Six great weeks in the Faroes

Friends and family made these past 6 weeks in the Faroe Islands very special for us.  Sometimes we were on the top of a mountain with the breathtaking view of sharp cliffs and the beautiful Atlantic ocean below us; sometimes we were huddled around the coffee table sharing experiences with friends while enjoying lots of yummy home made deserts; sometimes we were island hoping in a comfortable ferry; sometimes we were just enjoying being out in the clean, fresh air.  Other times we were being coached along in making our Power Point presentation of a new tribal work; given a car to use for our few week duration; presented with tickets for a live gospel concert or taken to a store for a new blouse or scarf!  Thoughtfulness was shown to us in scores of ways. 

As we traveled around to 7 of the islands, having 25 meetings in 23 churches, we were blessed spending time in many homes and with lots of relatives and companions.  Whether we had gathered together with a small group of believers in a tiny village, or met in the community center so everyone in the town would feel welcome to come or in our home church with 500 people, God was faithful to show us one more time how He has put this team together to get His job done in the Philippines.  We know we couldn’t be here without a great support group behind us. 

If we heard it once, we heard it dozens of times, "Has it really been 5 years since we last saw you?" Yes, it was even hard for us to believe how fast these past 5 years have flown by, but it really had  been the summer of 1999 since we had the privilege of sharing in most of these homes and churches.  Our times of sharing over a cup of coffee and fellowshipping after meetings in the various churches was greatly appreciated. 

Another special event that we had the pleasure of attending while there was the opening of NTMFO.  New Tribes Mission Faroes is now official.  They have an office in the capital city and will be there to assist all of us missionaries from the Faroes in many different ways.  It is still very new, with lots of ideas for the committee to work with.  We are excited to see how the Lord will use this new endeavor.

Along with all of these enjoyable activities came the blessing of spending lots of time with Rocky’s mom and dad.  Their good health and sharp minds at ages 86 and 82 are certainly gifts from God.  We also think that their energy, sense of humor and kindheartedness can be compared to none other.  Their home is always wide open for us and along with that comes many delicious home cooked meals and lots of love.