And.... we're off!

It has been over a year now that I posted that the "cloud above us was moving us on"... that we were going to be making a major move to JAPAN! Since that time, we have been taking steps to finish well what God has given us to do here in Brazil, including developing a ministry strategy that can continue even after we are no longer here. And we have been waiting on the Lord to put together all the pieces to this "puzzle" and show us when the right time was. Which He has been faithful to do. No space to share all the details now, but the news is that we are on our way!


Three weeks from today we will begin our journey, leaving Camboriú which has been our home for more than seven years now.  It is surprising to me when I look back, to realize that this is virtually the only home our children have known! They have done most of their growing up here and have only vague remembrances of life prior to this reality. So it is not an easy move for them, particularly the older two who have developed deeper relationships with friends here.

Anyway, we leave here and go to Santos, where Fabio's parents are. Fabio is the only child they still have in Brazil (out of three), and they are rather sad to see us go, to say the least. We will be spending some time with them before our departure from the country.

From São Paulo, we will be landing in Miami, since the airfare was about half the price (times eight tickets!), and Fabio has always wanted me to see Miami anyway. :) So we will combine the family savings with a sort of family vacation, where hopefully we will get to debrief a bit as we wind our way up to Chicago without any great rush, stopping along the way.

It has been five years since we have been in America as a family, and it is important to us to reconnect with my family as well, and our church family there. Our plan is to be in the States about three months.....  and THEN we plan to continue on to Japan. Whew! It promises to be a very full and exciting year!!

PLEASE keep us in prayer through this process. It is exciting, but that doesn't make it easy! We will try to update more often.

And a few pics...