Saying Goodbye and Looking Ahead

(excerpt from our November 2011 newsletter)

As you can imagine, we’re pretty busy right now—shopping for those last few items to ship in our crate, filling out departure paperwork, finding new homes for items that we won’t need in PNG, and making post-departure arrangements for our van, mail, bills, etc.. The never-ending “to do list” can cause a lot of stress and anxiety in the family, so we need to constantly remind ourselves that no matter what, God is in control! And in the past two weeks we’ve had ample proof that “nothing is impossible with God.” —Luke 1:37 What an amazing God we serve!

Things we look forward to in PNG:

Jon—working on the Kodiaks and other aircraft alongside “old” friends.

Claire—playing with friends (new & old), taking care of the kitty that belongs with the house we’ll be renting.

Missy—reuniting with friends, and establishing a routine again.

Isaiah—getting the surprises Mommy & Daddy packed in the crate (see photo on right), and seeing friends he made during our times at JAARS.

We will all miss lots of things about the US—family, freedom to travel, abundant and accessible stores to name a few. Saying goodbye won’t be easy, but remembering the people in PNG waiting to hear God’s Word in their heart language is what truly motivates us to return to PNG.

Airplanes and Paper Chains

We’ve got tickets!  Departure day is Nov. 5—only 27 days away!  We should arrive in Ukarumpa, PNG on Nov. 11, but in the meantime we’re busy packing up our crate of belongings to ship by sea freight.  Please keep us in your prayers. Stress levels are high right now as we try to think of EVERYTHING that needs to be done/bought/packed/shipped before we go!

The kids are very excited.  As soon as we announced that we had plane tickets, they both decided to begin sorting through their toys.  Ever since our decision to return to PNG in February 2010, we’ve told them that whatever fits in their plastic bin can go to PNG.  The rest needs to find another home here in the US.  It’s such a relief to see them handle that reality with a positive attitude.

And because Isaiah keeps asking if we’re leaving “the next day” or “the next day after the next day”, we encouraged them to make a paper chain to count down the days until we leave. (See photo on right.)  Now our mornings involve the excitement of ripping off another link.  To the kids, I’m sure, that chain represents an almost eternity until departure day.  But to this mom, the clock is ticking!

Heard and Answered

Praise God!  He has heard our prayers and answered!  Since my last posting, God has provided both the remaining $275 that we needed each month, and the $4000 we needed for traveling and shipping expenses.  We believe God has thrown open the door for us to leave for PNG soon.  We will continue to trust in his perfect provision despite the rising cost of living in Papua New Guinea.

Working on those travel arrangements now….

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  --Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)