Paul and Becca

will write to you from the other side of the atlantic…

Lord willing, we will leave tomorrow to return to Ethiopia for our second year. It’s been a wonderful first furlough back in the States and we want to express our deepest thanks and appreciation for all those who have so generously showered us with hospitality and love. We’ve enjoyed reconnecting with people, learning more about you and your lives and sharing what God has been doing in ours. This time has also been one of recharging so that we can return to the challenges and joys of life in Ethiopia. We feel as ready as we can be and are looking forward to getting back.

The family is doing well and is healthy. We are so thankful to God for our daughter, Lydia, and we rejoice that we can return to Soddo as four instead of three. She is a wonderful little girl and I’m lucky to be her dad. Nathan is doing great, too, and has grown a bunch since he left Soddo. I’m anxious for everyone there to see him again. They both had a doctor visit two days ago and they’re healthy as can be.

You should see the front side...

Yesterday Nathan and I visited the barber for a pre-trip haircut. After she finished my haircut, she asked me if I wanted her to “do my eyebrows.” I don’t really know what that means but I figure it’s got to be a milestone. I suppose they’ll soon be asking to trim my ears as well. As I look back over the years, I can’t help but be amazed at the grace and love of God for me. He’s given me an amazing, godly wife, two beautiful children, a satisfying job and a work that has drawn us all closer to Him and in which He is using us to glorify His name. Aging with Him, far from a miserable deterioration, is a wonderful move toward the beautiful conclusion promised in the cross of Jesus. I don’t know where He’ll lead us in the future or what trials we’ll face but I know that we’ll see His face someday and everything is going to end wonderfully.

As we return for another round, I just want to proclaim God’s goodness in the past and express our faith of His goodness in the future.