The Road Goes Ever On & On, Back to the Place Where It Began...

At this moment I am sitting at almost exactly the same spot where I was sitting when we received a phone call on my 25th birthday telling us we were being reassigned from Monte Carlo to Bonaire! Now as then I am sitting in the kitchen and looking out the window of the missionary home of Hope Bible Church in O'Fallon, Missouri. It seems like yesterday and a life time ago at the same time. We were here for almost two years at that time, waiting as the Lord took us through the deputation process. We have enjoyed staying here for other, shorter times during our home assignments through the past many years. Now as always we are so grateful to the Lord and our church family here at Hope Bible Church for this option.

My final days in Singapore are a fading memory. What will last are the memories of wonderful friends who helped out in so many ways - the final blitz to clear out our apartment and Thomas, our friend & broker, rolling up his sleeves to clean out the fridge and organize for the last few garbage bags of stuff to be disposed of - the drive to the airport with James & Alicia, touring downtown Singapore and enjoying the dazzling Christmas displays along Orchard Road on the way - being met by dozens of friends at the food court in Terminal 3, where we sat and chatted and had one final tasting of some of Singapore's fine cuisine! And finally our church family from Bethesda Christian Centre having a time of prayer with me just after midnight before we went our separate ways. We are truly grateful to the Lord for our Singapore friends and their generosity to us.

We have seen God using many friends and family over the past days to provide a vehicle; much needed tools and supplies; and many other helpful items which will make it easier for us to set up our home in Nebraska in days ahead. The great adventure is underway! We look forward to sharing Thanksgiving here in Missouri with family before heading to Nebraska on Friday of this week.

Being in this place again brings back so many memories and at the same time provides such a contrast. We wondered then if we would ever have enough support to get to "the field." It seemed that nothing we did made any difference. Those were hard days, but God proved Himself faithful... just as He has all through the years and is still doing today. Now we are much further down the road, and we have a very clear vision and passion for the ministry God is using us in. We know that there is such a need for younger missionaries and ministry leaders to have mentoring, coaching, training and pastoral care available to them, and we are so thankful to God for making a way possible for us to stay involved in this ministry. We know He will help us to be good stewards of the gifts, experiences and resources that He has given us.