Sitting On Top of the World

At times we feel as if we are on a mountain top and everything is great and going our way.  We have been experiencing such a time for the last week. 

The morning before leaving Seattle for our Christmas break we received our passports back with our entry visas for Mozambique stamped securely inside.   Praise the Lord!

With this off our minds we looked forward to a great two weeks together with family in Arizona visiting Michaels sister , brother-in-law and their new baby.  His parents are also here.  We are thoroughly enjoying our time together.  Yesterday we went to a national park in southern Arizona.  It was truly a mountain top experience.

All of this excitement also brings a bit of sadness. We do not know when God will allow us to get together with family again. Our kids will be so much bigger by the time we are due for anohter home assignment .  Our newborn nephew will be  just about ready to start school. 

We will definitely miss the times we have had with both sides of the family during this last year.  These treasured memories will encouage us as we head to Africa and  the years away from family.  We know that our future holds many mountain tops as well as dark , lonely valleys.  We also know that we have a faithful God who is carefully and wholeheartedly leading us along the path He has for us.  We find great joy and strength in this.  It is expressed in Psalms 95:4-7.

In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land. 
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.