Matt is off and safely in North Carolina at "The Cove" for the OMS Presidential Gathering. After 3.5 solid months of extreme heat, terrible roads (understatement), earthquakes, incessant and heavy responsibility, four kids under 10 and leaving on a day of rioting and political manifestations, I'm not gonna lie...he was READY for a week away and is drinking his weight in Starbucks! :) So thankful for this refreshing time away for him, for all of the fantastic people he's privileged to spend the next few days with (Like Charles and Vicki Lake and Martin and Sharon Mishler and Bob and Esther Fetherlin!), and for the beautiful stories that this crazy life has allowed him to have and share at the gathering.
We would be mourning his loss, but God and Elisa together are graciously gifting us with almost a week of her sweet presence, and ANY time with Elisa is always good time! The girls are loving having her, I'm loving having her friendship and an extra set of loving hands, and when you add in Nikki, too (Matt and I are burning this girl's passport as soon as we can find it, I promise you)...I'm feeling blessed with help and friendship. Her suitcase is going to come someday, too, probably :)
Meanwhile, a few items for prayer.
Our friend and co-worker and brother Junel has had a heart condition from birth, and may have suffered a heart attack or some kind of heart crisis this past weekend. He's been in several hospitals since and is undergoing lots of tests, and is less pain now but needing some answers...please be praying for him and his precious family, and for the many who are scattering to cover all his jobs here at EBS...not easy!
Phil and Emily are coming back today, and Saturday we'll be joined by an Indiana Wesleyan University professor and also have a team of 5 coming from Waco, Texas to do some major work on the new classroom building, which looks like this today and needs some major construction TLC:
Meanwhile, I've been spending a lot of hours lately researching, interviewing, speaking with Jean-William, Rujerry and several contacts throughout the world, and the powerful story of Italy-turned-Togo and their upcoming missions trip is up on the Emmaus site! I'm so excited about this open door and all the ways we've seen God at WORK in it! They leave in two months and the story is worth reading... Check it out here (and I'm gonna share it here in a few days, anyway...so good!)
Today the girls were up bright and early, out in the wet grass with me and greeting the sun!
Thankful for your mighty prayers and for the privilege we each have to come freely and frequently to His throne.
I love you Stacey and the great energy God has blessed you with!
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