CALLED to Papua New Guinea

Dear Blog Readers, Greetings to you all in Jesus Name. We hope 2021 and recent Spring weather has brought a fresh measure of hope and life to you all. For us, it feels like a lifetime ago we returned Stateside from PNG to find a strange new world of Covid precautions and toilet paper stockpiles. But we launched back into our life here in Richmond VA with great enthusiasm, seeing family and friends wherever possible, and embracing a healthy variety of home projects, church responsibilities and workplace challenges.  Penniella and Solomon continued to speak a smattering of Pidgin words or phrases which kindled warm memories of our months in missions, and we were frequently asked to by them to review pictures of their friends and favorite places at Kudjip Station. We have not ceased in praying for our dear Kudjip family, both the missionaries and the nationals, who have worked overtime through a pandemic drought in volunteers to bring medical care to the Highland people.  Of note...

Hey folks! We have landed in LA, and everyone is holding together pretty well. Three planes down, two to go!  Wanted to share a few more pictures from our little farewell party that Esther Crouch shared with us, and a few pics taken on our way home. Thanks for all your terrific prayer support!!!

We have just enjoyed the most remarkably special last day at Kudjip, filled with so many sweet farewells. The fact that this day has also marked 15 years of marital bliss only compounded the joy and emotions. I started the day attending my usual F3 workout, this time led by Flex, who Rocky and I breathlessly followed into fitness glory. I have taught him well! We culminated the morning with a ceremonial handing off of the F3-PNG shovel flag, and a prayer of blessing for my flights home, and for these fine men to carry on the good work that has been started.  I picked a handful of pretty flowers on my run home, and presented them to my bride of 15 years with all the romance of our early teenage courtship. She accepted them kindly while cunningly evading my sweaty embrace.  After a quick shower and a few hungry drags of delicious PNG Highlands coffee, I joined Rachel to wake up the kids. Rachel usually claims a cuddly Pennie while I free a hungry Solomon from the confines of his...

Dearest Friends, It is with mixed emotions that I share the NEWS - - - We are flying home at the end of this week! We prayed for God to bring us back to Kudjip, to fulfill our hearts’ desire to serve here again, and He not only answered but multiplied the blessing! Every day here has been a missionary’s braid of challenge, blessing, and spiritual growth; one moment I am struck to the core to see a life lost so easily, frustration and grief ripping a dark chasm into the day, only then to be chased away by the warm glow of a prayer offered in Faith, and my spirit pulled out of the mire to see where Christ is glorified even in our most broken moments. But those who hope in the Lord Will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; They will run and not grow weary, They will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31  So while this time has been emotionally and physically exhausting, we have miraculously “soared on wings as eagles”, just as God called and intended fo...

This past Friday, Pennie spent the day directing me what to document and take pictures of for her first ever blog post.  All of the photo captions and descriptions are in her words.  A day with Pennie Mae - enjoy!     "This is how I sleep."   "I smile every day!" "This cockroach was in my room when I woke up!" "I play with all of my friends at playgroup."   "I like to play with Solomon and Charley." "I hug Solomon every day."  "I love watching motorcycles out the window!" "I love crane trucks!" "I love "horse poop" cookies!" "We are playing horsey on Papa's back."   "This flower is one of my favorite colors. " "I love the color yellow!" "I love to visit and pet Brutus."  "This is where we play sometimes." "These are the clouds." ...