We are so thankful to the Lord for faithfully guiding us through another year. A year ago Lisa and I were still getting over the shock of having two daughters married less than three months apart. Then adjusting to our “empty nest” when Nathan when back to school in August. Now we are trying to get used to the idea of becoming grandparents. Tim & Nicole are expecting a baby boy on May 30th.
Even though a lot of change has taken place in our family this past year and a half we are anticipating 2011 to be a year where we will be facing probably the hardest transitions we have ever faced. We will be packing up and uprooted from our home of 11 years to move to a place we have never even visited. It will be difficult to leave our children in the USA but even more so leaving a grandson. We will be adjusting to a completely different culture and learning a new brand of Portuguese. We realize that our bodies are not as strong as when we first went to the field and quality medical help is not as readily available as it was even in Brazil. We certainly foresee times of discouragement due to homesickness and culture shock. It is comforting to know that our God will never leave us or forsake us and that He is already in Africa preparing the way for us. We certainly do not want negative feelings and circumstances to deter us from allowing God to use us to reach people groups in Southeast Africa with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
