Seeing and enjoying time with David’s parents was very special in deed. Life has changed, but in many ways there are aspects that are very much the same and for that we are so grateful.

Opportunities to assist David’s dad to and from medical check ups were also opportunities to get lunch or dinner together. David’s dad uses a gait belt allowing some aspects of mobility safely while he navigates momentary balance loss at times that are very unpredictable.

Desiree got to spend some good time with her grandpa as well as uncle Matt. David got a chance to build a handicap accessible ramp inside the garage making four season transportation easier.

At times, we step back and marvel that we have seven precious children. We both come from large families, but when you pause to look a picture or our own, it causes our heart to rejoice in the goodness of God.

David and His parents were also able to visit David’s sister Rebecca’s gravesite while there. It was the first time back for David since the gravestone had been set.

Mealtimes are always a wonderful time to connect with family. David’s brother Derrick and Sister Sarah and brother-in-law Brandon were able to stop by for dinner. These are moments we will treasure for years to come. Family is such a blessing from the Lord.

Desiree was born at 6:21pm on 7/19/2024. She weighs 8lbs 2oz and is 21 and 3/4″ long. We have been blessed with a healthy baby and mommy. The name Desiree means desired one and her middle name is Hope for the hope we have as an anchor of our soul, both sure and steadfast. We desired to have a little child to love and care for that would shine as a bright light for Jesus and bring hope to the world through the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Waller sequence is officially broken. God has given us a boy, girl pattern up until now. We now have two girls in a row. What a blessing each child is to us. We love each one so much and cannot imagine our lives without them. Check out the video announcing her arrival:

Knowing our baby was due near our anniversary, we celebrated the momentous occasion back in September by taking a trip to Mexico visiting several regions including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum. Our children were well cared for by family and that made the trip even more meaningful because we could relax and enjoy the beauty of creation.

We are so thrilled to announce the arrival of Deborah Joy Waller at 2:46am, on Jan. 19, 2022 weighing 7lbs. 5oz and 20.5″ long. The birth went amazingly well and we are so grateful for the prayer, love and support that so many have given to us during the process of our daughter’s arrival.

Some people might say, “Why a shower if it is not your first child?” While many families have a shower for their first and “sprinkles” or “diaper showers” for the children thereafter, for us, several of our useful baby items are quite well loved by the time our sixth child is almost here. Here are some of the pictures:

So much has happened in the past few months that not only have we not taken the time to blog about it, but we have had very little time for anything. Let me recount a few of the ways God has been working in our lives.

Rebecca

Oct. 2^nd will forever live in my memory as a day of great loss. My sister, Rebecca, went home to heaven, October 2, at around 8:30am. The twenty-two years of life that God gave us with her seem so short, but in light of eternity all of our lives are short. The most important thing is a relationship with Jesus Christ that Rebecca evidenced by the fruit of her life. She is in heaven today, not because she was a good person, but because she trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal savior. The instant her car was struck, she passed from earth to heaven and is in the presence of the Lord. Over the past several years, Rebecca and I shared many happy memories of ministry together. She was my secretary and helped run many conferences from little known capacities behind the scenes. I miss her so much! We are a very close family and her loss has been and will continue to be deeply felt by all. We also have experienced an outpouring of love and support by so many. Thank you! We treasure each text message, email, and kind word that has been shared with us.

Zambia Trip

In late January our family embarked on an adventure of a life-time taking a trip to the continent of Africa to visit Priscilla’s oldest sister, Esther and her husband John, along with their twelve children. Priscilla’s two brothers, Nathan and David, also were able to travel with us. After 36 hours of travel, we arrived in Zambia, Africa for a two week family visit. We were able to join the Shrader Family in their regular ministry and mission work and support their effort to reach the people of Africa with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pictured above is our family with their family and the world renowned Victoria Fall’s that we were blessed to see.      

Peter David Waller Arrives

God blessed us with a little boy on May 6^th. We chose the name Peter because Jesus’ disciple, Peter, was quick to recognize and proclaim the title that Jesus deserved–“Thou art the Christ!” Jesus turned to Peter, and said, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). We chose David as his middle name because I am the fifth born of my family and he is also our fifth born. We trust he will be “a man after God’s own heart” like David of the Bible.

Three Family Weddings

Priscilla’s younger sister, Susanna married York Bridges and we were so blessed to be there for the celebration in February. In July, Priscilla’s younger brother, Nathan married Nurie Rodrigues. We were so blessed to be able to be a part of that wedding. Also in July, my younger sister married Graeme Wolf.

Conferences Throughout the US

In addition to all of the wonderful family events, we were able to travel as a family to host a few Family Conferences, and a handful of Family Connections this year. It was quite a different year, but blessed on every account. It is amazing to think that I have been in conference ministry for the past 13 years.

Call to Fairpark Baptist Church Pastoral Ministry

Since my little sister passed away, my desire to make our lives count for eternity has intensified. The most fruitful life is one that is completely surrendered to the Lord. When I initially received a phone call from one of the men of Fairpark Baptist Church, I declined showing any interest in pastoring. However, after much prayer and consideration, we saw the Lord’s hand leading us to make the move to Fort Worth and begin pastoral ministry. We have been blessed to get to know many of the congregants over the last number of years as many of them attended Family Conferences that I organized. The move has gone far better than I could have dreamed and we are enjoying getting settled in to a new routine and focus.

Update on our Children

I know we have already noted the arrival of our youngest, Peter, but each of our children are just an amazing gift from God that we treasure. Destiny has shown quite the personality. She turned 2 in October and loves making six-month-old Peter laugh. She gives him his pacifier and is an all-around aspiring little mommy complete with the bossy commands to each of her siblings if parents aren’t present. Phillip is “Daddy’s little helper” wanting to go everywhere I go. At four years of age, he has incredible endurance biking along when I go for a 3 mile jog. Davia is a budding artist, and for six, she is doing well. Paul, 7, is all things active. His energy abounds. He is doing well with his school and especially does well with Math.

Merry Christmas to You All!

David Waller for Priscilla, Paul, Davia, Phillip, Destiny, and Peter

It is amazing to realize that one week ago today, Peter David was born. We chose the name Peter because of the disciple of Jesus named Peter who was one of the first to declare Jesus as the Messiah. He was a man who was quick to come to recognize and proclaim the title that Jesus deserved–“Thou art the Christ!” Jesus turned to Peter, and said, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). It is our prayer that Peter would be used of God to do great things in building and advancing the Kingdom of God!

We chose the middle name David because he is our fifth born and Peter’s dad was also a fifth born. The name David comes from a man in the Bible who was “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22). We pray this little man is a man after God’s own heart.

Because of this, many now get to experience unanticipated time together as a family — so let’s make it count! If that includes you, here are some ways to make that family time meaningful for eternity:

1. Pray. Gather your children and intercede for family or friends, first responders and healthcare givers, leaders, missionaries, and those who are already infirm. Remember to use these days to pray for God to intervene on their behalf.
2. Listen. Gather the family and listen to an encouraging message. The messages on embassymedia.com are a great place to start! Check out the series that children love such as Dr. Jobe Martin’s Creation Proclaims. The vivid video clips of animals that Dr. Martin uses to illustrate the irrefutable evidence of the Genesis account of creation is powerful. You and your children will also be fascinated by the recently produced Legacy of Faith series featuring Otto Koning. You can view the entire library of messages by signing up for a free month of access. Sunday Morning’s church service was extra special for our children. They sang the hymns and recited some Scripture before the message: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2677032349247308&id=396662297339711&sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=e

3. Grow. Spend time together in the Word and in worship. After reading a chapter of the Bible, give every family member a chance to pray out loud. Finally, have every one select a verse of a favorite hymn or Bible song that you can sing together. If you need to, turn on music and sing along, or pull out the instruments and make a “joyful noise to the Lord.”

4. Dramatize. Using stories or characters from the Bible, let parents go first in charades! Remember, the more you get into it, the more fun everyone will have!

5. Read. Find an inspiring biography of a great Christian and read it out loud with expression.

6. Fellowship. While enjoying dinner together as a family, ask each person about a favorite memory they have of time spent together with each other (bonus: you can even make it a themed dinner by selecting a particular country or era to “enter”!).

7. Learn. Find a documentary or an educational film about great Christians that you can learn from by watching together.

8. Explore. Get outside and go for a walk,  or a spontaneous fishing trip!

9. Create. Put on a family talent show!

10. Reminisce. Go through old photos together. If you can, display them on a big screen and talk about them as a family.

11. Play. Table and board games or puzzles can be so much fun! Pictionary and Catch Phrase are great places to start!

12. Venture. Go on a jog, bike ride or a drive in the country together as a family. Yesterday we all accompanied David as he went on his own country marathon. The marathon he had planned on was canceled, so we supported him along his 26.2 miles.

13. Compete. Have a friendly cooking contest. For an extra challenge, limit ingredients to only the basic things you have on hand.

14. Clean. It is fun when everyone pitches in, and it is not too early to do spring-cleaning! If your house is already spic and span, turn to your cars and give them a wash, wax, and a vacuum job.

15. Garden. Get outside to do some planting or landscaping. If weather keeps you indoors, plan a home improvement project.

16. Encourage. Make cards to send to people who need a word of appreciation or encouragement. Start with elderly relatives or friends, first responders, or medical personnel.

If you like these ideas or have one of your own, leave a comment, forward the ideas to a friend or post them on your social media accounts. Let’s use this time to strengthen your family in the Lord!

Taking time to be with family is a blessing. Wedding celebrations are great times for extended family to gather with immediate family and friends and enjoying time together. We are very blessed to have been able to take part!

Priscilla’s parents along with two of her sisters paused to snap a quick picture together during the reception.

Phillip and Davia enjoyed some yard games that Susanna and York prepared for the children.

It was great to see Priscilla’s grandfather again. He celebrated his 90th birthday last July and was able to come out for the special day.

Anna and Priscilla teamed up to prepare their mother for the wedding doing her hair and makeup.

We were so spoiled by Priscilla’s older sister Rebekah and her husband Kevin to fly down from Texas to Florida on their private jet.

The children will not soon forget this amazing experience.

Paul enjoyed visiting with the pilots and taking in the 30,000 foot view. The sky was clear and we flew along the coastline. It was beautiful!

Something to be said for the plush seats and eating pizza.

Priscilla and Rebekah with Destiny enjoying the ride.

Dad Keller and Susanna and Noelle were at the airport waiting for us when we arrived. It was fun to see everyone again.

Before and after the big day we had a little time to relax. The children took the opportunity to play with their cousins and their Uncle David. What started with a water balloon fight ended with a unanticipated Florida rain shower. Is that God’s way of joining in the water fun?

Phillip enjoyed riding on the lawn tractor with grandpa giving him a ride and even letting him steer for a little bit.

Davia and Destiny are such good sisters and enjoyed playing together.

Paul preached an energetic sermon as they “played church” together. Davia and Paul knelt “in prayer” as their cousin Noelle gave the altar call.

Davia made a play dough mini wedding cake.

The night before we left Florida, the water stopped working at the Keller’s home. Early the next morning we replaced the underground wire and conduit which went to the well pump and got things working again. It was a good reason for us to pull together on a family project.

It was so good to have the three Keller brothers and Dad Keller all together spending time hanging out and talking.