Our Home is in Heaven
We hope this update finds you well and that you have started playing non-stop Christmas music in anticipation of the Advent season. After many transitions, we have arrived in Gabon where we hope to be serving for many years to come. As many of you know, the seed for this endeavor had been planted at least 17 years ago and the past 2 years have been full of serious logistical planning- including language training. It is a joy to watch the seeds which God planted in our hearts so long ago begin to take shape. We are excited to share the fruit of that with you in the coming years.
We praise God that Josie had an uneventful surgery and has recovered very well. We are thankful for her surgical team who worked incredibly hard to give her the best possible care and took into consideration our desire to continue to Africa as soon as it was safely possible. We are also indebted to our community in Maine (that includes many of you reading this letter) who came together to support us during and after Josie’s surgery. It was incredibly encouraging to experience our community gather around us to provide meals, watch our children, deliver coffee and even offer up their homes for us. To say we were humbled by all of your care is an understatement.
Noa, Maria, Micah and Anica are all doing well, although not having a strict rhythm over the last few months has not been easy for them. As a family we are looking forward to having a place to settle into again. A place where we can all gather around a dining room table and enjoy a meal together. A place we might call home. Of course as soon as I started thinking about this, I was convicted by my 8 year old daughter who was recently asked by one of our neighbors: “Where do you call home”? Noa responded “Our home is in heaven”. This certainly could be heard as a Christian cliche, but in Noa’s mind it is simply the reality she is living. It is also the reality God reveals in His Word. As Paul writes in II Corinthians 4:16-18: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” Paul continues his encouragement in chapter 5 quite plainly writing our home is in heaven. It is a truth that I must continue to drive into my own heart as we continue in the work God has called us to. It can be easy to become discouraged amidst temporal setbacks such as cancelled visas, health issues, vehicle failures, etc.. But these are all momentary troubles in the reality of eternity. In fact, God promises these experiences are actually building our character and preparing us for eternity. It is a beautiful promise.
Some items of prayer include:
Praise:
Josie’s safe surgery and excellent recovery
Safe travels from the United States to Gabon
The opportunity to say good-byes to our friends and families in the U.S.
God’s faithfulness as we have truly felt carried through this past few months
Prayer
The transition for our children as they learn to live and go to school in Africa
Our own transition as a family as David returns to full time work and Josie returns to part-time clinical work
Josie and David as we continue learning the French language
Forming relationships with the families and individuals at Bongolo
Opportunities to live and share the gospel of Jesus with others
Again we thank you all for your support and are looking forward to sharing more updates as we begin working at Bongolo Hospital. Soli Deo Gloria!
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