Eight flights going through four countries and the six of us have arrived back in Iowa.
The night before we left the tribe, some of the Patpatar Christians had organized a “get-together” and cooked a meal for us. It was a great time to be with them one last time and to say good-bye. Continue to pray for them as they will be continuing to meet together and by God’s grace continue to grow and mature.
After leaving the tribe we were able to go to another island and attend our annual missionary conference. It was good to see all of our fellow friends and missionaries serving in different tribes and in support roles throughout the islands of Papua New Guinea. This year was a little bit different as the number in attendance was way down. Unfortunately for various reasons the number of missionaries is declining and is leaving gaps that need filled. Perhaps you or someone you know could be used of God to meet a need in PNG. Check out this site to see some of the positions needed right now http://usa.ntm.org/jobs/show/country/papua%20new%20guinea.
After the conference our trip home began. We got to see some friends along the way and do some fun things as we went. Our luggage was lost along the way, but managed to catch up with us by the time we got to Iowa. Now we are unpacking our suitcases, sorting through our belongings that have been stored away and setting up our house.
As for the “six of us” arriving back in the States, we have an announcement to make. Avalon, Sierra, and Kylee are excited about the arrival of a new sibling. They are hoping for a brother, but we have yet to find out. Lori is due the end of September, so in addition to traveling this summer we will be preparing for another baby.
We look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks and months. In the coming days we will be trying to catch up on some rest and correspondence. We now have a cell phone number. It is 712-898-2961.
From nearby, Aaron for the family
Fact: Our route home (which happened to be the cheapest route this time) took us through Australia, Fiji, Christmas Island (Do you know where that is?), Honolulu, and Phoenix, before sharing a plane with some College World Series fans headed to Omaha.