Finally.... an Update

I have been thinking for days that I need to update what has been going on. I keep waiting for definitive turning points before I update and now that we have some, here goes!

So many people have been wondering how Andrew and I are feeling. We can happily say that we are feeling better than we have in months. We are seeing a homeopathic practitioner who has helped us so very much. We also took Andrew down to the U of M Specialty clinic for blood tests. We thankfully found nothing! (I think it should be free if you don't find anything:) but the clinic doesn't agree). The homeopath prescribed a powerful remedy that has kicked the mono and jump started our immune systems. We did have to pull Andrew out of school the last quarter, but the extra sleep and rest and good food and lots of water has made such a difference!

We are gathering boxes and have begun sorting through our things. We have to decide what will stay and be stored, what needs to ship now and what can be packed in suitcases. If that sounds like a big job to you, believe me it is for me to. I feel like I have to be some kind of prophet to know what to do in all these categories. And I have been told to buy some Christmas gifts here and also to buy clothing here, too. The clothes I purchased for Andrew to wear in Vienna he is already needing now since he just grew two inches. So now I need to get more and ship those over in boxes. Too bad they aren't on clearance now though....

Tom met with a young guy who is interested in renting our home while we are gone. We have decided to try to find three guys who could rent together since it is a big house. Our bedroom is not being rented out and we will use it for storage. We know of a few other guys who are looking to move in, too. So we are thankful this is working out. The rent won't cover all the expenses though. It seems that we will need to cover some things. But at least the majority will be taken care of and the house will be in good hands.

Today is the kids' last day of school and they are happy and relieved to be done with the work end of school, but they are sad to not see their dear friends everyday. Already there have been permanent goodbyes as they won't see their Korean and Ethiopian foreign exchange friends anymore. I know the heart may be sad tho there are smiles on their faces. Sarah and Laura are very brave to trust us as we haul them out of high school across the ocean and to another school. Please pray for them to do well and to make new friends. We also will need help as parents to understand how they may feel as they transition from one group of friends to another. Loyalties don't just switch because location has changed. It takes time for the heart to catch up.

In the midst of all this Tom continues to pastor at Kost Church full time as well as to work on building a prayer and financial team. We are truly convinced that this is the right thing to do in spite of the times of financial hardship. The Lord is blessing the steps of obedience we have taken. We have been blessed to hear words of encouragement and to see who the Lord has raised up to stand with us as we reach out to the international community in Vienna, Austria. Some people have said they feel privileged to join with us. Well, we feel the privilege is ours to have them on our team!

Some days we panic and wonder how everything will get done. And other days we just enjoy the love of God and family and friends. Support raising has been great because we have been able to reconnect with people who have meant so much to us over the years. We know some wonderful people!!!!

Please know that we would love to hear from you and spend time with you. The time is getting short and we are facing deadlines for paperwork and financial matters. But we still feel that getting together is a priority. We are hosting two couples this next weekend coming up from Iowa on their motorcycles. Let us know if you are in the area or have some free time. We will do what we can to get together!