Dear Friends,
Today is the first day of June and I find myself realizing that our time here in Missouri is quickly coming to an end.
A Look Back·
· We arrived home in February with so much before us and we hit the ground running (you all praying us through each step of the way). Most of the things we came home to do, are done or are being finished now and our time with my Mom and Dad has been very encouraging and profitable.
· We still are waiting to hear from Medicade as to whether or not Mom will qualify. This has been an area that we have felt like our hands are tied and we truly can only pray. Mom’s lawyer has been wonderful and a huge encouragement to us through this whole process and we are so thankful for her.
· Owen was born on April 30th, making us a family of Four!
· Joel’s brother and sister came for an unexpected weekend in mid May. Owen got to meet his Auntie and Uncle!
· Our 4th anniversary was May 23. It has been a whirlwind 4 years but we can say with joy that it is better now than ever before!
June
· This past weekend I was able to go to a dear friend’s wedding in Pennsylvania. It was a truly special weekend with her and old friends from my time in Michigan.
· Next weekend, Joel will be making a 4 day trip to see his brother in Indiana. Jon will be getting married in August, just a week before we leave to return to Indonesia, so this will be a very special weekend for them.
· Owen’s passport has been applied for and we hope to receive it in the mail in about 4 ½ weeks. Once we have it in hand, we will then begin the process of applying for visas. Bethany, Jack and Owen will all need new visas but because Joel (the head of the household) already has one, we hope the approval process for the other three will go quickly and smoothly.
· Bethany’s Mom will be having surgery on June 13 and will be off of work for 3 weeks. This was an unexpected surgery and so we are so thankful that we will be here to help her in her recovery. Isn’t God amazing that he knew this would need to be done and he allowed it to happen while we are home and able to help her?
July
· Bethany’s Aunt and cousin will be coming for a week-long visit in early July from Minnesota.
· We will be celebrating our 4th anniversary with an overnight trip, just the two of us, sometime this month!
· On July 29th, Joel’s parents will arrive and stay till August 4th. This will be their first time to see Owen and the first time in over a year and a half since they have seen Jack!
· On August 4th Joel will be flying with his parents to New Jersey to see his sister and help with wedding preparations.
· On August 9th, Bethany and her Mom will fly with the boys to New York where the wedding will be held.
· August 11th is the Big Day for Jon and Christine.
· August 12th, we will celebrate Joel’s 29th birthday in New York City returning home the next day to pack for Indonesia!
· August 19th is our target date for returning to Indonesia. This is pending the visa process going smoothly.
Whew!! Are you as tired as I am after reading all that? It’s going to be a busy few months, which means it will go by quickly, too quickly in some ways and not fast enough in others. We are excited to return to Indonesia, this time to a totally different island. We will now be living in Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), a province of Indonesia (not the country of Papua New Guinea). Upon arriving there, we will continue our language study with a tutor and begin learning our new ministry (running our regional Missionary Guest House
Prayer Requests:
· That our visas will be approved quickly and without any problems
· That God would give us peace as we prepare to leave once again. We know He can and will take care of Mom without us here but it will be difficult to say goodbye to our family once again.
· An increase in our financial support. For the past year or so, we have leveled out in our support at about 80%. We have been able to live at this level without a problem up until now and we are so thankful for that. Our recommended support level has now increased due to Owen joining our family and so we are asking God to bring along new supporters to join our team. We will also have some set-up expenses, such as visa costs, flight costs, purchasing a vehicle, and expenses for setting up our new home in Papua
As always, we covet your prayers for us and appreciate the various ways you support us! It’s an exciting ride, and one we wouldn’t trade for all the world!
In His Care,
Joel and Bethany Potter
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