I am amazed at people and the choices they make. All too often, people act impulsively in the moment and think later about their actions. No wonder the world is a crazy mess! I just do not understand how people never use the brain between their ears. Perhaps it is because there is nothing there. I am angry that people's actions seemed to always be dismissed. I believe in forgiveness and understand the reality that mistakes happen, but I don't think it is fair for people to constantly act in the moment never thinking about their actions and the people their poor choices affect. What does it take for them to finally learn?

Bowl-A-Thon was a Success!

Thank you so much for all who came and participated in our bowling fundraiser for our Nicaragua mission trip. We were able to raise $1020 which was only $30 shy of our remaining balance. This was a great blessing for us and we are very appreciative! We will be boarding the plane for our trip in less than a month and will be gone for a total of 8 days. We will be gone over the Thanksgiving holiday break so sorry to our families for missing out on the American tradition of a bountiful spread. Just know that we are being the church and loving on those who have significantly less than you and I. Actually, I can not think of a better place to be over the Thanksgiving holiday. We will truly be forced to reflect on the blessings in our lives and remind us that there is so much that we are thankful for. I will update you on our trip when we return so please continue to frequent the blog.

A New Beginning!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Over the past several years I have been in the public school systems and have enjoyed my experiences with the children. The children are a great inspiration and motivation for me in my personal and professional life. However, due to strict regulations I find it increasingly difficult to fulfill my educational philosophy of adequately preparing youth for the future. Throughout my years of working with these children, I have discovered that many of the problems in their lives stem from not having a solid foundation. There is a great need for qualified childcare facilities in low income neighborhoods in our community.

During my teaching experience, I have met another ambitious teacher who shares the same vision as I do for giving back to the community through the lives of children. We both feel that children should not suffer developmentally or educationally because of their socioeconomic status. The first several years of life form the foundation for learning and can foster or hinder a child’s character.

Our mission is to open a high quality childcare facility in the Ludlow/Covington area. We will accept children who are under state funding as well as children who are not. The facility will be Christian based in which daily prayers will be incorporated as well as character building, inspirational songs, occasional Bible stories, and the celebration of holidays. This is why we have chosen “Mustard Seeds Childcare” as the name of our Center. A mustard seed is the smallest seed that you can plant, but bears the largest plant in the garden. We want to “plant the seeds” of education, love, hope and service in the young children of our community. We are hoping to open our center at the beginning of the year. We could use your help in fulfilling our mission and getting it started.

Here is how you can help. We are collecting the following items for our Center. If you have or know of anyone who would like to donate these items to us, please contact me and I will pick them up.

Toys and books!!!
Games and puzzles
Changing table
Cribs & mattresses
Child sized tables and chairs
Infant swings
High chairs
Storage bins and organizational units
Bookshelves
Vacuum
Kitchen supplies
Televisions
Radios with CD player
VCR’s and/or DVD players
Gas range
Deep freezer
Sippy cups
Bibs

We will be servicing children from 6 weeks old up to 11 years old so please keep that in mind when cleaning out your basements! If you feel moved to help us further, we would greatly appreciate any monetary donations to help advance our mission. Thank you so much for your help and support. Please pray for us in our efforts to give back.

Love,

Emily
859-866-1761
eberk@insightbb.com

As many of you know we are going to Nicaragua in November to work with Amigos for Christ (http://www.amigosforchrist.org/w.amigosforchrist.org/) on a short-term mission trip. We're going with our Bible Study group that's been meeting together every week for the past year or so. We're extremely excited to go and serve and be a blessing among the poor in Chinendega, Nicaragua.


We're holding a support raising event to support some our mission expenses and also to provide Amigos with a donation check with the excess. We're hosting a nine-pin bowling tournament and the cost is just $20 total to bowl three games plus shoes. $15 of every $20 goes towards the mission. Teams will bowl in groups of four so please invite your friends & family if you want to get a team together or come solo and get matched up. Pass along to anyone who may be interested. This is a great cause and we would love to see you, hang out, bowl a little and support Amigos for Christ. Please RSVP directly to Brent (859-743-3876) or Emily (859-866-1761) or via email (b.berkemeier@insightbb.com), by October 15th so we can give the bowling alley a heads up on numbers. Thanks for your support.

We love you - Brent and Emily

Amigos for Christ Bowling Night

Who: Brent & Emily Berkemeier

What: Ninepin Bowling Tournament

When: October 25th at 2:00 pm

Where: At the Super Bowl in Erlanger, KY
510 Commonwealth Avenue, Erlanger, KY 41018

Why: Support our mission trip to Nicaragua


Tickets are $20 per person at the door. Included in the ticket price is 3 games and shoe rental. Top female and male scores will receive cash prizes. Teams will be made up of four bowlers so please invite your friends!

Well, the past week has been very interesting!

Last weekend we went to North Carolina to pick a trailer up for Berk’s and to visit an old friend. On our return home on Sunday, we get a phone call and it is Renee, Brent’s mom. She had called to tell us that they were having very strong winds come through and to be careful pulling the trailer. We didn’t think much about it as we continued home. Our drive was smooth with no problems. Before we got to Renee’s we stopped in Dry Ridge to get dinner. As we pulled off the exit we realized that something was going on. There were cars and people everywhere and as we parked in the KFC parking lot we noticed the line that extended out the door. The buzz in the restaurant was about the high winds that ripped through the area earlier that day and all the electricity that the storm took with it. Apparently, Dry Ridge was the only exit with in miles to have any power. We stood in line listening to all the stories of the other customers thinking to ourselves, glad we missed the storm and we hope that everything is ok at home.
We got our food and headed to Brent’s parents to have dinner and pick up the baby, Myles. As we got off of the Walton exit we immediately saw the effects of the wind. There were tree branches and debrief all around, all the stores were closed, there weren’t any cars on the road, and all the electricity was out. We pulled up to Brent’s parent’s house to find it to be lit only by candles. We sat and had dinner, discussing the events of the day. As we were finishing up dinner, Jake, a dear friend, called me. I could tell immediately that something was not right by the tone of his voice. Our conversation went a little like this:

Jake: Hey, what are you doing?

Emily: Just at Brent’s parent’s house finishing up dinner.

Jake: Well, can we come to your house?

Emily: Of course, but why?

Jake: Well, we have a tree in our house and I do not mean a tree branch I mean an entire tree! (in disbelief)

Emily: Yeah, we are on our way.

That night, the Armentrouts came to our house for a comforting place to rest their heads and are still here today. In fact, they plan to stay until their house is fixed which is projected to be within the next 4-6 months. It is a change for all of us but and exciting change. It’s like being in college all over again in the since that there is always someone to talk with or to hang out with. Our hope is that this will bring us closer to each other and to God. There is obviously a bigger plan here and we need to be open to change and be willing to grow. I do not foresee many issues surfacing from our living together, because we trust in God to keep peace. However, we will need your prayers for continued trust, faith and strength through God. I will definitely keep you updated on the living situation as it continues to develop.

The Beginning: Emily

After long consideration I have decided to conform to society and join the millions of bloggers. Distance and the demands of the world have made it difficult to stay in contact with family and friends the way we wish. A blog seemed like the logical solution to keep loved ones informed.



Currently, Berk's Landscaping is having it's best year to date. The continuous growth has been a blessing and we are very appreciative for God's grace. I am currently subbing in Kenton Co., Boone Co., and Walton-Verona Schools. I will begin my Masters in Special Education in November from the University of Campbellsville. The online program will allow flexibility and a timeline for completion which has me finishing up in 18 months.