Trip so far: 41hr 11min, 2854.4 mi
Monday: 10:10am CST to 11:50pm EST
Although we had more to do in Missouri than we’d imagined, our time at the Missionary Training Center had to – and finally did! – come to an end. We shared impossible farewells with friends we’ve grown to love dearly over the past two-plus years, and helped our kids do the same. After re-packing our gear and cleaning our apartment from top to bottom, we packed our belongings into the family minivan and hit the road. One chapter in our lives may be done… but God is beginning a new one, and we’re excited to see what He has in store!
Some of our time in Missouri was spent wrestling with the aftermath of our laptop theft. We passed on what we could to the sheriff’s office, and have hope that the information uncovered will help stem the recent flood of thieving from the MTC campus. Following the resolution of the legal issues, we then made time to discuss the completion of my Cheɾokee write-up with the linguistics department. After some negotiation, it was decided that the 48 hours’ work time I’d lost will be made up during a 10-day window in January.
The rest of our Missouri time was split between preparation for our upcoming month-long road trip, and serving First Family Church (where we’ve attended the past two years while in training). Our primary task with First Family has been to outline a process for discipling believers – helping them understand the foundational truths of God’s Word, and encouraging a desire to grow more and more like Jesus. We’ve seen a lot of fruit during this time of study and prayer, and have the privilege to help refine FFC’s new program from a distance as we travel. Amy and I look forward to seeing how God will work through His peoples’ desire to grow closer to Him!
With our time in Missouri at an end, our 10-hour drive to Spring Arbor, MI went incredibly well. The kids behaved admirably, sleeping (more or less) when they were supposed to, and despite a slightly late departure we arrived before midnight Eastern Time. We will be staying over a week with my cousin Chaley and her husband Brean, celebrating Thanksgiving and taking opportunities to share the vision God has given us for taking His Word to the unreached in Mexico. While there is much work to do while we are here, this also promises to be a time of much-needed refreshment.