It is finished! So to speak!

It is now after 1 pm and all our belongings have been taken away!  The truck arrived at 9:30 and with it came 10 Indonesian men.  Several of our western friends here also came to help and so there were plenty of people to load our things into the truck.  All went well right up to the end!  There were three items at the last that didn’t seem to want to fit but like a big jigsaw puzzle, the men were able to figure it out and everything fit like the truck was built just for us!  God went before in every way and hopefully within a month, our things will arrive in Papua to await our arrival later this year.  At lunch today Joel prayed and thanked God for all he had done to get us this far!  Joel was able to finish off his language study well, everything was packed in time, we all have stayed healthy, and God has sustained us!  He also prayed something that sounded a little strange at first but is a real prayer none the less.  He prayed that the ship wouldn’t sink!  Talk about traveling mishaps. It’s one thing if your moving truck breaks down, but to have everything sink, well that would be sad!!!  So a silly request of ours now is to pray the ship doesn’t sink!

 

Thanks to all who sent me e-cards yesterday and for the well wishes on my birthday.  We will celebrate it tonight with a nice dinner out.

 

Well, that’s all for now and maybe till we arrive on the other side of the world.  Thanks for praying us through this!  Our longest flight is almost 12 hours and so that would be our next prayer request.  That’s a long time for an almost 2 year old to sit still and for his 6+months pregnant mommy to do the same! 

 

Till Missouri!

 

Bethany for us all!

All packed up!

It is with a great big smile on my face that I write this!!  We are all packed and ready for the shipping company to arrive in the morning!  Not exactly what I would have chosen by way of celebrating my birthday but well, such is our life!  We have many friends coming tomorrow to help us load the items into the truck and many items are very very heavy, so please pray for safety for all involved.  After the truck leaves we will have 2 ½ days till we depart from our home here and head to the airport an hour and a half away.  With each passing day, I think more and more about what awaits us at home.  Your prayers for us at this time are so appreciated.  I’m not sure we can completely prepare for what awaits us there but we know that God already has gone before us and has already provided all the grace and strength we need for each day. 

 

As of a day ago, my mom was still without power at her house after the ice storm that hit 2 weeks ago.  Two of our pastoral families at church have graciously taken her in until her power is restored but I know she is more than ready to be in her own home and I’m sure they are ready to have theirs back to normal.  We are hopeful it will be restored soon as we are to move in there when we get to Springfield!

 

We’ll keep you posted as we can over the next few days so keep an eye here for more updates! 

 

In His Care!

 

Joel, Bethany, Jack and soon Owen!

Update

Quick update here… we have flights home now and it looks like we'll be leaving Indonesia the 29th and arriving to Springfield the 30th. We have 4 layovers (one of which is overnight) so please pray for us as we get on and off airplanes and especially on the long flight over the pacific. I'm not sure the actual length of that flight but it's sure to be in the teens of hours.

We also have news on a place to stay while we are home. It has worked out that we will be staying with my mom. We are very happy about this as we will be able to help her get things done at the house that she cannot do alone. Also, it will be much more affordable for us to stay there and obviously being close to her means a lot to us right now. Thanks for your prayers for us in all this. God did provide as we knew he would. Dad continues to adjust to life in a different location than what he's known for so long. it looks like the doctors are beginning to think we may be entering into Alzheimers and that is even more difficult to hear. My Mom's mom and Dad's dad both had it before they died and Mom's brother was diagnosed with it several years ago at the age of 60. We could really use your prayers for continued peace that God alone can give.

Joel began classes last Monday and will finish them next Thursday. I have been packing and am thankful to say it is all but done. These are busy days for us so please pray for us in the following ways.

· Jack is noticing that things are changing. As I will be spending more time with him now that I am not in school, please pray that I can provide the stability he needs while we transition.
· We have chosen a shipping company and will load our things in their truck to be sent to Papua next Friday. Please pray there are no snafoos and that everything arrives there safely.
· Joel is cramming 4 weeks of class into 3. Please pray that he can focus on his studies and get in the language time he needs outside of class.
· I have finally gained a bit more weight with the baby so that is an encouraging thing, but I seem to have leveled off once again and am still experiencing stomach troubles. Please pray that my body would be able to do what it needs to so that the baby will continue getting the nutrients it needs.
· Mom is home making tons of decisions about finances regarding dad. Please pray for her to have wisdom in it all.

We are so thankful you all are standing with us and that God has provided such great friends and family. Thank you for your prayers!

What Will a Day Bring

Every morning with my coffee, I ponder that question. This morning that line of questioning started early (7am) due to the sound of my neighbor chopping up the large tree that fell on the neighborhoods only phone line due to a wind storm yesterday morning. Needless to say the phone cable was less than able to handle such weight and we were once again in the dark as far as communication went. Later that same morning, our front and side yards were bombed with coconuts and and palm fronds falling from high above. Some other neighbors chose 7:15am to harvest the coconuts that they had knocked down into our yard and that means that I had to open the gate at the somewhat early hour and then I proceded to fall foolishly to the groud after slipping on the wet grass. Good thing I didn’t fall to the ground due to the falling coconuts…

 

What do your days start with?

 

Right now, I snicker when I think of the things that take place here. I have to honestly say that we’re ready for some time in a familiar area. Although, it’s amazing how quickly what looks and sounds like the bizarre become the normal. We can speak authoritatively on that. When the mosque sounds it’s 5-times-daily call to prayer, it’s barely noticed by us anymore. The fact that the majority of traffic in major cities is made up of small 100cc motorbikes is no longer out of the ordinary to us. The smell of the much beloved Durien fruit is starting to fade into the rest of the odd smells here and that’s quite remarkable for anyone who has ever had the chance to smell a durien fruit.

 

And while I’m in the process of learning that all things that seems odd, unfamiliar, and sometimes frustrating can often lead to feeling side-lined spiritually, I’m to put my mind on the things above not the things here on earth, not even the familiar comfortable things here or in Springfield MO, where we call home. A focus on anything but my position in Christ above is not going to be able to sustain me.

 

Not that what is comfortable and familiar is bad, but it shouldn’t be sought after. Only by looking towards our sustainer, Jesus Christ, can we cope with the unfamiliar, the uncomfortable, and sometimes even the offensive smells that exist.

 

Joel