Joshua & Valerie's Birthdays

On September 28, 2008 we celebrated Joshua's 15th Birthday & Valerie's 13th Birthday. We were blessed to have a house-full of family & friends.

Valerie had a Sarah & Melody stay the night on Friday night - while Josh was at an Air-soft War. They played games, ate snacks, had a "fashion" show & slept in the trailer.

Canning Salsa & Tomatoes

Our garden did very well this year & Rick made salsa from the tomatoes, peppers, onions & jalapenos. Our pepper plants doubled in size & we actually had to stake them - after I gave them whey leftover from making cheese!!

Roasting the ingredients.

Yummo!

I also canned tomatoes - usually I hate canning tomatoes due to the time it takes, but thanks to a tip from Lindsay (http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/) I pureed them w/ the skins on & it only took ~4-1/2 hours (start to finish) to can 33 pints!

Look at the size of this Wall Walla Sweet!! It's about the size of a large grapefruit - the other onion is "normal" size.

Gleanings Summer 2008

Joshua & Valerie traveled with our church (HOFCC), to Dinuba, CA from August 23-31, 2008, to volunteer at "YWAM Gleanings for the Hungry". Here are some pictures & brief testimonies of their trip...

Their day started at 6:30 AM, they ate breakfast, had devotions & were working by 8:00AM. They had breaks & lunch, and finished working at 4:30 PM. In the evening, they had dinner, another devotional time & freetime until bedtime at 10:00 PM.

The team of 77, processed 7,660 trays of fruit which is 809,000 pounds of wet fruit, which translates to 57,560 pounds of dried fruit! Which means that the team that YOU sent to Gleanings has sent 28 tons of food to hungry people everywhere. That is more than ay HOFCC team has ever before processed in a week!

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Both Joshua & Valerie were tested during their time at Gleanings thru illness, loneliness, heat, sunburn, homesickness, etc. They both enjoyed the hard work & serving. They met LOTS of new friends. But most of all, this experience helped them to grow closer to Jesus. They both cannot wait to go back!

~Worship~

~Friends~

**Fun in the pool - a much refreshing treat, since the temp was around 100 degress the whole week!!**

Fire by the road on their drive home!!

Rick's job status as of August 28, 2008

Well it has been a long time coming but I finally let my wife show me how to post on the blog, so here goes:

As some of you may know, I was laid off, effective August 14. Here in Lebanon there is little opportunity for a job which pays the type of wages I have earned in the semiconductor industry; our options were either relocation (again) or a huge cut in pay. Since this is the 2nd time I have gone through the layoff scenario in this industry my expectations, humanly speaking, were low. But Marcy and I have clung to the hope that comes from our adoption to a heavenly Father who "owns the cattle on a thousand hills" (Psalm 50:10). God owns it all--even we ourselves--and not because we have such a great faith or even due to our righteous works (which the Bible tells us are but filthy rages), but because the Author and Object of our faith is Faithful: the Lord Jesus Christ. He has always provided and I am convinced He always will. Not often as we assume, but however He wills.

One of the options which was possible concerning my employment was the possibility that I and the many others with me who were also laid off MAY get a certification from the US Dept. of Labor which would enable qualified persons to get job training. When I was laid off from Fujitsu in early 2002 our group did not qualify. So I had little hope that we would qualify this time around as well, especially considering that the circumstances were essentially identical. BUT, despite all the doubt and uncertainty, I was notified yesterday that our group of employees HAS BEEN CERTIFIED FOR RETRAINING BY THE US DOL!!! This is the BEST possible news! This is my ticket out of the roller coaster ride of the D-RAM semiconductor industry!! It is only a matter of time now until I will personally be certified since I possess no college degree. As far as I understand it I will be able to go to college and earn a 2-year degree in another field all the while collecting unemployment benefits WITHOUT having to look for or accept work! I should be able to focus on college without the burden of working concurrently. I am very excited! Many years ago I opted to marry and have a family and not pursue college--when I was 19 I didn't even have a clue what I wanted "to be when I grow up", as it were. But now, I think I know and would ask you to Praise the Lord with me for His provision and faithfulness, and continue in prayer for me as to how my college/training should unfold unto His overarching purpose upon my life.

When I lost me job at Fujitsu in 2002, I spent more than 9 months studying to become a Private Investigator. While I did well with my studies it wasn't until the end of that period that I sat down with a licensed PI for a counselling session that I begain to doubt whether that was really what I wanted to do. I ended up putting that pursuit on the back burner and thankfully was able to get a great job at Hynix several months later. And for 5 years Hynix has but bread on the table at the Driver Household--and I am thankful for those 5 years.

Now as I am considering what to do with my life, and facing the very real possibility of being able to get into a different industry something occurred to me during my soul-searching that has drawn me toward the place where I now find myself. I would ask you to pray with me in this as I feel very strongly drawn to a vocation in nursing. I use the word "vocation" quite on purpose; the root of this word denotes a "calling". While I have yet to receive any divine utterances or dreams and visions to lead me down this path, nevertheless it has strong appeal to me. Firstly I began by considering health care in general because of the excellent job market in that industry. Secondly I had considered two other areas of interest which apppealed to me: radiology and polysomnography (sleep studies). But although both is these have elements of human contact I felt as if that was a waste of the personality and benevolence that God has uniquely gifted me with. Not that I am something so special, but that He has made me for His greater glory--and I want to care for others--like the nurses I saw care for Caleb while he was hospitalized several years ago. I could be that. I would LIKE to be that. So I am actively pursuing this avenue and covet your prayers for me and mine. For also my health (migraines) and finances and God's purpose for us and where we should be or move or stay or ??? He will show us the way, and provide for His will to be accomplished. Please praise with us for this wonderful, providential turn of events and tarry with us in pursuit of His calling on our lives for His glory! Thank you for your concerns and prayers for us; they are effective and appreciated! --Rick

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt Redman
- - -
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Garden's Bounty

Here's some pictures of our produce we picked this morning: Bibb Lettuce, English Cucs, Red & Green Onions, Jalepenos, and Green, Red & Yellow Peppers.

Serving Our Neighbors

Our church (HOFCC) has been participating in "service" projects all over the Portland/Vancouver area this summer. Check it out here: http://missions.hofcc.org/2008/07/portland-mission-outreach-day-4-recap/ Since we do not live close enough to participate, we have been looking for ways to help down here... Our neighbors down the road (a homeschooling family of 8) had a HUGE pile of wood they were chopping by hand, so we offered to come help & bring our log-splitter. We had a great time of productive fellowship!

The HUGE pile after we tackled 1/2 of it!

Joshua & Papa running the log-splitter.

Valerie & Samara hauling wood to the shed.

Valerie & Tess hauling wood to the shed.

The wood... so far...

Playing in the sprinkler after working.

Which turned into a water fight! Boys against girls & the girls won!

Kerrianna in the water bucket.