2015 has been a whirlwind of unexpected activity for us so far.
We spent two weeks in NH at my parents house and had a wonderful time visitng with family and supporters. As is always the case on these short trips home, we didn’t connect with everyone we wanted to see but, Lord willing, there will be more time for that when we return.
Every day we were there, Grace prayed for God to make it snow. On the last day, to her delight, he delivered. What a joy it was to watch to her and Lydia play in the back yard, sledding and making snow angels.
The last week we were there, we had a norovirus make it’s way through the whole family, one by one. Thankfully it was short and the recovery was quick.
We returned to Dallas, took a few days to catch our breath and prepare to jump back in to support raising.
Soon after we returned, we learned that Becca’s grandmother in North Carolina had declined significantly in the hospital and was nearing death. So in about 90 minutes time we made the decision to go, packed up the van and hit the road to be with her in her final hours.
Thankfully, we arrived just about 30 hours before she passed away. Becca was able to be with her much of that time and was even able to talk with her briefly. Just about 6 hours before she passed, I was able to read some scripture and pray with her. Then just after 4am on Friday the 16th, she passed away with Becca and another granddaughter by her side.
After a couple hours of sleep, we left Fayeteville, NC and headed to Durham, NC to visit our friends Paul and Kendall. Grace and Lydia played with their best friends Ella and Lucy and we all chased butterflies together at a museum. It was great to catch up with them and decompress a little after an exhausting week.
On Sunday morning, we left Durham, swung through Fayetteville to say good bye to family there and started our treck back to Texas.
On the way through South Carolina, we stopped at our alma mater, Columbia International University. What a joy it was to walk around that campus and think about all the ways God used that place to prepare us for ministry. It was surreal to be there with our three kids. Much has changed in our lives since we were students at CIU!
From there, we drove to Birmingham, Alabama and spent the night. The next morning we let the girls swim in the pool and then we hit the road for Dallas, arriving late Monday night.
Just a few days after we returned, we were able to be with our friends Paul and Kendall again – only this time at our house in Dallas while Kendall had a job interview here. What a blast to be able to spend so much of January with these friends.
In the midst of all of this, the Lord blessed us with new supporters being added to our team – moving us closer and closer to Haiti. In a month where there wasn’t much time left for support raising, the Lord still grew our team. We’re so thankful.
2015 is going to go down in the books as a busy, crazy and stretching year for us. Lord willing we’ll end the year in a differant country, fully engaged in the mission the Lord has for us.
As crazy as the start of this year as been, we’re beginning it with full confidence the Lord has us in his hands. He provided new support. He provided safety in the air and for the 2,500 miles we drove to North Carolina and back. He provided finances for a last minute trip. He provided memories with Becca’s Nanny that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. God has been gracious and good to us and that gives us even more confidence to trust him for the rest of 2015.
