Wednesday, January 30, 2013

We Have Arrived in Bogotá

We have arrived in Bogotá.  We are living temporarily in a guest house owned by the mission until we can find permanent housing.  The last few days have been spent on processing our paperwork to keep us legal here, finding our way around, and just trying to adjust to our new life here in Colombia.  Everyone that we have met has been very kind and has made us feel welcome.  We are easing back into a life of speaking Spanish everyday, everywhere we go.... and we are finding (Praise the Lord!) that it is coming back to us!

We are starting to look at permanent housing options, but have not found just the right place yet.  We are praying that God will put us exactly where He wants us.  Friday we will be visiting the school that Christian and Preston will be attending.  We need to finish up the admissions process so that they can start school on Monday.  Their long, extended Christmas break is quickly coming to an end.  They are looking forward to it with nervous anticipation.

Please pray that they will make friends quickly and settle into their new school and life here in Bogotá.  Pray also for John Robert.  It doesn't seem right to be so far away from him.  Things seem to be falling in place for him to come visit over his spring break which is only 5 weeks away.  That has helped us deal with him not being here with us.

We are anxious to get the necessary details done so that we can begin the true work that God has led us to do.  Pray that God will put the people in our path that He wants us to impact for Him.  We are excited to see just how his plan will unfold.  It's exciting to have this blank slate to allow Him to work amazingly here in Bogotá!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Signing off from the U.S.A.

This will be the last time I write from the U.S.  We are in the process of packing and moving out of the mission house we have called home for the last 6 months.  What a blessing it has been to stay in the Oasis House of Eagles' Landing First Baptist Church.  We feel refreshed and ready to start the new ministry that God has ahead for us in Bogotá, Colombia.  We will be flying out of Atlanta early Monday morning.  We have a short layover in Miami and will arrive in Bogotá around 4:30 Monday afternoon.

We don't know how God will work in this new phase of ministry, but are trusting Him to guide us and show us how he wants to use us in this mega-city.  He is already connecting us with Colombians both here and in Bogotá that want to be a part of our work.

Please keep us in your prayers.  Pray that we will be bold in witnessing and sharing the good news of Jesus!  Pray also for the adjustments we will be making such as finding an apartment, making it feel like home,  making friends with new people, the kids adjusting to (yet another) new school, leaving John Robert here in college....  and things we haven't even thought of.   Most of all, pray that we will be faithful in following the Lord's guidance each day to do and be what He wants.

As we return to the field, I will be more diligent in writing weekly to let everyone know how to pray and also to share how we see God working.