John and Becki Bennett Serving with NTM @ NTBI Waukesha Well, we have lived in Waukesha, WI., for a little over a month now and I think we are starting to get familiar with the layout of the city. Although, the other day I got lost trying to get to a coffee shop… go figure. Anyway, it is encouraging when Becki comes home from a store and says “I figured out how to take the short cut home!”
Waukesha’s population is somewhere around 65,000 +, over 4 times the size of Corning. Traffic is not bad at all however don’t try to drive west at 9am, 1pm, or 7pm (ish) the train blocks everything during that time! We forgot that, and got stuck waiting for a really long train as we were taking Chloe to the doctors for flu-like symptoms. The doctor gave her some meds and she is rest now… But after going out for the meds, Becki and I almost got stuck waiting for the train again… but I know the short cut too!
So the kids have been use to getting up at 6:20am for school, jumping on the bus at 7:20am, being at school for 8 hours, then ride the bus home, eat a snack and start into homework…
Now Chloe and Ellie’s day looks not so structured. I wake them up around 730am, they eat breakfast, log in on their computers and check out what classes they have for the day. Yup! They are homeschooling! But through the public school here in WI. It’s called IQ Academy. Some days they love it, others they “hate it”. One week they were done by Thursday with all their work and this week they actually started Sunday night (kind of crazy I know). But what a whole new idea for school! the transition into this is not easy on any of us, but we think they are doing pretty well considering they have never had to be completely self-motivated.
Derek is working through the Abeka curriculum with Becki. They work on it for a few hours in the morning and for a while in the afternoon. Again totally new schooling idea for Derek. Some days he is all for it and does really well. Then others he is defiant and wants to have 21 other kids around him. However, he is doing really well overall and enjoys the time “off” that he gets.
Derek has done some “rock climbing” here. In the gym about a year ago they installed a rock wall for climbing, so he has been all over that!
Ellie and Chloe, started running on the treadmills in the gym here and have run a couple of miles each time. Derek tries to play with a couple of the other boys here. He and another boy jumped over some boxes 25 times, he was very excited about being able to do that so many times!
Tori, is doing a Zumba class once a week, too.
Becki and I have been clearing out and re-organizing our storage area and I have been trying to figure out a good setup for my office.
Over the last two weeks I have had the privilege of doing out for coffee and conversation with 8 different guys, who love Christ and want to see every people group discipled. These guys with their open and honest responses to God’s word and their willingness to be transparent within relationships has deeply challenged and encouraged me. I am so excited to see how God is going to use these guys!
At the end of February the NTBI is hosting a “Prospective Students Weekend”, where many people come to see the school, attend classes and meet students and staff, to see if this might be a place they want to come for Bible training. We are all very excited about this and would ask that you pray that many people will come for a visit and that God would direct them here in the near future!
Thanks for taking a few minutes to check up on us!
We love you all,
The Bennetts.
