As I looked back to see where I left off in our last update, I realized that it has been over a month since my previous post. I apologize, but as you can imagine, we've been going non-stop, and it looks like the pace will stay that way until we reach Wales.

After our last update, we had a few meetings in Pennsylvania. We had hoped to do some sightseeing while in the area, but as it turned out, we received our sponsorship information shortly after arriving and spent all of our "free" time working on our visas. A few days and several thousands of dollars later, we were able to check one more box off our to-do list.

While in Pennsylvania, we were privileged to spend some time with one of our supporting churches. Not only did they offer us a place to stay, but they also invited us to join them for their fundraising auction and pre-Thanksgiving dinner. We had a lot of fun and even won a couple of nice things to take to Wales with us. One of the items we bid on was a beautiful quilt, which quickly went out of the range we were prepared to pay. It was no big deal to us, but someone was paying attention.

We joined this church for service on Sunday morning, and Jason was invited to preach. However, before he was called up to the platform, the church presented us with the quilt. The person who had won it had noticed we were bidding on it and wanted us to have it. I know you'll find this hard to believe, but I cried. What a precious gift! As if all of that weren’t enough, another family in the church bought us tickets to see Esther at the Sight and Sound Theater near Lancaster. There are no words to express what an awesome experience that was or how much we enjoyed the play. It was truly amazing!

Though we stayed swamped, we enjoyed the rest of our time in Pennsylvania.  We had a couple of meetings and a missions conference, where we enjoyed times of worship along with some fall festivities.

After leaving Pennsylvania, the plan was to return to Delaware to spend Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle and do the motorhome exchange. After all, ours was scheduled to be repaired by the week before Thanksgiving. While we did enjoy the holiday time with my family, the RV situation truly challenged our attitude of gratitude. Not only was the repair shop not finished with the repairs, they hadn't even begun and didn't plan to be done for another couple of weeks. That being the case, we grabbed a few more necessities out of our motorhome and set off for a few more meetings in Maryland and Virginia in our borrowed RV.

The meetings went well, and the Lord blessed us with more support. In fact, He brought our support up to 98% by our last meeting. It was such a blessing both to be finished with all the traveling and be so close to our goal.  

The week after our arrival home was a blur of activity. We had appointments nearly every day, including the final step of our visa process (which had to be completed in Atlanta) and the exit interview with our mission board. As if there wasn't enough craziness going on, my niece's wedding was on Saturday of that week, so we were running to and fro for family get-togethers and wedding arrangements.

The following Sunday was the Christmas dinner at our home church, but we also took that opportunity to surprise Jason's parents with a party for their 50th wedding anniversary. It was a day of worship, food, fun, and fellowship, but by the end of it, we were both ready to drop! Monday, we took a much-needed rest day before starting up another week of appointments, obligations, and such.

Tennille Downey (the missionary with whom we will be working in Wales) has been in town most of December to help with her mother's health issues. It's been good to have her here and meet up with her a few times, but I know it's been difficult for her to see her mom's health deteriorating so quickly. Would you please help us pray that the doctors will find answers to what is causing her issues and that the Lord will give grace and healing? Tennille will be returning to Wales later this week, so please pray, too, for her safe travels.

As for our motorhome, well, that seems to be the gift that keeps on giving. LOL. In all seriousness, we spoke with the repair shop last week, and once again, they gave us the runaround and a delayed completion date—the middle of January. Hmm, that's not going to work for us!!! Jason plans to speak with them again today and try to get them to understand the urgency of our situation. 

Friends, we need our Lord to work a miracle in this situation. We need this company to understand our situation and get a move on. We need everything to go well with the repairs and for the RV to be in excellent working order when they're done. And we're on a timeline. We need your prayers. 

Jason is handling the delays rather well, trusting the situation to the Lord. As much as I wish I could say I'm doing the same, I admit, the constant delays and excuses are causing me a lot of stress. My brain is exhausted from figuring out what to do if they don't get done in time and how to make everything fit in our tight schedule. Please help us pray about this situation and that God will calm my nerves and help me remember that He has everything under control.

In the meantime, we're doing all we can to enjoy this last Christmas with family before we leave for Wales. We've attended church programs and concerts. We've joined in at parties and dinners. Yes, we're trying to make as many pleasant memories as possible, and I pray you are doing the same.

We thank you so much for all you've done for us through the years. Your love, prayers, and support mean more than words could ever say. We pray each of you has a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.