Dear Friends & Family~<

It’s November.  Since the last update, we’ve completed our three weeks at MTI for pre field training.  We had two weeks at home to recuperate, and then spent a weekend in Virginia for a visit and deputations.  Other than those few things we’ve had nothing but time on our hands!  Or something like that, anyway.

Our training at MTI was a lot of fun.  We got to meet around 50 new people, and really had our minds stretched concerning our expectations for going to a new culture.  The time away was also very relaxing and refreshing.  After about two weeks, we were starting to be ready to go home.  After the third week, it was definitely time to go home.  We missed being home and sleeping in our own beds.  And we missed the dog, too.  It was very difficult to say goodbye to everybody, after we had basically lived with them all for the last three weeks.  However, when we got home, it just didn’t feel like home.  Everything seemed so foreign and empty.I think it took all of us the better part of those two weeks to feel at home again.  Then it was time to go again.  This time it was off to Leesburg, Virginia.  We had been invited by John and Alice Zoller to do a presentation for a small group as well as speaking at their church on Sunday morning.  Another family in the church (Paul & Joan Feeney) offered to put us up for the weekend in their beautiful home.  Our stay there was very comfortable, and we were very grateful for their hospitality.  It was wonderful to reconnect with the Zollers, also.  John used to be the pastor at Geneseo Baptist church, where Art attended many years ago.  In fact, about 16 years had gone by since he last saw them.  During our time together, we took in the air and space museum at Dulles international Airport, spent some time with their whole family, and had a few meals together (and ice cream…  lots of ice cream).  Our small group presentation at the Feeney’s house went very well.  There were about a dozen people there, and there seemed to be quite a bit of interest in our mission.  There were also some great desserts and some good fellowship!  Sunday morning at Mt. Hope Baptist church also went very well.  The congregation seemed to be quite supportive and in interested in what we’re going to be doing in Africa.  They will be voting next weekend regarding supporting us financially.  This is a real blessing, since we do still have a ways to go in raising support.  We also had another handful of people sign on to be prayer supporters.  Praise God.

Throughout both of these trips are travel was safe and mostly enjoyable (other than are behinds getting sore from all the riding in the car).  For now, we are back home again.  We’re currently putting together our next couple of speaking engagements.  We look forward to updating you again, after this next stretch.  In the meantime, please pray with us for the sale of our house and the growth of our support network (both prayer and financial).