We are right now in the middle of the busy mission conference travel season - sometimes tired, but always glad to get an invite. This season is a little different than some of the others however. We are pretty much visiting churches for the second or third time, some supporting and some we hope and pray will. Susan and I were talking a few days ago about how much more comfortable we have gotten and how much more we have been enjoying the conferences this time around. From the very beginning, conferences have been extremely encouraging events. We have been prayed for, loved on, and fed very well wherever we have gone. The increased enjoyment has come from a growing awareness of the sense of community shared between God's people in all places. We have discovered friends in places we've never been and we have come to look forward to these weekends for that reason. Also, there was a fair amount of anxiety that went with not knowing what to expect. We have been asked to speak for extended periods of time with diverse groups in some places and then for only a few minutes over an entire weekend at other places. In short, the variety of speaking opportunities has made us much more flexible. Susan has always been more comfortable rolling with the punches. I on the other hand have had to grow a great deal in this area.
Tomorrow Susan and I will be heading to Chestnut Mountain and then to a couple of therapy conferences on back to back days. Her parents, primarily her dad, have agreed to keep the kids this time around. Churches like to see the whole family, but with all the travel, it made more sense to let the boys stay home this time.
Support Update: We are about $500 per month in pledges short of our goal. We are praying that the remainder of our support will come in by the time we receive our travel visas. We applied in January.
