The Vanns Five Fall Update

So I realized today that so much stuff has been going on in our lives the past few months and I haven't really stopped to share. So this post will be long, but will include lots of pics and let you know what is happening with us in Colorado Springs!

Most of you might know that we have moved to Colorado Springs and are serving with the Army Chaplaincy. Austin has been doing amazing and I am so proud of him. He has done two weddings (pics included below) and today headed out to the field with his troops for a few days in the snow...That's right we have snow on the ground this morning in the middle of October!! I was so surprised when we woke up this morning to fall foliage and a blanket of white on the ground and in the mountains. The good news is that the sun is already breaking through!

Since we have been in Colorado we have visited the Garden of the Gods, been mountain biking, visited Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (a zoo on the mountain!)and had a marriage retreat in Breckenridge. Austin was "hailed" at a traditional Army "Hail and Farewell" where they welcome new soldiers to the battalion and farewells to those leaving. We have dinner at a nice restaurant and then the commander ribs the each officer a little and welcomes them. I see deer or foxes almost every day in people's yards! It is so fun!

We have both been involved in a new chapel service called Chapel Next. It is a national movement among military posts that seeks to reach young soldiers and their families and has a modern feel. Austin has preached and is in charge of single soldier outreach. I have been singing in the worship band and we have both helped with children's ministry. We are really enjoying being apart of this new work seeking to reach young people! You can check it out at http://chapelnextfortcarson.blogspot.com/.

In December we will be moving on post into NEW housing that is really awesome. We are so excited that the Lord has provided for us to be on post. We will get to have 3 bedrooms, a two car garage, and a yard! I feel great about having neighbors I know and who are going through the same thing when Austin deploys in May or June next year. We also are a lot closer to where most of our life takes place! Austin will be only minutes from "work" and I will be so close to the commissary (grocery store), the PX (like Walmart/Department Store), the fitness center, our church (Veteran's Chapel) and where I go to Women's Bible Study called PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) every Tuesday morning! I also have such a heart to reach out to the women on post and this will allow me to live among those women and families! Thanks God!

Lastly, we are so excited at the ministry opportunities God continues to give us. Austin's job can be so tough some days as he seeks to please God by sharing Jesus and his commander and the army by doing what they ask him to do. It can be disheartening and challenging at times. God has been faithful! Austin had a tragic situation on Monday happen within his unit and was so discouraged. But God had called Austin to pray over his guys' barracks just the day before. We prayed and I listened as he processed. The next day at my Bible study we prayed for the chaplains and Austin began praying for opportunities to share. Out of this, another solider involved with the crisis came to Austin and told him he wanted to know how to come to Christ. He accepted the Lord and said he was changed!! He said he would share with his wife and bring her back if she wanted to accept Christ as well! Amazing. What Satan meant for evil, God meant for good. A situation that the devil was all in, turned out to bring life to a spiritually dying soldier. Life out of death! That's what our Lord is all about. Please continue to pray for Austin and his ministry. He deals with spiritual warfare everyday. I have never felt so strongly the call to be a prayer warrior for someone as I have for him during this time. I know we are fighting spiritual battles!

Ok so thanks for surviving the update! Pictures are posted below!


Our snowy fall day!


Austin getting ready for his trek out in the field in the cold and snow.


Our future "home". It will have red shutters!


Austin getting "Hailed" at a traditional Army Hail and Farewell.


Austin and I on date night at our marriage retreat in Breckenridge.

Austin in his dress blues for the wedding he did.

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At the mountain Zoo with my friend's son Jackson!