Let the Journey Begin. . .Again

I trust everyone had a wonderful Christmas break and is excited about starting a new year. Our time off was a bit like a roller coaster, full of ups and downs. On the upside, we were able to spend time with our family, friends, and church family during the holidays. That was more of a blessing than words can describe! On the downside, our Xterra decided to break down the Sunday before Christmas and ended up costing us over $1,000 in repair costs, and that didn’t include fixing our broken window (long story!). But, on the upside (again), the Lord sent in many generous Christmas offerings from churches and individuals that covered the cost and then some. Isn’t God good?

On December 28th, we hit the road again, excited to be raising the rest of our support but dreading the forty hours of driving needed to reach our next destination—California. In those five days of travel, we saw sunshine, rain, snow, fog, and everything in between. We’ve experienced temperatures in the mid-50s and those in the teens. It was a long journey, but the Lord took great care of us and met our every need.

We’ve had three meetings thus far—one in Amarillo, TX, one in Alameda, CA, and one in El Cerrito, CA. All of them have been wonderful. Jason has been privileged to present and preach. I’ve been invited to sing and play the piano. The churches have provided meals and love offerings. But more than that, they’ve inspired us by their dedication to the Lord and His work despite the obstacles and inconveniences of the days in which we’re living. We truly admire their spirit and dedication and appreciate their willingness to have us in to present our burden.

Today, we’re driving from California to Oregon, which seems like it would be a quick trip, but it’s not. From point A to point B is nearly 10 hours on the road, so it will likely be after 6:00 this evening before we arrive at our destination. That being said, the scenery for the past few hours has been breathtaking. Snow-capped mountains. Hilly pastureland. Flowing rivers. Absolutely gorgeous!

Lord willing, we’ll be meeting with a church in Oregon on Wednesday night, then we’ll move further north for a handful of meetings in Washington. After that, we’ll head east toward Montana. The Lord has filled out the majority of our calendar through April, so we’re excited to see how He’s working in our ministry and what He’s going to do. We’ve also had another church take us on for support, so that’s a blessing. That makes 54%!

Before I close, I want to thank each of you who sent a card or love gift at Christmas. We can’t express what a blessing those were to us. We also want to thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf. I don't know where we would be without them. Please continue to lift us up as we travel these many miles in an effort to raise the remainder of our support and get to Wales as soon as possible. We love you!