Our Last Month of Furlough

We leave to head back to Kabul on Monday.  Going towards Kabul, we lose a day and will end up in Kabul on Wednesday morning just in time for their weekend.  Our last month has been full and hopefully well spent.  Noel finished up his training and having a little bit of downtime.   Winter took her ACT test and became a licensed driver.   She also turned 17 and celebrated it by spending the day with her friend Elizabeth and going to see the Hobbit.  David went to his first concert and made friends at the coffee shop near our house while working on his school.  He also taught us how to play some of his new strategy games he acquired this trip.  Teresa enjoyed time with friends walking and talking and finishing the afghan that she was making for Winter.   We continued pressing hard at school, celebrated the Superbowl, watched a few netflix shows, and enjoyed many great conversations with friends.   Noel and Teresa were even able to attend a parenting conference with Sean McDowell as the main speaker.  

This week Noel is in Idaho doing some last training before we head back.  He will join us here in Tennessee tomorrow.  Last Sunday, Winter, David and I drove from Texas to Tennessee.  This week we have worked hard on school and taking care of last minute details like dentist visits and hair cuts.   We are ready to go back.  Our time here has given us rest.  It has been a time of learning and reconnecting.  Mostly it has been a time to reflect, regroup and reenergise for our next term in Afghanistan.   We are looking forward to reconnecting again with our team-both the old and new members and reconnecting with our national friends.  There have been many challenges in the last few months but it will be good to be home.   We are excited to see how God will work in the coming year.

We extend our gratitude to all our friends and family who have fed us, housed us, and given us lots of love.  Our time here in the states was much needed and enjoyed by the whole family.  If we did not make it to your area of the woods this time, we are sorry.  Hopefully it will work out next time.

Pray for our transition back into Afghanistan and that our language skills will come back quickly.  Pray for Noel as he gets back into the routine of flying and his other roles.   Lastly, pray that we will have opportunities to share our faith with our friends there.

Blessings, T