LukeandEllen.com

Nicaragua Christian Academy Video

Luke — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:27:32 +0000

Check out this new video about the school where Luke teaches…

What’s in a Name?

Ellen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:34:15 +0000

Here’s a picture of David and our good friend Dave, randomly matching! Although we did not name our David after Dave, we liked his name. Read below to find out why.

Our journey to pick our first baby’s name began at least a year before we were even expecting. Thankfully, Luke and I have very similar tastes in names. What we found was the most difficult to arrive on was a girl name that we both loved. But we had a boy instead!

Why the name David? Well, several reasons. One of the most obvious ones is the Biblical person of David. He was characterized as a passionate worshiper and a man after God’s own heart. We also really like that the name David means “Beloved”. It is also a family name on Luke’s side. David is the middle name of Luke’s grandpa, brother (Paul), and nephew (Elijah).

Another perk of the name is that it has the same spelling in Spanish and is easily pronounced. My mom’s reaction to the name David was this: “Oh good, I will be able to find a keychain in a store with this name on it!”

David’s second name is Luke. Other than being named after his father, we liked that the name Luke means “bringer of light”. Our prayer has been and continues to be that our little boy who is so beloved to us will be a bringer of light, Christ’s light, to many.

My, how he’s changed!

Ellen — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:39:09 +0000

David is 3 months old today! He has changed so much since those first hours of life.

When he was first born, David had us mesmerized by the look in his eyes (so serious!), his dependency on us and the miracle of life wrapped up in his little tiny bundle of a body. David didn’t do much in those first few days and weeks — mostly eat and sleep. He didn’t move around a lot and we could take him anywhere and he would be fast asleep (even in the loudest of thunderstorms). And when he cried it was this tiny little baby cat sounding cry!

Now, 3 months later, David moves his arms and legs around a lot. He can hold his head up quite well. He has started to grab things like blankets, burp cloths and his momma’s hair. David loves to make fists (his dad thinks he might be a boxer someday). He likes to push off with his legs and is very strong. He can do a U-turn in his crib. And yesterday we found him in his crib and he had rolled over!

In the last few weeks we have been loving hearing David’s little voice. Having been through the colicky, almost non-stop screaming weeks with this little baby, his smiles and cooing are extra special blessings! What fun to hear him and interact with him! David loves to “talk” and he loves it when someone talks back to him. He seems so concentrated, like he really wants you to understand what he is saying!

Happy 3 months, little baby boy! We are blessed to be your parents!

September Newsletter

Luke — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:53:22 +0000

Rosenberger
Nica Update

Luke, Ellen and David Rosenberger
Missionaries in Managua, Nicaragua
Serving in Youth Ministry
at Nicaragua Christian Academy

September 2011

Website: LukeandEllen.com & Blog
Other Websites: Youth Group & NCA

It’s A Boy!

On July 13, 2011 we celebrated the arrival of David Luke Rosenberger! He was born here in Managua, Nicaragua at 6:34 pm, weighing in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces and measuring 19 inches long. We were thrilled that he came early so that his daddy could have extra time with him before school started. We praise God for a normal, non C-section birth. We know many of you were praying for that! Having a baby has definitely come with much change and just a few challenges, but it has been an adventure that we feel blessed to be on.

Now David is 2 months old and we are loving seeing him change and grow. Lately he has been capturing our hearts with his smiles and cooing sounds! It’s so much fun having this little guy around! David has filled our home with joy and gratitude toward our Heavenly Father for this little bundle of life! To read more about the birth of our son, click here.

How are we doing it?

Now that Ellen is staying at home to care for David full-time, she is no longer receiving a teaching stipend from NCA. Although we had been working on increasing our support level before David was born, we are still under our monthly support goal. We are currently at 25% of this goal.

You might be wondering “How are they still living in Nicaragua, being under-supported?” The answer is: We are dipping into our savings to make up for the monthly deficit. We know that we cannot do this for long. The other question might be “What will they do if they do not receive the needed support?” The answer is: we don’t know.

Have you thought and prayed about supporting our ministry?

We encourage you to take the step of joining our support team today.

If you are interested in supporting us, please contact us or go to LukeandEllen.com and click on Support.

With Everything

Leadership Retreat

Prayer and Praises

Contact Us

David meets his Nica Family

Ellen — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:34:32 +0000

A few weeks ago we took David to meet the Gomez family. I lived with them for one year while teaching at NCA, before Luke and I were married. In many senses they became like a family to me. I loved living with them and experiencing many aspects of Nica life with them. Gabrielito was in my first preschool class! Not pictured above are Guadalupe and eldest daughter, Wendy, who attends Dordt College in Iowa.

“La Nana” holding baby David.

Ivania is one proud Nica abuela.

Even Ruben held David!

Preschool Teacher Vs. Newborn Mom

Ellen — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 23:38:48 +0000

It has been 8 weeks since David was born and I am still adjusting to being a new mom. While I am glad to be home and caring for my baby boy, it has not come without lots of change and emotions.

Sometimes the change seems overwhelming but I am thankful for the ways my God encourages me and helps me through people, my husband, prayer, His Word, journaling, etc. I know that in every change He remains faithful.

One of the biggest changes has been going from a preschool teacher to a full-time stay at home mom. Here are some similarities and differences I’ve found between the two:

Similarities

Both require: patience, prayer, and lots of energy
Smiles melt my heart
The job seems never ending
It’s fun to see them grow and change
The benefits are priceless
You learn something new each day
Tears are to be expected
I love my student(s)

Differences

I don’t have a dress code to follow anymore
My attention is not divided among 14+ little bodies…yet it seems that
1 little body is demanding enough attention
I never know the date anymore
My schedule, at least for right now, is very unpredictable
I don’t have a full-time assistant
I can give my preschoolers back to their parents at the end of the day
I didn’t receive a degree in “mommyhood”

A Surprise Visitor

Ellen — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:43:25 +0000

One morning a few weeks ago, Luke walked into our bathroom and this is what he saw! Yes, a boa constrictor just camping out on the bars outside the window.

Thankfully Carlos, the guard/gardener on our property, took care of it. Luke tried to minimize the commotion so I wouldn’t find out about it, being that I am terrified of snakes. However, the dogs were way too interested in the thing and so I peaked out the window to see what all the noise was about.

Oh man. Carlos said he has never seen a boa constrictor on our property before. Snakes, yes, but not a boa constrictor. I guess that is comforting…

Pictures with Daddy

Ellen — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:46:30 +0000

Day 1

Day 40

David loves his Daddy…enough said.

David Luke!

Luke — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:08:39 +0000

IT’S A BOY! Our son, David Luke Rosenberger, arrived on July 13 at 6:34 pm. He came 11 days early and we are thrilled he is here! He is a healthy and precious little boy! We praise God for a safe and quick delivery.

Read more on Ellen’s blog: http://lukeandellen.blogspot.com

High School Retreat 2011

Luke — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:23:43 +0000

The Zip Line

One of Luke’s highlights of the school year is organizing and leading the High School Retreat, which was May 13 – 15. There were 10 adults and 65 youth who went on this weekend adventure about 3 hours north of Managua at a Young Life camp. The students had a great time together and enjoyed the many outdoors activities at the camp (rock climbing, canoeing, ziplining, etc.)

Each session was led by a different adult leader, focusing on topics such as: authentic faith, healthy relationships, moral boundaries, etc. The times of worship and prayer were incredible — it was so neat to see the youth band truly lead in worship, not just play music.

Luke and the other youth leaders could really sense that many people were praying for the youth on the retreat that weekend. The presence, light, and freedom of the Lord were definitely in that place — praise God for answered prayer! One of Luke’s highlights was praying with kids and also seeing kids praying for other kids. His joy is so full when he sees young people seeking after God and serving each other.

Center of the Labyrinth

Luke talking about putting others first

Check out more retreat pictures here and here.