After more than 5,000 road miles (not counting the generous ride provided by the Weiger's & Claussen's from OKC to Alabama);
After countless air miles on these flights:
- Cairo to Paris (x5)
- Paris to Minneapolis
- Minneapolis to Sacramento
- Sacramento to Portland
- Paris to Atlanta (x4)
- Atlanta to Huntsville (x4)
- Portland to Denver (x3)
- Denver to OKC
- Birmingham to Seattle (x5)
- Denver to Nashville (x2)
- Atlanta to Portland (x4)
*not including Alexis' air miles!
After visits and meetings with these congregations or representatives of:
- North Modesto ChoG, CA
- Fresno 1st ChoG, CA
- Culver City ChoG, CA
- McDowell Mountain Community Church, AZ
- Antelope Road Christian Fellowship, CA
- Sunset Park ChoG, OR
- Rainier Community Church, OR
- 12th Ave ChoG, AL
- Rainbow City Community Church, AL
- 6th Ave ChoG, AL
- Riverchase Community Church, AL
- Olympia-Lacey ChoG, WA
- Fairview ChoG, WA
- Oak Park ChoG, OR
- Lynchwood ChoG, OR
- Holladay Park ChoG, OR
- Hoodview ChoG, OR
- Blue Mountain Community Church, WA
- Columbia Community Church, WA
- Centralia Community Church, WA
- Mt Scott ChoG, OR
- Rockwood ChoG, OR
After participating in all or part of these meetings:
- Heart for Lebanon Board of Director's meeting, Phoenix, AZ
- North American Convention of the ChoG, Be Bold, OKC
- Alabama Ministerial Assembly of the ChoG Campmeeting, Clanton, AL
- Pacific Northwest Association of the ChoG Family Camp, Double K Camp, WA
- Oregon/southwest Washington Association of the ChoG Summer Celebration, Warner Pacific College, OR
After not nearly enough time with family and friends;
After more calories than any family should healthily consume in a two month period;
After too little exercise;
After meeting and staying with some of the most wonderful, hospitable, and generous people on the planet;
After seeing beautiful places along scenic drives; witnessing the wonder of Multnomah Falls; climbing to the top of Beacon Rock in the Columbia River Gorge; a meditative walk through The Grotto; a time of quiet and reflection in Joshua Tree National Park; a Salem Volcanoes baseball game; Seaside, Oregon; and whirlwind tours through Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and the Evergreen Air & Space Museum;
After not knowing if we did enough to promote Children of Promise in Egypt, Ana Terzo in Lebanon, or the Next Gen Fund for Three Worlds; after wishing we could have done more to help Langford's and Weiger's get to the field more quickly;
After holding and seeing our newest family members (Lilian, Filla, Avery & Jillian) for the first time;
After watching our kids grow in confidence and clarity in answering questions publicly and privately like Public Relations specialists;
After more daily blessings and countless amounts of encouragement, sincere prayers, generous gifts, genuine fellowship, and humbling honors than any person or family should be allowed to receive;
After all of that - and a memory that is fading and likely forgetting so much more - we are headed home to Cairo, Egypt.
We are not looking forward to the travel that takes us on an early Monday morning flight from Portland, Oregon to Los Angeles, California; or overnight from LA to Paris, France tonight; or Paris to Cairo tomorrow.
We are not looking forward to the likely late arrival to the villas and the frantic search for clothes and necessities for the first day of school early the next morning.
Though I am looking forward to being with the Ana Terzo camp, we are notlooking forward to the quick turn around for me to repack and fly to Beirut less than 24 hours after landing.
But we are looking forward to being home--back to the CCF (eventually), back to the weekly Kids program, back to serving our community and the Egypt & Lebanon Churches. Back to the rush & the wait & the chaos of Cairo traffic; back to the wonder of the Nile and the glimpse of pyramids on the horizon. Back to fellowship with believers throughout Europe and Middle East. Back to the routines and the uncertainties of this adventure.
Home is where and how you make it--and God has led us to make our home in Cairo. By His providence and blessing and the prayers of many, we have been able to do that.
We have enjoyed our summer--how could we not after all the blessings listed above?
None of us had a fit or shed a tear this morning with the prospect of returning to Cairo--that wasn't a powerless resignation that we have to return; it was a privileged realization that we get to return. The work and the risk are outweighed by the joys and the adventures that await us.
We live in Cairo--a land of such amazing history--and we get to live there on the front row of history being written anew. We have been invited to walk with others in such a place as this, at such a time as this.
We are the most fortunate people on the planet to be so loved and missed from wonderful people on multiple continents, and yet able to share the greatest love with all of them.
Thank you for honoring us & loving us with your interest, prayers, support, encouragement, questions, and even concern.
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