2006: The Year in Review

Well, it's been a busy year for the Faustino family, and among our New Year's Resolutions is the goal of keeping up our new blog! By God's grace, we'll do a better job of keeping in touch with everyone.

January 2006: On January 3, 2006, we left California and began our move back to Massachusetts. After three and half years in L.A., Lou had completed seminary, and it was time to head home. God graciously provided Lou with a pastorate at Cape Cod Bible Church in Harwich, Massachusetts. So, shortly after the New Year, we headed east. On the first night, we stopped at the Grand Canyon. We had stopped here on the way out to California three years before, and we wanted to see it again. After good night's sleep and some quick pictures (it was so cold outside!), we were off again. By the second night, we had reached Albuquerque, NM where we stayed with our friend Merrily's parents. This was a blessing as they encouraged us in the Lord in regards to our future ministry.
From there, we went went to Tulsa, OK, where we stayed the night with Jim and Jan Stewart. Jim was the former pastor at CCBC, and they had stayed with us in CA for the Shepherds' Conference a few years earlier. From there we worked our way to Tennessee where we were able to visit with our good friends, the Risers. We were so glad to have some time with them as we had not seen them since they had left California. From there, we made our way to Baltimore and up the coast to Cape Cod. Praise the Lord, we had an unseasonably warm day to move into our new apartment. We had been wondering if we would encounter a blizzard instead!

February 2006: In February, the Lord had a surprise for us! We were going to have a baby! Even though we had been hoping to start a family once we settled in Mass., this was sooner than expected, but a most welcome blessing, nonetheless. Thankfully, the morning sickness hit in full force AFTER the unpacking was completed. Praise the Lord for His grace!
During this month, our good friend Diane also came to visit. We enjoyed our time with her as she helped Amy finish her Christmas shopping. (Our family celebrated Christmas in February since we were in California in December and moving in January).

March 2006: March was a quieter month as we settled into our new routines. God sustained Amy through her first trimester, and we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat. We continue to be amazed at God's power and handiwork in creating and sustaining this little life!

April 2006: In April, Amy's ninth grade students from California came to visit for their class trip. Amy had been working on this since we left California, and it was wonderful to see all of them, along with Tom and Wayne, the principals from GCS. For a week, we squeezed eight jr. high girls in our little one-bedroom apartment, while Amy's parents hosted the eight boys and Tom and Wayne. It was quite an adventure with trips to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail, ride the Duck Tours, and visit the Museum of Science. We also visited Plymouth, where Amy grew up, and saw the Mayflower and Plimouth Plantation. The group also had fun exploring the Cape and seeing the Atlantic Ocean. We had a wonderful time, and we were sad to see them go at the end of the week.

May 2006: May was a month of traveling. At the beginning of the month, we left the Cape for Puerto Rico with Amy's parents. As a graduation gift to Lou, they were taking us on a cruise in the Carribean. Although the scenery was beautiful, the sea was a bit rough, and we spent several days under the weather, leaving our cabin only for food (which, I might add, was difficult to keep down). Needless to say, cruising will not be our preferred vacation mode. Like Jonah, we were very glad to be back on dry land again.
Shortly after this, we left again, this time headed for California. We were flying back with Lou's mom to attend Lou's graduation from The Master's Seminary. We stayed with our friends, the Modugnos, and enjoyed a blessed time of catching up with our old friends. Amy enjoyed the opportunity to see her students one more time, as well. Praise the Lord for seeing Lou through seminary! It was such a blessing to see him get his degree!

Summer 2006: God continued to sustain Amy through her pregnancy, and we now had some glorious news--we were expecting a girl! Grace was on her way. We had chosen the name Grace on our honeymoon five years earlier, and now, amazingly, she would be here soon!
In August, a group from Christ Community Church in New Hampshire, under the leadership of former TMS grad Craig Johnson, came to help us run a VBS program at the church. We enjoyed some blessed fellowship with them, as five of the guys stayed with us for the week. (Again, God has allowed us to use our little apartment to extend hospitality!) It was such an encouragement to us and to the people at our church to serve alongside them. We hope we might see them again next year!

September 2006: We finished the final preparations before Grace's birth. (Where are we going to fit a crib and all her stuff? Did we wash all of her clothes and blankets?) Her due date, September 25th, came and went and no signs of labor. Amy was getting tired and less and less mobile.

October 2006: On October 1, 2006, at 2:54 a.m., Grace Anne was born! And, of course, she arrived on a Sunday! We had wondered if that would happen, but thankfully, Lou had made arrangements just in case he couldn't preach! She weighed in at 7lb. 12 oz., 20 in. long! We praise God for a safe delivery and a healthy baby! Also, in October, Professor Keith Essex and his wife Louise came to visit. We enjoyed seeing them and hearing Prof. Essex preach on Ezra and Nehemiah in our Sunday services.

November/December 2006: Grace celebrated her first Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family. Grace is the first grandchild and great-grandchild on Amy's side, and everyone is enjoying having a new baby around. We also had the church Christmas party at our place; we had fun fellowshipping and playing games. We enjoy each new day with Grace, watching her grow and change. So far, she has kept her blue eyes (just like Amy's), and she smiles a lot. Recently, she has started laughing and squealing; we love it!