Happy New Year

Happy New Year from the Levengood's! We trust that God has been gracious toward you and your family. Thanks for taking time to check in on us. We've had a really cool couple of weeks since I last posted. We had some neat conversations in town and we got to see two really cool families.
One of the things we're doing as we get settled in is trying to visit some local things as we get to know the area. What better way to visit local places than to go with people you really enjoy hanging out with! Just after Christmas we got to visit Herr's Snack Factory. We took the tour with our friends, the Hummel's, who were in the area visiting family! We had a ton of fun and really enjoyed getting to try potato chips hot off the the line where they were being made. They were a-maz-ing! It may have ruined potato chip eating for us. We're not sure if they could ever be any better than that!
Last Wednesday my sister Stephanie and her family drove up for a visit. They managed to keep it a secret from me. I sniffed out enough to know that something was going on, but I couldn't figure it out. Ellie knew the secret, but she wouldn't give it up either. It was very refreshing to see their faces when they pulled in. We really enjoyed getting to spend time with them and hang out with their kids. One of the things we did while they were here was a trip to the Amish Farmer's Market. We ate lunch and found some tasty treats to have. Next time we go, I'm going to get a milkshake and a pretzel. They looked amazing!
We continue to pray that God would open doors and help us meet people. While we were at the Farmer's Market, during a rather chaotic moment right after our kids had spilled their second drink on the floor and we were looking for even more napkins, one of the guys who was sitting around us said something to me, which led to us having a 15 minute long conversation. He's a Christian and coaches in a local high school. We were able to exchange numbers and plan to connect again soon!
As for how you can pray for us, here you go:

1. Pray that God would help us meet people.
2. Pray that God would give us favor among people in town, that we might be able to build trust quickly among people.
3. Pray that we would clearly be able to see needs that exist in Oxford, so we might find avenues to serve.
4. Pray for Jodi as she balances all she has going on with the kiddos.

Thanks again for all you do to pray and encourage us! We're grateful for your prayers, support and encouragement! Words cannot express our gratitude to be sharing this journey with you!