Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!                                                                JANUARY 2014

Most of you are aware that for the last six months, Joel (age 21) has been in 4 different hospitals in the Twin Cities because of a diving accident June 19, when he broke his C-5 vertebra, bruised his spinal cord and drowned.  After being revived by Daniel (age 21), he was flown by helicopter to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, and has had many complications impeding his recovery.   That is why we are not mailing newsletters or writing personal messages this year!   You can keep up with Joel’s progress and prayer requests on caringbridge.org (Joel Stadem) or ask to be our friends (Pete ‘n’ Kari Stadem) on Facebook.   We are very grateful for the love, prayers, visits and practical support we’ve received from so many friends and relatives; please consider this a thank you, because we haven’t written any of those either!   We trust that the Lord will bring complete healing in His good time. 

Pete & Kari have spent most of their time supporting Joel and trying to juggle the rest of the family’s schedules.  In May, Pete smashed his leg at home plate in a church softball game (he scored the run and the team won!), so he was still limping on crutches with a plate and screws in his leg when Joel got hurt.  Kari spent most of the first seven weeks in the Cities, staying with her sister at night, but since September we’ve taken turns.  Gorans Bros. (our employer) has been fantastic in their willingness to cover for Pete in the barns, and we were able to use Kari’s parents’ cars to help with transportation needs.

Our church, Svea Lutheran, has been through many trials this year.  Besides Pete’s & Joel’s accidents and several funerals, our pastor had to resign in the summer because of health issues.  Two interim pastors also developed pneumonia while serving us.  And another family had two or three major health issues at once.  However, God has been faithful to enable the congregation to do what needs to be done, and Kari is leading the music for worship once again.

Before the accidents, we had a busy year with the church dinner theater (Pete & Kari directed and wrote music for “Frankenpastor”; Sarah, Andrew and Philip had comic roles; Joel and Daniel emcee’ed the intermission); Lent and Holy Week (with the whole family together) and traveling (through a blizzard near the end of April) to the MACHE homeschoolers conference in Rochester.

Now for the rest of the family:

MICHELLE (age 25) is engaged!  After a year teaching music in Mexico, she came home in July (and what a blessing it has been to have her here to help) to pursue unity with us regarding her future with Saúl Cuevas from Puebla, Mexico.  On December 30, God miraculously brought about that unity and we couldn´t be happier about their upcoming  June wedding date.   We have all learned a lot about the Lord´s grace despite our unworthiness in this whole process.   Michelle has been working as a math interventionist at Roosevelt Elementary School in Willmar, and as a Personal Care Assistant (PCA) for a local woman, and doing temporary and odd jobs through Employment Plus.  After her marriage, she and Saúl, who works as an accountant for a college in Puebla, will likely live in Mexico for the foreseeable future.

DANIEL (age 21) moved to an apartment in Mankato with two other guys (Joel was supposed to be the third) in August and began pursuing a degree in business management.  He enjoyed his fall classes and his job in the kitchen at Grizzly’s Restaurant.   He and the friends who were at the pool when Joel drowned spent many hours on the road this summer, visiting Joel every week. 

SARAH (age 17) completed 19 credits at Ridgewater College through PSEO this fall, plus band and choir at Willmar High School, and working as a PCA for the same woman as Michelle does.  She played first base on the varsity fast-pitch softball team last spring, and on four softball teams this summer.  She will graduate from our home school in May and probably finish her two-year degree at Ridgewater over the next year.  The females of the family traveled to Chicago so photographer cousin Aanna could take Sarah’s graduation pictures.

ANDREW (age 15) thoroughly enjoyed participating in the high school musical, “Chess,” this fall.  He went to Chicago on a mission trip with the First Covenant Church in Willmar in July, played on two slow-pitch softball teams and worked many hours on the farm this summer. 

PHILIP (age 12) pitched and played third base on a summer baseball team with his cousin Joey.  Besides the parents, he has enjoyed the most time in the hospital visiting Joel.  Homeschooling has allowed Andrew and Philip to be more involved with supporting Joel since summer ended and others have had busier schedules.

And, in Sioux Falls:  During their first year of marriage, DAVID moved to a different position at Novartis, developing testing procedures; CALLIE graduated from Augustana College, works at a coffee shop and teaches harp and horse riding.   They continue to live in married housing at Augie as Callie takes a few credits to finish a philosophy minor.  Grad school for Callie looks likely this fall, necessitating a move. 

Learning to live “one day at a time” is a process for us; we waste many hours in anxiety and fear.  But God is faithful to give us what we need to face each new challenge.  As our prayers continue to receive “No” or “Not yet” answers, we are forced to examine Who we really believe in – a Santa-type god whose job is to make us all happy, or the One who suffered?    “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”  Thank You, Jesus, that You came to be Immanuel, “God with us.”

A Wonderful Wedding Weekend

Well, David tied the knot!  Unbelievable - I'm a mother-in-law!  The whole weekend brought much joy to many; Grandma Dee summed it up by saying, "How beautiful, and what a great focus on the spiritual growth needed for marriage."

On Thursday we drove up to Northwood, checked in to the Northwood Inn (highly recommended for a clean, comfortable room), and made our way to "Newberg" (the New Berg home, out in the country, as opposed to the old Berg home in town) for a delicious meal of soft shell tacos with vegetables fresh out of the garden.   After visiting a while with Callie, her parents, two sisters, a brother-in-law and two nieces, we all changed into our swim suits and enjoyed the indoor pool.  Our boys especially liked swinging on the rope attached to the ceiling before splashing into the cool water.

Friday morning we relaxed before heading out to the house again.  Pete took the twins golfing; I helped Laurie with the reception seating chart while Philip played in the pool.  We discovered that Michelle had missed her flight, but Andrew's flight would be right on time (Grandma & Grandpa Norling brought Andrew up in the little airplane because he had his first football game Thursday night).  After I picked up the three at the little Northwood airport, we all got dressed at the motel and went out to the Draxton Farm for the rehearsal.  First I led a rehearsal of "Be Thou My Vision," arranged by Callie's friend Emily and sung by the Berg and Stadem families.  Plenty of people needed parts played, but it sounded fairly good by the time we finished.  During the actual wedding rehearsal, I was distracted by texts about Michelle's situation and trying to make sure the groom's dinner would be served.  The final word from Michelle was that she would fly in to Grand Forks at 4:40 pm Saturday.  Britta and Aanna would pick her up and they would arrive at the farm by 7.  Yikes!

On Saturday we relaxed at the motel before realizing that the groomsmen were supposed to get to the farm earlier than we thought.  Photos took a long time, however - from 1:30 until 5:45 or so.  The wind blew all afternoon at about 25 mph; that took the edge off the heat, but left the boutonnieres wilted.  Fortunately, the ladies had fashioned extra boutonnieres so the groomsmen wore new ones for the wedding.  Michelle arrived at about 6:40 and we took a family picture, then had some private time in the dining room of the Draxton house where everyone affirmed David and we prayed for him.  The Bergs did the same in another room.

During the wedding, our rendition of "Be Thou My Vision" surpassed the practices.  Maren Jacobsen sang a song Callie had written - a surprise to her.  We served communion from four stations - bride & groom, best man & matron of honor, both sets of parents.  Quite a few guests canceled at the last minute, so the crowd may have shrunk to about 300.  (ha!)  Afterwards, Callie & David rode around in a horse-drawn carriage while the ushers brought the chairs to the barn and I put a couple more pictures from today on the slide show.   While we all ate delicious apple or rhubarb pie, a live band played several numbers, the attendants proposed toasts, David & Callie sang "Lucky," and we played the PowerPoint slide show.  Then the dancing began.

I haven't seen crowds like that on a dance floor for a wedding reception.  Of course the Stadem crew was well-represented.  The Norling cousins boogied out there.  Many Berg and Augie connections cut a rug as well.  Groups of guests danced more or less wildly until midnight, when the DJs finished (David & Callie left half an hour before).  We helped clean up for an hour or so and fell into our comfortable motel beds at 1:45 am.  They're married!

Warm Weekend

Although the weather cooled down slightly, to seasonal temperatures instead of the sauna we've endured for two weeks, our hearts were warmed by many special events this weekend.  First and foremost, David & Callie spent several days with us.  On Saturday evening, Pete & Kari walked eight miles with the lovebirds and we all exchanged life stories.  What a delight!  There are few things as interesting as learning where someone has come from and what makes them tick.  Much more remains to be learned about Callie, but we certainly know her much better now.

Jeremy & Susan Beebout, Lydia, Elyza and Abigail arrived on Friday for the noon meal and stayed through Saturday breakfast.  They shared stories of how the Lord is providing for their work and their family in Niger, and the children enjoyed playing with the kitten and our big kids.  The Willmar swimming pool provided relief from the heat, at the same time the north wind brought cooler air.

On Saturday morning, several Svea ladies hosted a bridal shower at the church for Callie.   The generosity and warm welcome impressed her.  She got some cool stuff too!  On Sunday morning, Grandma Dee played an arrangement of "This is My Father's World" on the oboe for our special music - beautifully done!  Grandpa treated us to brunch at the Oaks after church - more delicious food.  After naps at home, we swam and went tubing at Scott's with succulent bratwurst and angel food cake for supper.  The swimming pool water feels like a child's bath water, contributing to our Warm Weekend.  Thanks everyone!

Bustin' Our Buttons

David presented his senior voice recital on Saturday at Augustana College in Sioux Falls. Including our immediate family, sixteen relatives came to applaud and enjoy his performance. He sang in six languages - English, German, Norwegian, Italian, French and Spanish - with flawless pronunciation. His range, tone, pitch, diction and expression impressed the crowd - even Weston Noble, the 93-year-old interim director of the Augie Choir who has seen students come and go for over 60 years, most of them at Luther College in Iowa. When Liz Stadem asked him, "Wasn't my grandson good?" he replied, "He wasn't good. He was fabulous!" I agree - we're all pretty proud of what he has accomplished with hard work (and superior instruction by his voice teacher, Cheryl Koch) over the last three years.

We also got to see Callie in the musical, "Zombie Prom," and her junior voice and harp recital. Wow! Her acting and vocal skills shone as Miss Delilah Strict, the strait-laced principal of Enrico Fermi High. She had so much fun with the part, it was a joy to watch. The skill displayed in playing the harp astounded those of us who haven't had much experience with it. There are so many strings! She tossed off her first song with incredible ease, and made the modern English pieces enjoyable (not an easy task).

Basically, we're bustin' our buttons with pride - what a musical duo!

A New Chapter

I'm going to be a mother-in-law! Wow!! On Saturday evening, David had Michael (his roommate) text him and Callie, asking them to go to the chapel and get some flowers and a note that he, Michael, had left there for his fiancee. Of course, they were for Callie. Unfortunately, Callie said, "Oh, David, you go get them - I still have to change and we're already late for our get-together with the parents at Minerva's.." David tried a couple of gambits, but they failed utterly and he found himself at the chapel - alone. Finally inspiration struck, and he texted Callie that he had accidentally locked himself in a room whille searching for the flowers. When she arrived to rescue him, he was sitting on the chapel steps with the flowers, the note and the ring. She knew then, of course. I'd arranged the blue hydrangea and yellow daisies (Callie's favorite colors - and mine - and her mother's) in some semblance of order, and though the hydrangea was still somewhat wilted on account of being left without water because its stem was shorter than those of the daisies, Callie found them beautiful. She cried over the note and loved the ring - "It's exactly exactly exactly what I wanted!"

Meanwhile, Pete and I and Callie's parents, Jon and Laurie Berg, were sitting at Minerva's wondering why it was taking them even longer to get engaged than we had imagined. We were about to call them when David called and said they were on their way. We enjoyed appetizers, champagne, dessert and the play-by-play of the whole affair. Michelle and Britta stopped by to give hugs; when Callie went back to her dorm, she and her roommate Mandy (who also happens to be the above-mentioned Michael's fiancee) knocked on a number of doors to share the good news, resulting in quite a bit of screaming and further news spreading.

Yesterday at Augustana's cafeteria, we settled on September 1 as the date (probably) and the Draxton Wedding Barn as the location. The Bergs and the Draxtons have been very close friends for years and when the Draxons had cleaned out a hundred years' worth of manure and were having a celebration of their Century Farm in May of 2003, Jane, the oldest Berg daughter (of four - no sons) asked, "Couldn't I have my wedding reception in this barn?" The Bergs and Draxtons spent the summer renovating the barn and each of the daughters has been married there.

At the Browns' for the Super Bowl, the rest of the Stadems screamed and hugged and welcomed Callie with sufficient enthusiasm. She's excited to have "little" brothers and a multitude of new cousins. Grandpa Stadem will officiate, as Callie doesn't know the current pastor of her church very well. And so we enter a new chapter - adding grown members to the family! God bless us, every one!