Since the last time we posted, we have a new president, the vaccine is being distributed, and Texas and other states survived a crazy winter storm. So what have we been doing?
In the middle of January, we left Texas and headed west. Our goal was to be in California by February.
The last two weeks of January, we stayed at Lake Pleasant Regional Park which is north of Phoenix. We enjoyed the view from our trailer as we navigated what it was like to work on the road. Our afternoons and evenings were spent hiking when possible. The mix of the lake, the cacti, and the mountains made for a great combination. We had the bonus of seeing wild burros on one hike and getting hailed on in another hike. One evening we made it over Scotsdale to have supper with Teresa’s great Aunt. It was a fun evening of catching up and enjoying some amazing food on her outdoor patio living area.
At the end of January, we headed towards California to see the kids, stopping at Joshua Tree National Forest on the way. On Sunday we had the privilege of visiting old friends from MAF. We were able to attend their church and have lunch with them. It was a great time of encouraging each other in our current seasons.
February was full of spending time with Winter, Nathan and David. They have busy lives so we were blessed to get to see them a few times a week and do normal things like have supper together or have a game night. Since our RV was parked only 30 minutes away from them, we learned to navigate city traffic and take advantage of the HOV lane when we were together. Teresa was able to meet once a week with Winter for girl time – either walking on a nearby path or having coffee or Boba tea. We spent one Saturday in San Diego with the whole clan going to the zoo and trying out fun food/drink places.
On Sunday afternoons, we took turns visiting churches which are still meeting outside. We were even able to attend David’s home group a few times as they discussed the previous week’s sermon. Pray for their churches as they have a heart for reaching the lost in their city.
If you know us, you know we love food and cooking for others. Our first week in town, we made Afghan food for David’s discipleship group. We enjoyed meeting them, and they enjoyed hearing David stories. Another day, we made brunch for David’s friends after their morning of playing spike ball. Once again, it was great getting to know David’s friends and also fun to get to cook in a bigger kitchen.
Near our RV park were many trails that we took advantage of for both hiking and biking. It was even close enough to the grocery store that Teresa usually walked. We enjoyed our stay so much that we plan to come back in October. Hopefully that will give Winter and David enough time to recover.
March has us back in Arizona, more specifically Tucson, right next to some amazing trails. After our full days of work, we can step out our door and start hiking or biking immediately. Noel is enjoying his work with MAF. Most days you can see him at his stand up desk or pace the trailer as he talks on the phone. Teresa’s work has increased. She has two mornings of tutoring plus two classes with NorthStar Academy. This month she is also taking a class on how to write an online Calculus class. Both of us have learned lots of new technology but enjoy the challenge and the chance to help out others with the skills God has given us. But we also both know that we can only do it in God’s strength and with His help. The promise that He is with us is as true here and needed here in the states as it was overseas.
So what next? Well we hope to be in Tennessee for most of April. Somebody has a big birthday coming up so he gets to choose where to spend it. Oops did I give it away?
We hope you are all doing well. Let us know how to pray for you and also if you would like to connect if we end up in your area.