This week we are headed to Texas for a whirlwind two and half week trip. We will be reuniting with family and friends as we share about Mad Vision. On Sunday, June 22 at 3:00 pm we will be presenting at Heart Touch Retreat Center, 2221 Porter Rd Katy, TX 77493 and then again at St. Philips Episcopal Church, 311 E. Corpus Christi St. in Beeville, TX 78102 on Tuesday, June 24 at 6:00pm. If you are in the area, we sure hope you'll join us!

During the first weekend of May, we had the opportunity to spend three days connecting with our Valley View family in Clackamas, Oregon. We had seven meetings over three days ranging from men's and women's breakfast to combined sunday school to home groups. We also had a "David Letterman" style interview from Pastor Steve during the morning service. We were able to reconnect with friends of Jonathan as well as meet new people.

This was a rewarding time as we shared Mad Vision and experienced others growing excitement about opportunity to meet physical, emotional, and spiritual health needs in Madagascar. We have gained new financial partnerships bringing us to more than 10% of our financial goal.

Here is Oliver soaking in grandma love at Valley View.

Coming this Weekend!...
Mandy and I will be spending some time in the Portland area with the Valley View Evangelical Church family to share about our work in Madagascar. This feels like a home coming for me since this is the church I grew up in. I did my first mission trips through Valley View when I was in high school. I have fond and impacting memories of my spring break trip to Mexico with the youth group where we helped at an orphanage and led some worship services.

Now as I return with my wife Mandy and my son Oliver, we are excited to become reacquainted with our Valley View community and meet many of the new faces. We are looking forward to exploring what it means for Valley View and the Casurellas as we partner in their mission to "reach out to one another, our community, our world, in reaction to God reaching out to us."

Here are the details:
Where: Valley View Church
11501 SE Sunnyside Road
Clackamas, OR 97015
When: Sunday, 4th May 9am

We will be sharing more about our plans for ministry in Madagascar at our church this upcoming Sunday. All are welcome as we share stories, pictures, and dialogue about the people and needs of this unique island.
Here are the details:
Where: First Covenant Church
1145 C St. Anchorage, AK 99501
When: Sunday, April 6th, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Children are welcome to join, childcare will also be provided.

We are keeping rather busy as our plans and vision for our work in Madagascar continues to take shape and pick up speed. Last autumn we shared about our vision with friends and family in Portland, OR (where Jonathan grew up). We have connected with Valley View Evangelical church and are excited about partnership plans with them. Over the Christmas holiday and through January we have been working on developing this website. We've realized that web design is a ton of work for two web design rookies!
Right now we are in our "partner development" phase. This is a challenging and rewarding job. We have enjoyed seeing others come alongside our vision for work in Madagascar, supporting us in a variety of ways. Our financial base is beginning to grow as we connect with people and churches. We are striving to connect with experts in our fields as we continue to brain storm and pull details together.
Well that's the Mad News for now. We will update again in a few weeks. In the meantime we are awaiting the arrival of our first child... due this week!

One exciting opportunity has been brought to us by Reuben Schug, a real estate agent in Portland, Oregon. He has generously offered 50% of his commission that is generated through Casurella referrals. So if you or a friend is trying to buy or sell a house, contact Reuben and let him know we referred you. He can work directly with you in the greater Portland Metropolitan area. He also gets commission if he refers a client to another agent anywhere in the country. For example, if you live in Houston, TX, you can call him up, give our name, and ask for a good referral in your area. He will do some research and find an agent with a great record and great service-- and we will get 50% of his cut.

So if you or anyone you know wants to buy or sell a house... contact Reuben! Click on this link for more info: www.reubenschug.mywindermere.com