Whew... life is a whirlwind!

Ha! This Blog is called Candid Caleb and so I don't feel bad having these pictures in such a random order. Let's just say that things happened in all different stages and it's kind of melting together as I look back. 

First off! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Find my creative and silly children below. They like to make hammocks and such in their bedrooms and then stuff them with all their stuffed animals and then themselves. I got so tired of movies and video games, and lo and behold when you remove those things, really cool life starts to happen. 

Bella just really rocks those shades... also Asher, Liam and Bella made up some game with a blanket where you have to pull the person on the blanket all the way back to your bedroom while they resist... yeah Asher won :). But, they all had fun! 

  

Our family has inherited a tradition from the Gebauers where we light candles and talk about our relationship with the Lord. We have a symbolic Christ-candle in the center of the table and light our own candles from His. It's a time for reflection and hope for the future. I really enjoy hearing my kids talk about their love for the Lord and their heart to know Him even more!  

We celebrated Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve. My sister wanted to get some great pics and so we did. Here is one of all of us that a ghost took... I mean Cameras don't need people... I mean... well never mind.


So this past month has been relentless fun :). We went to see our friends the Sieks down in Austin and also I went to meet some of the team that is going to Thailand. It was great! The trip was quick and we got back Monday around noon and then kicked off our MK Hobbit/Lord of the Rings marathon at 3 pm. We did two movies on Monday with a delicious spaghetti dinner in between. Then we did the rest the other four evenings. It was fun connecting with the kids and also a lot of fun watching those movies again!

Have I mentioned before that I live with weird people? I love these amazing weirdos. Yeah... they do this when I leave. I have no idea what crazy stuff they will get up to with underwear and who knows what else while I'm gone this time. 

Here is a picture of my two sons singing in their school program. Good luck finding them... yeah even I can't figure out where they are... maybe I need a better camera phone. 

Here are some pictures from the MK Christmas party this year. Needless to say, it was amazing and huge and so fun. Three years ago we had maybe 20 kids come to this... we doubled that this year! It's so cool to see the group grow, MAN! I really LOVE these kids! 

We went all out in decorating our house this year. I think the electric bill was more than my trip to Thailand, but the winter wonderland, mysterious Christmas joy for my kids is well worth it. Okay, never! This is a house that we found in my cousin's neighborhood. Yes, imagine being their neighbor and feeling so inadequate with your decorations! This picture does a poor job of reflecting the sheer spectacle of it all! Anyways, really fun times. 

Speaking of cousins, my amazing cousin David got Diane and me tickets to see Josh Garrels for my Birthday. It was his Christmas tour and it was fantastic!

I don't have pictures of it all... there is too much! What a season! It was good to have some time off, but I'm glad to be back at work for a short time before I head off again to Thailand. I leave this Friday and get back next month. I'm excited! 

Diane and I just finished up a Trauma Healing course. She took it and I helped to teach it. This was planned for awhile ago but was complicated by the unexpected death of my dear cousin Laura Davis. On New Years day she went to be with the Lord. My wife brought in the New Year by her side in a hospital room full of family. Laura hung on to see the new year and then headed home to celebrate with her heavenly father. We have done two memorials and they both came during the Trauma Healing workshop. Diane spoke at the second one among many others. She and Laura were really close and this passing is very painful. I'm so proud of the family coming around Andrew and his three kids and lifting them up. How do you fill a void like this? How do you go on in the face of so much pain and hardship? You go on together... you let God heal and comfort... but it takes time and many tears and much grief. Laura, you will be missed.  You lived a full life, I'm sorry it wasn't a very long one. I'm glad to have known you and I'm glad to know that I will see you again! 

Please pray for my family while I'm gone! For safety and health. For help with the kids and for things to work properly! 

Please pray for me and my team as we travel. For safety and health, for fun adventures. Pray that we can be a blessing and that God is glorified. That His love working in us then works in others. 

I love you all so much! Thanks for being a part of my adventure and my life with its ups and downs! Thanks for your support both financially and spiritually! Your relationship is priceless and I'm so grateful for you. I couldn't do this without you and I wouldn't want to. 

Blessings on you all! 

Caleb

 If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or a recurring basis, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. 

Chase QuickPay has changed some of their rules. If this option no longer works for you please let me know and I will work with you to find another solution. Thanks for hanging in there with me through all the annoying changes in how I can receive support! Your support means a great deal to me! 

Another way to donate to my ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line it will get deposited into my ministry account.

The address is:

Holy Cross Lutheran Church 

4400 W Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76016

Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 9, Asher 7, Liam 5, Echo already in heaven, Bella 2, and Serenity 6 months.

Thankful Indeed!

We had such a great Thanksgiving this year! It was relaxed and delicious and filled with great football and friends and a special time of thankfulness for what the Lord has done!

Monday: My wife got up early and made me French toast! Then my cousin David came over in the morning and we sat around the fire and talked for hours. Then we celebrated my birthday with our famous Wendy's triple burger heart attack special. In the evening at MK youth group we did a worship night, where we sing worship songs and then take time to share what God is doing in our lives. That was a fantastic end to a wonderful birthday!

Tuesday: We had a handful of MKs over to watch Fiddler on the Roof. What a fantastic movie! That was a sweet time!

Wednesday: We went to the zoo with my brother in law's family! It was an amazing zoo experience. We were able to see so many neat things and the weather was spectacular so the animals were out and about.

So as you can see the week was already great... and then Thanksgiving made it even better!

The Saturday before this amazing week was our Mission Arlington service project with the MKs. We had a great time sorting food and moving it around.

Earlier that morning was the memorial for my Poppy (Grandfather). It was a sweet time remembering him and Nana and celebrating their life and contribution to God's Kingdom! They are truly inspiring.

The night before that, just our family got together and shared stories and had a wonderful party to celebrate Poppy! It was just the few of us that comprise the Robbins clan... just the few 30 plus that could make it not including kids. Four of my wonderful MKs watched all the kids while we shared stories and enjoyed visiting with family that we don't often get to see. 

Here you see Liam enjoying his Thanksgiving feast at school. This happens the week before Thanksgiving. I love that precious smile!

Our neighbor passed away a couple years ago and when that happened, the little boy that used to live there left. Well, Cole was back for a visit and it was great seeing him again. All the kids got together and played for quite some time. We have such a cool neighborhood! 

Thanks to the wonderful community of now adult MKs, I finally got my house painted on the outside. Here we are finishing up the last bit. We started this project in the summer and it feels good to have it done. I love working with and keeping in touch with these wonderful people. Some I've known since 2007 when I started this ministry 9 years ago.

It has been such a blessings and help to have my parents around. They are so amazing with my kids... my kids are so crazy about them! Mommy, Daddy, can you leave and have Grandma and Grandpa come and watch us? Yeah... we hear that all the time.

They are leaving in January, sniff, sniff, and will be missed. I'm so glad that we get to spend Christmas together!

My heart is full! God is good! I'm refreshed from all this time with friends and family. It was great getting to see so many people this last week who normally aren't in the area. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law Ethan are also in town. This time is fleeting and precious and I've lived long enough to know not to take it for granted. God is good! 

I'm excited for the Christmas season to get in full swing. Yesterday all the decorating got done and now I get to just relax.... ha ha ha. I enjoy reflecting on my Lord and Savior and marveling at His willingness to come and join the human race and then die for it. Wow! Jesus offers us abundant life, and living that abundant life, full of gratitude and love for Him and Father and others is what it's all about. 

Thankful for you, thankful that you are a part of my receiving love from God and a part of it being complete in my life as I get to share the Love he gives me with you! I can't express how grateful I am for your support and kindness to my family! You make this ministry happen, it wouldn't without you! You are a blessing and I pray that you too will be blessed! 

Please pray for... 

I need to raise about $1200 more for my trip to Thailand! 

For a great end of the year with MK! 

For preparations for my trips next year! 

Praise God for... 

Healthy family! 

Blessings, 

Caleb 

 If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or a recurring basis, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. 

Chase QuickPay has changed some of their rules. If this option no longer works for you please let me know and I will work with you to find another solution. Thanks for hanging in there with me through all the annoying changes in how I can receive support! Your support means a great deal to me! 

Another way to donate to my ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line it will get deposited into my ministry account.

The address is:

Holy Cross Lutheran Church 

4400 W Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76016

Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 9, Asher 7, Liam 5, Echo already in heaven, Bella 2, and Serenity 6 months.

The costumes are coming! The costumes are coming!!!!

I love that picture with Bella and me! I have her picture from two year's ago sitting in this same spot hanging on the wall in my office. It's amazing how much changes in a little girls life in such a short time. Now we have a similar picture of Serenity to add to the bunch! There are too many pictures to clutter up this Blog with, so I made some albums and have shared the links below. Just click on them and discover a world of cute and fantastic fun.

 Family Fall Fun!

Diane worked tirelessly to make Asher's costume this year. She was up well after midnight several nights sewing it together, taking it apart and starting again! He was thrilled and the boys had so much fun at their schools Fall Carnival and then the next day at our Church's Fall Festival.

MK: Fall Festival 2016

My church again asked the MK group if they would help with their Fall Festival this year and the group showed up in force. My church was so grateful and it was so cool to be able to serve the Body that has served my family so well over the years. We truly are a wonderful community and it blesses me when we live in harmony... like oil running down my luxurious red beard. :) Anyway, this year we had several of the college age MKs join us along with a couple parents. It was a great time. Afterwards we went to my house and watched "Meet the Robinsons". We projected it in my driveway and ate copious quantities of candy.

I love doing a talent show in my Youth Group. This year we scheduled it for Halloween and it was again a fantastic evening. We have some incredible musicians and artists in our group and it is so fun and surprising to see the hidden talents that surface at events like this!

 Last week was kind of unusual for me in that I picked up some odd jobs for people that I haven't seen in many, many years. This family needed some dirt moved and had no one else willing to help. I am grateful that my schedule is flexible enough to allow me to help people who are in need. I took my day off and with the help of one of my MK leaders (thanks so much Nadia!!!) we owned that pile of dirt! It was used to fill in a pool. That was some hard, fun work!

 

I just had to include this picture because it just makes me laugh. I believe it was Asher who chewed his delicious paleo pancake into the shape of a bat. Yeah I think they were in the Fall Festival spirit a little while before it got here :). 

Work is going well and family is going well! I finally feel like I'm getting back into a routine and have my feet under me again. It is nice to get back to reading and growing and preparing lessons for the future. I have my tickets for Thailand and my dates are set! 

Speaking of Thailand, we are also preparing for our Jamaica trip this coming summer! I'm excited to get back to the island and to lead the trip for the first time. I'm so grateful for Bob Alber's help in planning and preparing and mentoring me into readiness for this opportunity.

Pray! 

I'm speaking in Chapel on Friday. Pray that I'm a good mouthpiece for the Lord's truth! 

For funding for all these trips! Thailand will cost $2500. 

Praise! 

For new supporters! 

For good health and a time of returning to routine! 

I'm so grateful and thankful for you and your support of my ministry! Thanks for your friendship, your prayers, your contributions, your encouragement. You keep me going and you are a huge part of all that I do. I pray for you often! 

Blessings, 

Caleb

 If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or a recurring basis, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. 

Chase QuickPay has changed some of their rules. If this option no longer works for you please let me know and I will work with you to find another solution. Thanks for hanging in there with me through all the annoying changes in how I can receive support! Your support means a great deal to me! 

Another way to donate to my ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line it will get deposited into my ministry account.

The address is:

Holy Cross Lutheran Church 

4400 W Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76016

Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 9, Asher 7, Liam 5, Echo already in heaven, Bella 2, and Serenity 6 months.

October Keeps Rolling!

And life keeps rolling and keeps us all on our toes. 

 So, there is a picture of the three sisters! Diane did have a wonderful time and I'm having a wonderful time having her home. 

MK is going very well so far this year! We have nearly doubled our size since I started full time 3 years ago. Two weeks ago I had the privilege of baptizing an MK, and this one was really unique. We went down on the trails behind the center and hiked to a little waterfall.  Thankfully it had rained recently, so we went into the water and she was baptized. It was so cool! I'm so grateful to be able to do things like this in my ministry. Here is a link to the video if you are interested. 

Baptism! 

The Walk! That is what I call my MK guys small group.  It's going great! It's been so cool to meet with these guys, but what really impresses me is how they have embraced a challenge to read a chapter of Proverbs every day and post their favorite verse. These guys are so faithful to be in God's word and let it transform them. 

 This Saturday Diane and I kick off our co-ed small group and I'm really looking forward to seeing what that will look like this year. MK is going great! 

I just finished up another Trauma Healing group with my parents. This time I was facilitating and learning about how to do Story-based Trauma Healing. It is by far my favorite style and it was a great week!

My Grandfather passed away recently. It is bittersweet. He was/is (I suppose you never die when you live in Christ... but you know what I mean) a great man and God used him in many amazing ways. I'm honored to have such a wonderful man as my Grandfather and I'm blessed by his legacy! I called him Poppy and will remember him fondly as a man who was kind and charismatic, who loved to cook pancakes and go camping often. A man who was so welcoming and kind to my wife and children and who prayed for and supported my ministry. I love you Poppy and will miss you! 

I have been focusing on getting more ministry partners lately. I have many trips coming up next year and with the ebbs and flows of life, my support-base fluctuates and needs to be worked on. It's a great opportunity to trust God in all things. I trust God to provide for the calling that he has put on my life and I'm so grateful for how He is so incredibly faithful. I'm excited to let you know that I have three new partners since the summer!

Please be praying for... 

My preparation for all these upcoming Mission Trips... I'm biting off a lot and it will require a lot of prayer! I will be gone for 3 weeks in January and February and then off again in April and then again in the summer. My closest adventure will see me and my team doing two conferences and a Trauma Healing workshop. 

 I want to take this time to thank you all for your faithful support and partnership with me in this ministry! It means so much to me! You are a part of everything that I do, from baptisms, to trips to Thailand, to meetings on Monday nights. I can't do this without your support through finances, prayers and your loving relationship! I'm deeply touched and blessed by you! THANK YOU! 

Today is Texas State Fair day for Creed and Asher! Diane will be taking them (and Serenity) over there to have lots of fun soon. I'm staying home to care for the other two kids and then I'll be off to youth group. God is good and I'm so thankful to serve a God who is so great and kind and loving. He's my Dad and he's your Dad too and that makes us family and that makes me so happy. I love you! 

Blessings, 

Caleb  

If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or a recurring basis, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. 

ChaseQuick Pay has changed some of their rules. If this option no longer works for you please let me know and I will work with you to find another solution. Sending checks directly to my church or setting up another option. Thanks for hanging in there with me through all the annoying changes in how I can receive support! Your support means a great deal to me! 

The other way to donate to my ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line it will get deposited into my ministry account.

The address is:

Holy Cross Lutheran Church 

4400 W Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76016

Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 9, Asher 7, Liam 4, Echo already in heaven, Bella 2, and Serenity.

Surviving as a Single Dad

Without Diane...                                                  With Diane :)...                          
                          

My beautiful wife and daughter are exploring the wonders of the Northwest with Diane's sisters (Kelsey and Lisa) for a much needed and long overdo vacation and get away. My wife works long and hard and is often left to care for all the kids on her own while I go off on trips all over the world... that and just day to day living takes a toll... and it was high time that she got away. It's great! I'm so happy for her... but as you can see my life feels a little empty without her. She is coming back this Saturday, and I have been blessed by the company of good friends while she's been away. People have helped to watch my kids while I needed to do work, and have been kind in cooking food and just being great company. I'm a high extrovert (wipe that sarcastic look off your face :) and I get lonely fast. God is so good, but I'm really excited to have my wife home soon. I hope that didn't sound too pathetic... but it's where I'm at.

As you can see Hobbitville (the Dallas MK camp that kicks off our year) went very, very well! I was so delighted to have my family there and deeply touched at how my MK family loved on my kids! It was so cool how Abby and some of the other girls encouraged Asher to take his first ride on a zipline. He was so scared, but confronted his fears and did it. Pete did a great job sharing Gods truth with us and the kids all loved being with him and listening to him! Stephen led us in powerful worship sessions by being so genuine and using his spiritual gifts. Michal had great games for us to play that made us laugh and brought us closer together. It was smooth and left us all feeling like family!

Speaking of family, for the first time ever we held a get together at my house the day camp ended. I was so touched by how many people showed up, and how it just felt like family all hanging out together. These kids just love being together and doing life together and that environment leads to incredible growth.

So much to share about the ministry! I started a guys small group that has been a huge blessings so far. I was only going to meet twice a month, but these guys want to meet every week and that is cool, it's so cool to see something that is valuable enough to them that they will make the time for it. These students are so busy, but many of them have caught the truth that spending time with the Lord is something that comes first. I was so encouraged to hear from one of the parents that their son wakes up early every morning before school to start his day with the Lord!

Thank you for your prayers and support. God is filling up my life with so much opportunity! Please pray for wisdom and humility as I serve these kids and their parents this Fall. Please pray for provision for my upcoming trips to Thailand, Guinea, and Jamaica, starting in January of next year.

I am so encouraged and blessed to have such a loving, kind and wonderful group of people behind me in this ministry. Your encouragement, support, prayers and generosity mean so much to me and my family and keep this ministry thriving! I love you, and I pray for you often!

Blessings,

Caleb

If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or a recurring basis, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. 

The other way to donate to my ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line it will get deposited into my ministry account.

The address is:

Holy Cross Lutheran Church 

4400 W Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76016

Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 9, Asher 7, Liam 4, Echo already in heaven, Bella 2, and Serenity.

p.s. ChaseQuick Pay has changed some of their rules. If this option no longer works for you please let me know and I will work with you to find another solution. Sending checks directly to my church or setting up another option. Thanks for hanging in there with me through all the annoying changes in how I can receive support! Your support means a great deal to me! 

Rest through Surrender!

Our Final Malaysia Celebration! I felt so loved by this mazing Team!!!

I have been swamped with meetings since last Friday. In the midst of all of these meetings I must confess that I am losing my mind a little bit. I drove home during my very short lunch break to check on my perfectly functioning AC unit because of the recent issues and ensuing paranoia. Through all this crazy time God has been teaching and re-teaching and slowly pushing into me the truth that rest comes through surrender. So, I (as silly as it may sound) have surrendered my AC unit to God and am choosing to rest in Him and live in His peace... but it is an act of the will. It really is a 'taking every thought captive' kind of thing. At any rate, this applies to far more than just pesky AC units, but it goes to show that God cares, big or small, and is able to use all the stuff in life to show that life comes only from Him. Truth - sometimes it's harder to live in, but regardless, it's where life is and I'm fighting to live there!

Right.  Back to the meetings that have consumed my life, and will continue to until Sunday. Okay, so I'm in the process of partnering with Pioneer Bible Translators to pioneer :) a youth ministry program for them. I'm honored and excited to be able to do this, and even though the meetings are killing me slowly, I'm grateful for all the new information I'm learning and all the amazing free food they are providing. They truly do love you through food here. Now, nothing in my current job will change, I'm just adding on something new. I'm still working with the Dallas MK youth group and still loving it.   

Nathan washing Nadia's feet at our Discovery Church service!

The picture above is a great example of the servant hearted leadership that is present at Pioneer Bible Translators. I really enjoyed having Nadia at Discovery with me and I'm excited to see where God leads her next as she chases after her dream to work with MKs in full time ministry! She just joined the MK group when I started in 2007 and has been volunteering for the past forever since she graduated out.

 The beauties featured just above are my current meeting companions! I have really enjoyed getting to spend nearly all day with my wife and daughter both yesterday and today. It is such a privilege.

Creed and Asher are back in school! 4th and 2nd grade!

Life is getting slowly back to the normal routine. Kids are back in school and Football is back (I'll take pre-season). I'm looking ahead to a busy September and then life should slow down a tick... ha ha ha, like I really believe that :).

Pray!

For the Dallas MK to kick of the year right at Hobbitville over Labor Day weekend. This is the first time I will have my whole family there and I'm excited they will get to be a part of it.

I am heading back to Thailand (January) and need to raise $2,500 for the trip.  Then I'm off to Guinea (April) and then to Jamaica (Summer). Please pray for financial provision, that God will call people to partner with me on these trips. Please pray for God's blessing on all of these trips, for safety and health. Pray for wisdom and humility as I try to do my role with excellence. Pray for my family as I leave, that Diane will have the support that she needs and that my kids will be healthy and obedient.

Praise!

My family is healthy! God is teaching me great things and there is so much to look forward to.

I'm so grateful for you and your love and support for me! There is no way that I could do any of this without your partnership! You truly are a huge part of all that God is doing through my ministry. Thank you for your financial and spiritual support, they are both so critical to what I do! Thank you for your prayers, your relationship and your love! I am overwhelmed by your kindness!

Blessings,

Caleb

If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or a recurring basis, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. 

The other way to donate to my ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line it will get deposited into my ministry account.

The address is:

Holy Cross Lutheran Church 

4400 W Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76016

Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 9, Asher 7, Liam 4, Echo already in heaven, Bella 2, and Serenity.