This week we traveled to one of our favorite places: Middlebury, VT. After living for nearly a year on the edge of the Sahara desert, the stunning beauty of Vermont is nearly overwhelming. How many people here, we wonder, take this beautiful place for granted? Do they remember to “lift their eyes up to the mountains?” Maybe it’s visitors like us who help to remind them of the beauty all around them. It has been a joy for us this week to walk, hike, and drive amidst the beauty of the Vermont woods.It has also been a joy to reconnect with many friends and meet new ones. We had the chance this week to share with students at the college and benefit from their qu
estions, energy and excitement for the world.The weather here has been a bit muddled. It can’t seem to decide what season it is. We’ve had some beautiful Autumn days, but then on Tuesday it snowed! Snow plows, a biting wind and low temperatures make us wonder, is it winter or is it fall?
Not unlike the weather, in all our joy and fun, we find ourselves feeling a bit muddled and drawn in two directions. As we talk and share about Chad our hearts are drawn to that place and its people, but then we remember that in not so many months we will be leaving for a new part of Africa. Where should our focus be? We want to keep sharing about our
experiences, but we also need to be preparing our hearts and minds for what is ahead.Everywhere we go, we seem to leave a bit of ourselves behind so that returning, whether it be to Vermont, California, Massachusetts or Chad, feels like going home. Soon we will have yet another place to call home. I don’t know that we could manage it all if we didn’t have a home with God, but He provides for us in so many ways. So we know that wherever we go, He will be there, making a home for us.
PRAYERS ANSWERED
We have been having a wonderful time in Vermont and continue to be encouraged by all the people we see who love and support us. All of us are feeling pretty good now. The colds have more or less run their courses, so none of us are coughing anymore. (Tom and Grace still have runny noses, but that might just be the cold weather.) Grace has started sol
ids and has been a very enthusiastic eater.PRAYERS REQUESTED
Megan’s grandmother hasn’t been feeling well. Please pray for her quick recovery. Next week Megan’s mom will be coming out to visit us and we will be going up to Maine for some fun and to visit some more friends. Pray for safe travels, good health, and a blessed time together. Pray that we will learn the balance of being past, present and future-minded.
