Below is our October newsletter (you get to see it a few days early!) You may be receiving one of these in your email or snail mailbox, so pretend like it's the first time you've read it, if so. Ha, ha! Anyway, click below to read the whole thing, or just keep reading if you're already on this full page...

October, 2009

Phwew! About a month from now, we’ll be making the (approximately) 30-hour trip from Greenville, SC to Carapegua, Paraguay. We are SOOO excited right now, and really looking forward to what God is arranging for this next phase of life in the Hagerman family. It’s still very humbling to think that He’s allowing us to be a part of the strong call He’s still sending out to His people, to “go into all the world.” We are also humbled that you are along for the ride, partners with us on this journey into the great big world of cross-cultural missions.

We’ve had the privilege the last few months of visiting different churches within South Carolina to share the mission vision. It’s been wonderful to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. We’re not only traveling around to get prayer and financial supporters, but also to get the word out about the Mission Training Facility we’ll be helping to start in Paraguay. Only God knows at this point, who and where our future students are right now. It’s very possible that some of the youth under our voices at these local churches will feel God’s tugging soon and join us in Paraguay for our first session beginning around May of 2009. We plan to break ground on the Facility in January.

We have been able to spend some time with the Millers, missionaries of the Church of God of Prophecy from Collingwood, Canada, who have been living and working in Paraguay for 13+ years. They are a wonderful family, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them. Already, they have proven to be an invaluable resource of “been there, done that”, and I can only imagine that they’ll be even more invaluable once we’re living on foreign soil. They are visiting North America right now traveling to churches throughout the southeastern US this month. Thankfully, they will arrive back in Paraguay two days BEFORE we will!!

Some of you have asked about our specific financial goals, so I’ll share a little about that. Our first goal is to raise $10,000 to $12,000 before we leave for our initial set up expenses. We’re currently nowhere near that, but trusting that God will provide for what we need. We are looking into the possibility of building a two bedroom house and furnishing it for around $4000 to $5000. We could add on to it as we have need, one room at a time. We believe that building over renting is a better use of ministry dollars. The remainder would be for purchasing some form of transportation. Unfortunately, something like the little Saturn we’ve gotten used to won’t quite cut it in Carapegua. Many of the roads are still dirt and clay, and when the rains come, we hear it’s quite necessary to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle. We will be able to purchase what we need in the $6000-7000 range. (Imagine that, building a house for less than buying a car!!)

As for our monthly budget, we are hoping to raise $1200 in monthly support. That would provide for our family needs as well as the ministries we are looking to develop. Basically, we are hoping to find 12 local churches, individuals, or groups of people that would be willing to support us at $100.00 per month. Our accountability is to our local church in Greenville, and to each person that chooses to support this ministry. We welcome any questions or inquiries. We will have an open-book policy to all that support this ministry.

Many of you have received a notification card. If you haven’t sent that back to us yet, we would appreciate it if you would get in touch with us to let us know if you’d like to continue to receive this newsletter, if you’d like to be our prayer partner, and if you’d like to be a financial partner. Please keep our enclosed prayer card and post it somewhere you’ll see us daily (maybe the fridge!), because we would definitely appreciate daily prayer.

We are committed 100% to this project, we have purchased our one-way tickets, but we cannot do this alone. We need partners just like you to make this ministry happen and for it to grow. Together we can do it.

Remember that we won’t receive mail through our old mailing address once we fly out on November 6, and that any correspondence will best be through our email (hagerman100@yahoo.com). Any donations should be mailed to our local church, Carolina Heights Christian Fellowship, at 2900 Anderson Road, Greenville, SC 29611. You can keep up with our daily/weekly happenings at www.hagermans.blogspot.com. Thanks again for your encouragement and prayers. May God bless you!

Ken, Christie, Camille, and Caroline

We visited the Piedmont COGOP last night and shared the vision with them. My parents both got to be there (first time for them to see our "presentation"). We saw several kids/youth that were in camp while we were directing. It's always good to find camp kids in church AFTER camp, you know? And the pastor, Bro. Manley, is always such a pleasure to be around. Camille and Caroline were proud to have their grandparents there, and excited to see Corey, the Piedmont Children's Minister.

My dad was in town for a visit this weekend, so that ... he and Ken could put in a little time with the bows in the tree-stands. Ken hunted with his buddy Ray on Saturday. No deer in the freezer, but the men enjoyed the hunts, I guess. And I loaded my dad's truck down with stuff he's taking back to store for us, or to give to folks down there. Phwew! A little more junk out of the house. We're gettin' there!

We saw the Fireproof movie last night. It was good. *SPOILER ALERT--I kept thinking the husband was going to have to save his wife from a flaming inferno, so I was nervous every time the firehouse alarm went off. It was a good film, though, and having some professional actors really helped this flick out. Facing the Giants, which was made by this same church in Atlanta, was also a good movie, but I was distracted by the amateur actors (I'm not a hater, just a movie buff--tough to please, I know. Don't throw rotten fruit at me!)

All in all, a good weekend!

I've seen this popping us in various places and couldn't resist. If you're lucky enough to NOT have dial-up internet (like the Hagermans enjoy--lol), then you can watch this cute little McDonald's commercial and get a laugh. I don't often hear the country of Paraguay mentioned ANYWHERE! (PS-I was telling the story of how we're moving over there and such a few months back, and actually had someone ask me if Paraguay was in Florida! You should've seen me stifling the laugh.)

Hit list for today...
1. Get Caroline back to the orthodontist first thing to replace the little piece of metal she swallowed with her dinner last night
2. Get Camille's "spare pair" of glasses
3. The usual list of Wal-Mart things
4. Take ID photo to send in with Paraguayan Entry Visa application
5. Print off, fill in, copy, and mail Visa apps for each of us + mom and dad
6. Send Verizon a nice letter reminding them that they said they wouldn't charge us a disconnect fee if we'd send them the nice letter (thanks, Verizon!)
7. Put in a day's worth of homeschooling
8. Continue transferring the family videos onto DVD's
9. Let the bank, etc. know that we'll be paperless now, so they'll send our statements via email
10. Blog (well, one down!)
11. Run by the post office to drop off a package of some homeschooling material I sold online (YAY!!!!)
12. Get to church on time.
13. Transfer some songs and ebooks over to my new (birthday present) MP3 player--thanks Ken!
14. Eat. Gotta remember to do that today.

(That's all... don't click below.)

We visited the College Park Church this past Sunday evening. Ken spoke about knowing God, and making Him known. As usual there, we really enjoyed the worship service and the chance to be with old friends. The pastor, Jeff White, has been very encouraging and supportive of our decision to join the mission field. We really appreciated his anointed prayer over us.

We'll be at the Piedmont Church of God of Prophecy this Sunday evening, at 6 PM. We look forward to sharing the vision God's planted in us with their congregation. Drop by if you're near!

(Don't click below... this was a short post!)

This weekend was -- yes, you read correctly -- Ken's TWENTIETH high school reunion. What a blast! It was a wonderful time of reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and getting to share what's going on in our lives.



We tailgated Friday night before the local football game and had a special seating area in the stands. Some people Ken didn't recognize until hearing their names, and he said some looked just the same. Everyone seemed to have a great time talking and
hanging out. TR lost the game (I hear that's nothing new...), but most didn't watch it so closely that it mattered anyway. Afterward, we joined some of Ken's old pals to grab a snack, and got to talk more in-depth. How great it was to see God's hand in their lives! I didn't really know these folks, but it was obvious why Ken had been friends with them years ago, even when they were all, undoubtably, very different.

Saturday night was the reunion dinner at the country club. The lights were a little dim, but everyone had nametags, at least, so it was a little easier to pick out who's-who. Some we hadn't seen since the 10-year reunion. Some didn't live to the 20th. Ken won a door prize and got to take his turn at the microphone, so he threw in a quick plug for our upcoming move. A few of his classmates turned to me and said they actually have a team going to Paraguay from their church the first of next year. Imagine that! Such a small world.

We were both thankful that the reunion took place before we moved, so that Ken had the opportunity to see everyone and tell of our exciting news. Kudos to the reunion committee who did a great job of organizing it all! We had a great time. :)

I told you yesterday that Dan and Gwen are staying with us for a few days. Well, Dan isn't really into shopping, and as you all know, I LOVE to hit the thrift stores, so today, Gwen and I left for a day of Goodwills and the like. It's Dan's birthday, so I felt a tad guilty about keeping his gal out all day, but not guilty enough to turn down a request to see the local thrift stores?

She and I hit the ground running, making our way to the Goodwill Clearance Center (the mere fact that Goodwill has a CLEARANCE is just divine!) Of course, it was a good time to talk about what we can expect in Paraguay, and how I can get prepared over these next few weeks (we're down to less than two months now....) We'd only been there about a half-hour--not long in thrift store time--when I got a call from my Mom. She was taking the girls ice skating for a couple hours, getting in some quality grandparent time. That is, until Camille fell and ran over her own thumb with the skate blade, necessitating a trip to the local emergency room.

We rushed over there (thankfully, it was less than five miles from both of our locations to the ER) and took a look at the damage. Sliced deep right across the knuckle of her thumb, bleeding like a stuck pig. Because of the location, it was really tough to get the bleeding to stop. After about 45 minutes in the waiting room, my mom took Caroline and Gwen back to the store. (Turns out that Gwen was able to find some treasures there, including several things for the folks in Paraguay. There's a new baby on the way with one of the local families involved in the ministry there, and there are 19 kids in the first children's home, so she found some things for them. I do love pay-by-the-pound!!)

Meanwhile, Camille and I hunkered down for what turned out to be a three-hour wait (similar to the "three-hour tour" of Gilligan fame). Fearing we'd never get "off the island," we left despite the promises of the staff that it'd be just a bit longer. Camille was most happy with the decision to skidaddle, as she had been dreading the numbing injection that comes before stitches. Truth is, she had been holding her thumb so tightly to stop the bleeding, that it had already begun to seal itself back up anyway. I figured I could do with that glue-stuff, the same thing they were planning to do with the stitches. So after a trek to the local drug store loaded down with first aid junk, we patched her up and she's as good as new (except for the occassional Advil and the splint that keeps her from bending that thumb.) Don't bother to send me hate mail about leaving before we saw the dr... we've always favored self-treatment when possible. I reminded Camille that my granddad used to give stitches when needed, minus anesthesia, using fishing line. She asked if I was going to try that. Lucky for her I'm not THAT brave. ;)

Today is my 36th birthday (yes, I did say THIRTY-SIX, thank you!) Ken didn't have to work today and the girls took the day off school, since their teacher wanted the day off. (Convenient!) Dan and Gwen Miller are staying with us for a short few days, so we went out for some lunch. (Click the "rest of the story" below to see the proof!)
I am thrilled to have been blessed with 36 years and can't wait for God has in store this next year!! Tiff has posted some of our family photos on her blog, too (http://www.momentscaptured4u.com/blog/?p=321) Hurry over if you wanna see them, because she updates often and they'll be gone soon, I'm sure! Thanks again, Tiffiney!! You're such a pro.

Dan wanted to help Gwen enjoy the Japanese Steakhouse, even though it looks like he's trying to stab her in the neck with a fork. Doesn't help that he has that "crazy Canadian" look on his face!!




Caroline took the opportunity to fix Dan's hair. He was a good salon client for her, which thrilled her to death. He was also a good kickboxing target, and a good wrestling partner, and a good couch pillow, and.... well, Caroline liked Dan. :)

Funny how we view progress. I see it as getting things marked off the to-do list, especially if it means the house is getting more empty. This move seems more real to me the more space we have in the living room, for example. Now that my beloved bicycle is gone, there's a big space (well, there WAS--I quickly filled it with boxes of pictures to go to storage) in the living room. And today, two nice gentlemen came and loaded up our giant office desk into their little truck, and WOW! More space!

So the Hagerman house looks a little like a warehouse right now, with boxes and bags stacked everywhere. I take a load to the Miracle Hill donation center and think we're less "cluttered" looking, but that just makes more space to go through more cabinets and closets and such. So it's an ongoing project that may last right up until we leave. I sure hope not. It is pretty fun to come across old baby pictures or school certificates. (Did I mention that my genius husband was on the President's List throughout his college career?)
Tonight the girls watched two different versions of our wedding video. I'm trying to get all the old VHS's onto DVD's for easier storage. Quite funny. They had to keep making jokes about my hair being big. Gotta love the early 90's! As I type, Camille's baby dedication is playing in the background, and her daddy is singing her a little tune from the podium. Good times!

This is totally unrelated to missions, but humor me... One of my goals on the long TO-DO list is to return things I have that belong to other people. The two biggest remaining items are a baby book I found several years ago at a yard sale, belonging to a baby born in 1929, and the other is a class ring I found smashed in a parking lot in Moncks Corner. These have been ongoing sporadic projects of mine for the last few years. If you've ever tried to find total strangers on the internet, you know it can be a bit trying. Today--SUCCESS!

After lots of dead-ends and old, no longer functioning email addresses and phone numbers, I found the son of the "baby" in my baby book. This is the most beautiful little record of the baby's first months, with pictures, recipes from the doctor, notes from the mother, lists of gifts, trips taken, and the like. All bound up in a cute little leather book.
I have called so many people who think I'm crazy (well, really I am) asking silly questions about their family trees. One phone call was particularly fun. Most of the people I've been calling are at least 70 years old, and this particular couple had the name of the baby's father and the baby herself. So I'm thinking maybe they're related somehow, since the last name isn't a common one at all. I think they both answered extensions on the phone at the same time, because all three of us were talking. I recited my little speech and told them what names and dates I knew, and asked if any of that was familiar to them. The man actually said in the background, "She's got some parts right. Don't you buy anything from her!" I guess I sounded like a scam artist. Funny. Anyway, after calling all over the US, I found the son in NY, and his mother had actually lived just a few miles from me all along. I'm so glad to be able to return this nice little book to the man who lost his mother 8 years ago. Now to find the owner of that ring....

We decided we should get the recommended (not mandatory) Hepatitis A vaccination before our big move. I did what most parents would do and called our pediatrician to schedule this for the girls. They told me they'd rather send vaccinations to the health department. Of course, the health department told me they would prefer that children with a regular doctor get shots from their own doctor. After a few rounds of this, the pediatrician's office scheduled us. Well, sort of. They said in light of our impending move, it'd be a good idea to do a full physical for each child before the vaccinations. They put us on a waiting list and called back a few weeks later to schedule the actual appointment. That appointment was yesterday.

Mind you, the little chicks were not really pleased about getting shots, but after my lengthy discourse on what an ugly sickness Hep A could be, they shifted from their complaints into constant questions about how bad it'd hurt (you've been there moms!) Imagine their happiness when the doctor recommended that they go ahead and get a tetanus booster and meningitis vaccine for Camille while they were there. Oh, the joy on their faces.

Shots aside, Camille failed her vision exam. The exam was performed on my request, after Camille mentioned very casually last month that her right eye is ALWAYS BLURRY! I've been her mother for 11 1/2 years, and I'm just now hearing about this? So we trekked to two different optometrists next, for more exams and the "pick out your glasses" session. Turns out she has astigmatism in her right eye, and the left one has been compensating for it for a long time. I have WonderWoman superhero vision and can read both tiny fine print and road signs that are yet two miles away. So this glasses thing is new territory for us.

Same day, we had a consultation with the orthodontist, after Caroline's dentist mentioned that she may have to have a tooth pulled. One of her lower canine baby teeth fell out last year, and the permanent one has never surfaced. Now her bottom teeth have shifted into the space that should exist for the missing tooth. The choice was a)pull 4 teeth some time in her teen years and deal with the skeletal and tooth changes that this causes, or b)put braces on the bottom teeth and try to yank them back into place over the next six weeks, then put a spacer in the hole and have it removed in Paraguay, once her canine comes in. So this morning, Caroline got braces.

Between the aching arms, the painful mouth, the feeling that I should have caught these things before they got this bad, and the headspin that resulted from having to sign those checks, it's been a long couple of days. I think I need some soup myself, at this point! Or maybe chocolate. Prayers for my achy girls are appreciated.

We had a full weekend with a lot of driving, a lot of talking, a lot of visiting=a lot of FUN! The four of us + Nana (my mom) made it to Macedonia/Bonneau on Saturday afternoon for lunch (which was almost dinner, by then) with some of my side of the family. My brother, Dino, was down as well, so the girls got to play with their cousin, Bree. It was a whole bunch of fun figuring out where everyone would sleep! ;) We awoke ready to tackle a few churches on Sunday.

A couple hours drive was Smoaks COGOP (thankfully, Nana let us borrow her GPS, because Smoaks is OUT THERE!) The people were so friendly, and we always enjoy spending time with the pastor (Bro. Vaughn), and his family (Sis. Vaughn, Jason, Justin, and now Keitha!) Dawn and Francis from my Peru trip this summer were there, too. It's always good to see familiar faces in the crowd!

We sped out of there, drove through a storm, about an hour across the marshy lowlands of Charleston to Johns Island, where they were having a singing and "dinner on the ground"!!! (Remember those?!) The pastor and his wife are family, so we felt very at home there right away. We gave an abbreviated presentation (no pictures, but the girls did sing and drum, since it WAS a singing!) and were invited to slip into the back, where some of the dinner had been left out for us (Thanks, y'all!) Our pals, the Gulledges (with god-daughter in tow) came out to see us. They are such an encouragement.

We made it back to Macedonia about 5:30 and caught the dwindlings of a family reunion of sorts, getting to see most of my people. It's great to get to tell our exciting story, and especially nice to share it with family. I always kinda expect to hear horror stories or words of warning (kinda like when you're pregnant and every woman wants to tell you her horrible birthing disaster story), but instead, we get lots of "You're going to have a wonderful time," and "God will take care of you, try not to get anxious about the details," and my personal favorite, "That doesn't surprise me at all to hear that y'all are doing this!"

It's just a little more than TWO MONTHS left!!!.......