Home for the summer!

We arrived home safely, June 22nd, excited to see our place again. It was overgrown with six foot weeds in the enriched soil of the flower bed that hugs the front wall of the house; the front yard was a wild meadow full of pretty flowers. Only the garden seemed to remain bare and open. A neighbor had cut a path with his weed-eater to the front door, allowing a narrow passage way. The chopped weeds had pasted themselves to the door and dried there. We looked inside cautiously and were wonderfully surprised how lovely everything was, just as we had remembered it. Our daughter had cleaned and swept. We felt fully welcomed. We unloaded, unpacked, and dropped into bed to sleep…for two days. Seriously, we could hardly do anything before we would be dropping off to sleep again. We were more exhausted than we even knew.
John had developed a blister on his leg the day we left Mexico to return home. Three days of hard travel caused his leg to be swollen and feverish just below the knee. The previous flesh-eating bacteria had erupted again. He fought it with everything he knew and cried out to the Lord; He sent forth His word and healed him (Ps 107:20). It was three weeks before he could walk on it again, and several more weeks before his strength was returned but it was healed to return no more. While he could do no work, and little else, he was blessed to be able to visit all his family on his birthday. A week later, we spent a day with my family, celebrating my brother’s short two week rest period at home from Afganistan.

There are three weddings of nieces and nephews to attend during the summer: two in our home town and another in Kansas City. We have some pics to share of those. There was a joyful reuniting with our church Life Group and other friends at the Sunday services.

Then, there was work, sweat, and tears…that is as in old clothes tearing from the strain of it all. The yard has to be divested of stumps so others can help us keep it mowed after we were gone. There must be twenty-plus stumps in the yard. We have dug, chopped, burned, and cut them with a chain saw; whatever seemed appropriate for the size and hardness of the wood. We borrowed a swisher, a big weed-eating machine to hack down the meadow that was our front yard and prepared it for mowing. We had construction materials and tables to move, or remove. Welcome home? They are not yet conquered but definitely diminished.

Spanish books were brought home for studying through the summer but they don’t seem to be getting opened too often. Too many people to see, places to go, and things to do.

We attended a wonderful missions conference with the people of Mexico and Roca Blanca in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the Victory Christian Center the first of Aug. We were encouraged and inspired by the experienced missions teachers, and enveloped in the fellowship of missionaries from around the world. Sharon Honeyman, Joyce’s cousin, opened her home to us while we were there and we had a lovely visit together.

This is August and we plan to head south again the end of Sept. Please keep us in prayer that we will complete those things that are necessary for our return to Mexico. Please pray for us to know how to prepare for our return. We are in question as to our housing there which brings up more questions about what to or what not to take with us. Please pray for John’s health that he will return to full strength. Please pray for us to receive the Spanish language as a gift from God. Please pray we can be a blessing to the people we work with (missionaries and base staff). Please pray for the harvest of many precious people among the Indian tribes there. As you read the Word daily, when you find a scripture that reminds you of us, please pray it over us. And please, send us your prayer requests so we can pray and help bear your burdens.