After being in Amdu for 3 1/2 years, we recently said goodbye to our Amdu friends and began the journey back to America to begin an abbreviated Home Assignment.
The missionary life is full of goodbyes. And they are never easy! While we were excited for all the things that awaited us in America, it was hard to leave Amdu. Our teammates are currently on Home Assignment as well so it will be another 4+ months until someone from our team is back on the ground in the tribe.
As with many things over the past months and years, we have to trust fully in the Lord. There never seems to be a good time for furlough, but it is necessary and beneficial. We trust that He will continue to move the Amdu work forward in the way and time that He knows is best when our team returns.
We’ll skip all the travel details and get right to the “hellos” in America. We were greeted in Philly by Bart’s parents.
After spending a wonderful week with them, as well as two of Bart’s sisters and their families, we drove the rest of the way home to where Emily’s parents live in Meadville, PA – our base for the remainder of our Home Assignment time.
We are now getting settled into the home we are renting. And we’re trying to help our kids adjust to life in America. We’ve had some funny experiences along the way (have you ever noticed how many different kinds of faucets, soap dispensers and hand dryers there are in public bathrooms?) and there are sure to be plenty more!
Thanks for praying for us as we adjust to a new schedule and routine and as we plan for visiting our supporting churches. Check back here soon for some photos of the special family reunions we’ve had already since returning. And since without internet it’s hard to post things from the tribe, periodically we will flash back and add some posts about life in Amdu too.