July has been a lot. It has been such a fun and exhausting season with a two-year-old and a two-month-old. We love watching Presley grow and seeing more of her little personality come out every day. And Logan absolutely loves her sister, which is so sweet, although sometimes she loves on her just a wee bit too much. We are tired, but we are also really thankful for this season and trying our best to soak it all in.
Jay is still helping out as much as he can with the Chapin Home and CNA, the government agency that licenses the homes and is the agency that opened the case against Chapin home. He has been doing his best to help with communication between the directors, staff, and CNA whenever he can, while also trying to troubleshoot some of the issues that have come up. It has been a lot for him, but it is even more stressful for the directors of the homes, so we are just really thankful that he is able to take some of that stress off of them and help wherever he can. There is a lot going on, and we are praying for wisdom and clarity for everyone involved.
We are also in the middle of team season! We had a team come in early July, and they were awesome. Jay moved up to Community of Hope for the week to lead the team. That meant making breakfast, coordinating cleanup, driving, helping direct throughout the day alongside the directors of whichever part of the ministry we were visiting, and then hanging out with the team at night and doing devotions with them. It is an exhausting week, but it is always worth it.
During our team week, my car also decided to overheat, and we realized we had a coolant leak. The girls and I ended up stuck on the side of the road until Jay was able to come help. He spent the rest of the day working on it and was able to get it fixed. It was incredibly hot, and he ended up getting extremely sunburned, but I am so thankful for the work he put in to get the car fixed and get us back on the road. Just another reminder that ministry life is never quite what you expect!
We never want to get so used to God’s glory and the beauty of this country and this ministry that we stop seeing it. But the reality is that sometimes we do. Teams remind us of it. They are seeing everything for the first time, and we get to see it again through their eyes.
The girls and I moved up to the property for a couple of days that week, but doing that the whole week is just a lot, so there were definitely days when we stayed home and held down the fort. This team was especially sweet to our family. They not only loved on the kids in the ministry, but they loved on our girls too. They held them, played with them, and gave us a break while we were working, and we appreciated it so much.
It is a weird week for everyone, and that includes Logan. She was out until 10 one night for team dinner, which is just part of the life of a kid whose parents are in ministry sometimes. They have to tag along, stay up late, and just hold it together. I am so proud of her for doing that, especially since she is only two!
The Tuesday after the team left, our family headed to Alabama. The flights there were rough. Our first flight was supposed to leave at 11:55 PM, but by the time we got to the airport in Guatemala City around 9 PM, our flight time had already changed three times. We realized we were no longer going to make our connecting flight, so while we were standing in line to drop our bags off, I switched us to a 6 AM flight. So we spent the night in the airport. That was rough with a two-year-old, but we made it!
This trip was so good for our family. We left tired, but came home rested in a different way. My dad was very recently diagnosed with brain cancer, so being able to have this trip so soon was really good for our hearts. We spent a lot of time with family and got to see some friends too. We are believing for complete healing for my dad. We serve a God who is so much greater than any diagnosis, and we are trusting Him with this.
We also got to dedicate Presley at the church where I was dedicated, which was really special. We loved getting to do that surrounded by people who have loved me since I was a baby and who continue to pray for us and our ministry. It was such a sweet reminder of how many people God has placed in our lives who have loved and supported us for so many years.
We are also so thankful for everyone in the ministry who stepped up while we were gone and helped lead the team so that we could take this trip. We truly do not take that for granted. It means so much to know that things are being taken care of and that people are willing to step in and help when we need it. We appreciate you all more than you know!
We flew back on Tuesday, and honestly, it has been a little rough. We came home to a lot of things to do and some new challenges that had come up while we were gone. Today has been especially hard. We are tired, stressed, and overwhelmed, but the truth is that a lot of people in our ministry are feeling that way right now.
Every month when I sit down to write these updates, I feel a little guilty. I feel like I say the same things over and over, and sometimes I wonder if people will get tired of hearing it. This past year, we actually lost a supporter because they felt like they weren’t able to see our ministry, and ever since then, that has stayed in the back of my mind. The reality is that we aren’t with the kids as much as we used to be. Our family has grown, and life and our roles in ministry have changed. A lot of what we do now is “behind the scenes” work, and honestly, it isn’t always very pretty or something that makes for a good picture or story. A lot of it is hours and hours of phone calls, emails, problem-solving, helping staff, hosting difficult meetings, and just trying to help keep things moving. It is hard work. Not necessarily harder than any other job in the ministry, but it is different. And if I’m being honest, it is probably less fun in a lot of ways. There aren’t always cute pictures or exciting stories to share, but please know that we are working. We are still very much involved, even when it doesn’t always look the way it used to.
And we really don’t take your prayers or financial support for granted. We think about it often. We stress every month about making sure we are spending money wisely because we know there are sacrifices being made by the people who choose to financially support our ministry and our lives here. We are incredibly thankful for you, and we don’t want you to ever feel like what you give—whether that is financially, through prayer, or through helping us in other ways—is unnoticed or unappreciated.
Ways to Pray
- Rest and energy — We are both mentally exhausted. We came home from our trip feeling refreshed in a different way, but we were met with so much stress and so many things that needed our attention that we are already feeling worn down again. Please pray that we would have wisdom to know what we need to do to actually recharge, and then the energy to make time for it. There is a lot on our plates right now, and we need the Lord to sustain us through it.
- Wisdom — There are a lot of decisions happening right now, especially for Jay as he helps navigate some of the administrative side of things. He specifically asked that you pray for wisdom for each decision he has to be part of, and that through all of it, he would honor God in the way he leads, communicates, and makes decisions.
- Finances — We have been incredibly blessed with some generous one-time donations that have helped us get through some unexpected expenses and needs this year, and we are so thankful for that provision. As we start looking toward the new year, we are praying for consistent financial support so that we can continue to focus on the ministry responsibilities God has given us without constantly worrying about whether we will have what we need. We are so grateful for everyone who gives, and we don’t take any of it for granted. Please pray that God would continue to provide and bring the right people alongside us as we look ahead.
- My dad — Please continue to pray for complete healing for my dad. We know our God is bigger than any diagnosis, and we are believing and trusting Him through all of this.
If you feel led to support us, please know that prayer is always the biggest thing you can give us. We truly need it and appreciate it more than we can say. If you would also like to financially support our family and ministry, you can do so through the donate link on our website or through PayPal.
Website- jaykelsie.com
Paypal- kgwester@gmail.com
And if you have questions about supporting us, want to know more about what that looks like, or would like to talk through other ways to give, please feel free to message us. We are always happy to answer questions and would love to connect with you!
Thank you for reading and praying,
Love, the Fulps.