We've Got Tickets to Uganda!

Yeah!  We just got tickets to Uganda, and we'll be leaving in less than a week--next Wednesday!  As you can imagine, we're running around like chickens with our heads cut off (I've never really thought about how gruesome a visual picture that is, until I just put it in writing--sorry about that) trying to sort out a ton of last-minute details and saying goodbyes and packing.

Here's a shot from up in the mountains a few weeks ago--we won't be seeing any more snow anytime soon.

We're SO very grateful to YOU, our ministry partners, friends, family, churches, MAF--all of you who've encouraged and loved on us over the past months as we've been in that weird transitional place in the U.S.   We're supposed to feel at "home" in our "home country", but it never feels normal after you've lived so long overseas.  And in our case, moving from one region of the world to another, and just passing through here on our way, has just magnified that.  Yet, we've been blessed by your patience, and your understanding, and your support.  And we're thrilled that God has restored our health, and energy, and spirits, and we're all very ready and excited for the next chapter He has in store for us--for Uganda.  Well, I don't know if we're "ready", but we're ready to take that leap of faith and hang on tight, which is as ready as we'll ever be. :-)

It's been fun for the kids to make new friends here, to get re-acquainted with grandparents, cousins, family they've never known or didn't remember.  It's been fun for them to experience snow, and hot chocolate, and cold...though we're all actually looking forward to the warmer weather again.  It's the little things.

We've been blessed in so many ways--not the least of which is just the chance to take a breath of truly fresh air, and marvel in the beauty of God's creation--which surrounds us everywhere here in the Northwest.  It's what our souls needed.  And it's been refreshing.

Having said all that, we're not naive--we've moved twice, already, to "foreign" places, and only a fool would think it's easy.  It's not.  It's certainly adventurous and fun if you have the right perspective, but it's not easy.  There's SO much to learn and absorb, and it takes a huge amount of physical and emotional energy to do it well.  New cultures, customs, values, beliefs, taboos, friends, teammates, food, places to shop or eat or relax, school, work, ministry--it's all different.  

So we appreciate your prayers for us as a family--and especially for Joy and the kids as we make this transition, and each find our niche in our new home--Uganda.  Pray for all the obvious things, but especially pray for at least one or two, really good friends for each of the kids and for Joy and me, that can become the kind of people we can truly confide in and grow with and learn from and be transparent with...because that's what we're all going to need when the going gets tough.  We know that from experience.  That's the kind of friends we had, and still have, in Indonesia--true friends, for life.  It makes all the difference.  And we'll need that in Uganda too!

This will likely be my last blog post for a few weeks, as we're extremely busy from now till we leave next Wednesday morning.  We'll be arriving in Uganda on Thursday night, but it will take a week or so, I'm sure, before I have the time and ability to make another post.  Keep checking back though, because when I do, I'll be sure to update you.   Thanks!