Test Week

As you know, our family just got home after being in the states for over 2 months.  We go back every two years to visit with family and friends.  Everyone that supports this ministry.  It's always good to share what God is doing here and to be encouraged by so many in the states.

This last trip was the most relaxing one we've ever had.  We thank God for that and for those people who went out of their way to make sure we were fed spiritually as well as those who just goofed off with us.  We were blessed. 

The difficult thing about these trips is that it's always a hard thing to find a good time to leave our life here for a couple of months.  There really isn't a good time.  No matter when we go we always end up missing something important here.  Imagine taking more than two months off of your job and your life.  It's not an easy thing to leave one and go to another and then go back without missing a beat.  Too many things change.  Too many things happen in that amount of time. 

This year we felt led to visit the states starting at the end of September.  We originally had planned on being in the states at the end of December through February of next year.  We weren't able to afford the airplane tickets for December so we had to look at different times.  

We know now that God had us go back to the states at the end of September so that we could see my grandmother one more time before she went to heaven. We arrived in Memphis on a Thursday.  She passed away the following Monday. We feel very blessed to have held her hand, to have given her a kiss and tell her that we loved her before she left this life.  God's timing was why we went back when we did.  

Because we left in September we had to take the kids out of school.  Our school year here is from February/March through December.  We took Anderson, Carys and Garrett out of their schools completely.  Benay then home schooled Garrett and Carys while we were in the states. Ansley stayed enrolled in her school here and did her homework online as her teachers and classmates sent her the work she needed to do.  

Because of our time away, Ansley and Garrett have to take some end of the year/make up tests this week.  

We just wanted to ask you for prayers for them as they take tests over lots of material.  It's not the funnest thing for a couple of teenagers to come back after being away for so long and immediately hit the books for some important end of the year tests.  

Thank you, as always, for your prayers.  I know they will give comfort to our kids during this week.