone gets that word. But there are other reasons to be thankful at a time like this; mainly people. Like my life-long partner, Carolyn. She’s there with me. And our kids… their spouses and their children. And then my colleagues in ministry and partners in Kingdom work and many friends who in their own way show how much they care.

It causes one to be humbled and grateful for God’s goodness; and the blessings of each new day.

So thank you for caring enough to read this little blog entry. I’ve got to add one more thing – some time ago, I committed Psalm 23 to memory. David’s words are inspired; and as I repeated it over and over again on that hospital bed, IV attached, eyes closed, surgical center clanging and chattering as ambient noise, I did indeed experience that peace that passes all understanding. My sister told me over the cell this morning that she would pray that I would know it… and I did.

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything that I need
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil – for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff – they comfort me.
You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

It’s for real.

Thanks for your prayers and your friendship. It means more than I can say.

Ken

Dennis and Emily tie the knot

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Butteris!

Watch the video. Enjoy. You'll hear Louis Armstrong... "Let's Fall in Love"... the song that played during the recessional as Dennis and Emily celebrated their new status as Mr and Mrs.

It was a terrific event.

Dennis and Emily at the River Hills Community Church

The rehearsal went well... it's a Hunerdosse family reunion. As you can see, Emily and Dennis are very happy. Today's the wedding. More to follow. More about Dennis and Emily.





Here's the bride with her sisters and Maid of Honor...