Dear Friends,
Our welcome back to the US has been most hospitable, and we are now settled into our temporary housing in Grand Rapids, Michigan until mid-August when we move a short distance to where we'll be living for the next year. We've landed in what appears to be a very mild summer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our opinion could have something to do with the 90 degree temperatures both in and outside of our house the week we left Ouagadougou.
And so "furlough" begins! This year we look forward to:
- Spending time together as a whole family in July
- Speaking English and nothing but English
- Being there to celebrate all the holidays with extended family
- Reconnecting with old friends
- Sharing how Bible translation work is advancing through technology around the world
As a kindergartner, I (Doug) vividly remember spinning around on a colorful merry-go-round like the one pictured here. It was a lot of fun until the person doing the spinning got a bit carried away, leaving me dizzily hanging on with white knuckles and pleading and begging to get off. Well, the past year has been a lot like that and it is a testimony to God's faithfulness that we didn't go flying off the merry-go-round in May and June during the height of our stress. We do plan to take July and August as slowly as we can before the merry-go-round starts whirling again in September. Our furlough is a bit strange in that neither P.J. nor I have let go of our primary Wycliffe assignments. Some of our responsibilities have been transferred to others, but in this age of information, we can take care of them remotely almost as well as on site.
Right now we are taking care of all the sorts of things we couldn't do in Africa. All three boys are working at getting their driver's licenses, there are doctor and dentist appointments to take care of, and then we need to make sure everyone is outfitted for college and school. P.J. and I intend to travel to your area eventually, but for now please feel free to give us a call at our new phone numbers and allow us to make note of your current contact information and to catch up with you a bit.
Doug: (616) 516-0117
P.J.: (616) 334-4129
May God bless you and refresh you this summer. We look forward to breaking bread together with you at some point over the next year and trust that God in His timing will facilitate these encounters!
Prayer & Praise
- Praise God for bringing us and all our luggage safely to the US and pray for time this summer for us to unwind and get settled, and get the boys all set for school and college.
- Praise God for the ability to work remotely and pray for a good balance between work and the many furlough activities before us.
- Pray for divine appointments in our visiting schedule that will enable us to have personal contact with all who are involved in our ministry.
- Pray for Kevin as he relocates to Arkansas to start studying at John Brown University in August.
- Pray for safety on the road in August as we will be putting a lot of miles on the car.
