"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 NASB)
Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you for your prayers for Kurt as he served as the Director’s Assistant for Security (DAS). Things have been quite calm during the three weeks he has been serving in this position and we can definitely sense that you have been praying for us. Kurt will be done serving as the DAS tomorrow, October 20th. Please continue to pray so that he will finish the job well. You can also pray for peace in the valley where Ukarumpa is located as there continues to be tribal fighting.
We also want to thank you for your faithful contribution to the work of Bible translation in Papua New Guinea (PNG). We have been serving here in Ukarumpa for almost 3 years now. Kurt has enjoyed his work assisting translators and support workers in the Communication and Technical Services Department. His time at the Helpdesk and Network Services has been a blessing to him. We have both enjoyed working with the youth group here in Ukarumpa for the last two and a half years. I (Johanna) thank God for the opportunity he has given me to help at the Primary School and put my teaching abilities into practice during our time here.
In November we will be taking our first home assignment. November 5th we will leave for Colombia and will be there until January. From there we will be traveling on to Dallas, TX. Part of our return assignment will be to visit churches, friends and family. Please pray for us as we pack up our house and get it ready for our renters. Two single ladies will be staying here while we are gone.
Our home assignment is a time to reconnect with our home culture, take care of our medical needs, and visit our partners—YOU. We will have vacation time included during this time, but that is not the primary goal. While we are in the US, Kurt will do some IT training and I will take some continuing education courses to keep my teaching certification up to date. Although the cost of living in PNG has risen somewhat over the past year, it still is not as expensive as living in the US. Many missionaries find their home assignment time especially stretching on the financial side. We’ll need your prayers just as much as ever, especially as we travel and share what God has been doing in PNG. THANK YOU so very much to all of you who have stood with us in prayer and financially.
Please also pray for our long trip back to the other side of the world! We will leave Australia on November 8th and will travel from Cairns to Sydney (4 hour flight) and then on from Sydney to Los Angeles (14 hour flight). We will spend one night in Los Angeles and fly the next morning to Miami (5 hour flight) and on from Miami to Bogota (3 and a half hours). We should be arriving in Bogota on Monday, November 9th at 8pm. It will be a challenge to travel with a 4 year old and a very active 1 and a half year old.
We look forward to visiting with you while we are in Colombia and the United States.
Blessings,
Johanna (for Kurt, Kassia, and Luke too!)
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