Analysis [noun] – a method of determining [something’s] essential features and their relations
(Definitions taken from http://dictionary.reference.com)
A lot has happened since our last update. God has been faithful and has been proving Himself to us in many ways. We praise Him for His numerous provisions, for the time we’ve had with our kids, and for the summer we were able to just stay in one place and get some much needed rest. As we slowed down we have taken some time to do some evaluating, and we’ve also done a little bit of analysis with some words that have recently become more a part of our vocabulary.
Re-entry [noun] – an act of reentering; “refers to the transition pressure and the reaction to it” (NTM Member Care)
During the past few months of re-entry we have been processing these pressures and reactions we’ve been experiencing. We have had time to rest, reflect on, and recover from not only our move from Brazil to the US, but also the load of responsibilities and stresses of events we left behind, and the 7-year-long term we had on the field. Needless to say, we left Brazil very drained. Two words have been very prominent to us during this time of re-entry—transition and healing.
Transition [noun] – movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change
- leaving Brazil (and all that went with that—our house, friends, pets, and most of our belongings) and beginning to reestablish ourselves in the country in which we have spent a total of about 4 years in the past 20 years
- readjusting to the country and culture that feels so familiar and yet so foreign
- settling into our new home on the campus of the New Tribes Missionary Training Center in Roach, MO, and trying to determine what are urgent needs for getting settled and what we can live without for awhile as we get reestablished here
- planning our year of home assignment with traveling and visiting that needs to be done to reconnect with our support team and also to raise up new supporters
Healing [verb] – the act or process of regaining health
-
physically
- we have been doing a lot of sleeping and relaxing, and just “laying low”
- we are trying to develop a regular exercise routine
- we are slowly taking care of medical needs as we are able
-
mentally
- we are trying to limit commitments
- we are trying to avoid mentally exhausting tasks
-
emotionally
- we are avoiding involvement in emotionally taxing issues
- we are asking the Lord for patience and grace with each other as we all deal with the stress of the transitions we are going through
Highlight [noun] – an important, conspicuous, memorable, or enjoyable event
- the simple pleasures and comforts of life in the United States
- reuniting with our family
- being closer to our kids and seeing them frequently – Josh is with us, Bethany and BJ are only a 9+ hour drive away (as opposed to on a different continent!), and Charity lives on the same campus we do
Children [noun] – plural for son or daughter; offspring
Besides the fact that some of our children are facing most of these same transitions with us, all of them are also facing their own individualized transitions. We all would appreciate your prayers for them in the various areas mentioned.
- Josh (in blue shirt) – left the school that he has attended (every year except 2nd grade when he was home schooled) and the one he imagined he would graduate from; is beginning the new school year in the local public high school; is making new friends; is learning how to fit in as “the new kid” in a new environment
- Bethany – graduated in May from high school; had her first summer job at a camp snack shop; has started the 2 year course at New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, WI; is working part time at a grocery store
- BJ – graduated in May from New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, WI; moved into his first apartment with 3 friends; is working 2 part-time jobs (driving buses and working at a wholesale food distributor); is learning to balance life responsibilities and a relationship with his girlfriend
- Charity – finished one year of child care work at New Tribes Missionary Training Center (right here on the campus where we are living); went on a missions trip to Haiti; is working another semester in the same child care; is contemplating future options for working with children
Remember [verb] – to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; to have (something) come into the mind again
As we have faced these transitions, the Lord has caused us to remember Isaiah 40:28-31, which says:
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”
The word in these verses that stands out to us now is:
Renew [verb] – to make effective for an additional period; to restore or replenish; to revive, reestablish
We are encouraged as we are finding renewal in the Lord these days and we are grateful for His strength and power that He promises for the weary and weak (ie. US!).
We would appreciate your continued prayers for the following:
- continued spiritual growth, healing and renewal that only the Lord can truly give us
- our home assignment time with traveling, visiting, and sharing our ministry
- God’s continued provision as we try to get reestablished here in the States
- the sale of our house in Brazil
We hope to see many of you sometime this year. If you are interested in us visiting you or speaking in your church, please let us know. Our next update will include information about our future ministry. Thank you once again for your prayers and gifts and for being a part of what God is doing in our lives and ministry! We appreciate YOU!
Finding renewal in Him,
John & Melanie Kerstetter & family