Its hard to believe that our maternity leave is finally over. When we left our tiny island in Papua New Guinea almost six months ago it felt like it would be so long before we returned. And yet here we are placing the last few items in our bags, almost ready to head out. Weird.
Of course, this departure is bittersweet. To be sure, we are ready to head back and are excited to see our coworkers and Tigak friends, get settled back into our house and dig into Tigak language & culture study. At the same time, we are sad to leave our friends and family. In this way, we both feel like leaving this time is harder than when we left the first time, last August.
We had a nice send off at church today as our pastor and some of our elders prayed over us. Of course we are going to miss our families, but we were also very sad to say goodbye to our church family. We have so many dear friendships within our community of believers, and if we could we would take them all with us.
Also, I would be lying if I said we were not feeling stressed about the long travel and complicated logistics of our journey. According to Philippians 4:6-7, God offers His peace as we lift our anxieties to Him. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Now we just need to continue to trust Him!
Please pray for our return to Papua New Guinea over the next few days. We have a long journey ahead of us; our first long trip as a family of four, instead of three. Here are some specific things you can pray for:
- Safety as we travel through three different countries
- Smooth transitions between airlines and hotels
- No baggage issues, i.e. overweight fees, lost luggage, etc.
- Wisdom for us, as we travel with two small children
- That the peace of God would guard our hearts & minds in Christ
Upon our arrival in Papua New Guinea, we are not sure what our internet situation will look like. We will try to update our blog as soon as possible with news from our trip.
See you on the other side!
Cyndi Pollet says
Pastor’s sermon was great for us as a body today as a reminder to lift such prayers up for you DAILY: to “ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every king of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy” (Colossians 1:9-11, NLT). God is faithful. We look forward to keeping in touch with you & hearing how He has strengthened you in the months to come.
Love you lots–
Cyndi & Jeff.