Strange Encouragement

I’m looking back over the calendar, letting the memories roll around in my mind; the people, the places, the events that have formed our life since we flew out of Budapest on June 10 and landed in the US.

Grace Chapel, our home church, did a lot of work to bless us with a house, a car, and lots of other helpful bits here and there. Their love and encouragement were evident in many different ways and we can’t thank them enough for being a part of our lives. When I tried to express it in front of the church I couldn’t quite get through it. It’s amazing to me as I think about how my life has changed so much since living there, but the people there are still such a large part of who I am. One quote (there were many) to show me how different my life is from that of my kids: “Dad, you grew up around here. What did you do?”

The summer has mainly been visiting churches and supporters. While it’s been a lot of miles, it’s also strangely encouraging. Maybe ‘strangely’ isn’t the best word there, but that’s the one that wants to come out of my mind. We don’t see the people from these churches for 2-3 years and there is a certain amount of ‘anxiety’ as we’re getting ready to visit them because most times we don’t know exactly what to expect. However, when we finally arrive, it’s like no time has passed since the last time we saw them. The relationships pick right back up; it’s great to be with them and they are a wonderful encouragement to us. Its strange how that happens, but one of the blessings of being in this role.

If I saw you this summer I want to thank you. I appreciate the encouragement.