Visiting, traveling

Despite my cough, which persisted through the weekend, we had a great time with Cori, Nate and the kids. They were in a Missions Conference Wednesday through Sunday at a church in Temple, TX. We were only a few minutes from my sister Sarah but we did not get to see her because they were out of town visiting Josef who is in college in Lubbock. Cori and her crew got to spend a few hours visiting on Tuesday evening after they arrived in Temple, but Sarah and Fabian left for Lubbock before we got there. We did very much enjoy the conference. Once we were there the church included us along with the missionary families as thought we were participating in the conference as well. We met up with the group after church Wednesday evening after church at McAlister’s – where they had gone for supper after the service and continued to caravan about with them through the weekend. We had lunch with them Thursday afternoon and went to the service that evening. We went with them to Chipotle after the service and the pastor insisted on paying for our meal as well; then again on Saturday when we stopped at Rudy’s for barbeque on our way to Magnolia Farms in Waco. Mama and I were starting to feel badly but the pastor insisted saying he would visit us some time and we could take him out to dinner.

Two other young missionary couples were there as well. One couple is going to Japan and the other is headed to Malaysia. Both were delightful people. It is one of the blessings of deputation for Cori and Nate and the kids. They are already getting to know people with similar callings also out on deputation seeking a permanent work in some other field and anxious to get there and get started. It is very easy to catch a sense of their burden; to ache with them for the people they already know overseas who have friends and family they are burdened for. There was some great preaching, encouraging fellowship, time with the grandkids and time with Cori and Nate. They are headed back towards Pace this morning and will be in the south for a couple more weeks, waiting for their house to sell so they can buy a camper to haul with them as they travel north in March. They will not be back in this area until late in the fall. It was a tearful, difficult goodbye for Mama and Victoria as we headed home Sunday afternoon. It was a very good visit with them – and they are going to thoroughly enjoy the little trailer we hauled over to them. It will allow them to travel much more comfortably.

On the home front, Brittany is headed over to the States tomorrow. The memorial for my dad is next weekend but she had the opportunity to come a bit early. Mama will be headed to Wichita, KS to pick her up tomorrow evening. As I understand it, they will stay in Wichita and look at a couple houses in preparation for her and Andrew’s anticipated move which we are praying will happen in April. That would put her here well before the twins are due in August. There are still no orders to match that prayer but the Lord is stirring the hearts of the commanders to move in that direction. Mama is torn between the thought of having Brittany stateside for the births or having to travel to England for the births to then help Brittany and the babies get here. Somewhere in all the unsettled issues will be God’s answer. We stand ready.

Maggie and Aaron will also be moving south in May this year. Aaron has a new duty station in Wilmington, NC. That will put them so much closer.