The Work Begins…

We are back and today was Day 1 of our full time deputation.  Deputation is “missionary speak” for a time of sharing about our mission work and what God is doing in DRC and gathering prayer and financial partners so we can begin that work.  Since we only raised financial support for one year of service last time, we are doing it again.  We aren’t starting from scratch, for sure, but we have a ways to go.  The current estimate, financially, is that we are at 30% of our monthly goal.  Not bad, but we will be busy!

So, we are beginning (barely beginning) to get in touch with people now that we’re back on this side of the Atlantic.  Last time we did this, as short term missionaries, we mostly stayed in the western Washington state area, minus a five week, cross-country road trip.  This time, since we are career staff, we have a higher monthly support goal and we have a wider range of people, spread across the country, that have come across our path and we will be traveling full time.  After we get a few more ducks in a row, we’ll post a schedule of our travels.  For the next month, we’ll be here in the Seattle/Tacoma area for two weeks, then we’re off to Alaska for another two weeks (visiting both Fairbanks and Anchorage), then back to the PNW for another two weeks before taking off for parts unknown.  Okay, they’re known, and we’ll post them soon…

Today was spent organizing our materials for our travels and presentations, unpacking our bags from the past week’s romantic getaway (which was perfect in every way), and settling back with the kiddos.  Oh, and making lists, because lists always help to get things done!

Meanwhile, if you’re in the Sea-Tac area, we’d love to see you!  Send us an email or leave us a comment!  And don’t wait – we aren’t sure if we’ll be back after we leave at the end of May! Yikes!  More details to come of our adventures and what is keeping us so darn busy!

Anyway, I hope that clears up some of what we’ll be up to – but we’ll keep you all posted, sharing with what God is doing and answering the mostly commonly asked question of the moment: “What’s it like to be back in the US/how’s the [reverse] culture shock going?”