I think the last week of furlough has to be the worst week of a missionary’s ministry. If not the worst, it rates up there. The endless gathering and packing, saying good-bye and wishing there had been more time with friends and loved ones. Feeling excited to go back and get back into ministry, but also guilty you are leaving again. For us this time, there is the added grief of leaving our college girl behind. Sometimes I feel like my heart is breaking in two.
One of the things I have been encouraging our girl to do, however, is to grab hold of the good, to find the joyous moments in each day. Trying to model that, I’m pushing past the sadness of “good-byes’ and focusing on all the wonderful “good” we have experienced this furlough.
We had such a wonderful time with the church families we were able to spend time with! I felt like I came into each visit carrying this huge “mommy-burden” with all my thoughts and emotions focused on Ella. With that, I didn’t feel as prepared as I usually do as we presented and shared our ministry, yet every church family welcomed us with open arms and warmly showered love on us. It was so sweet to worship with each beautiful congregation and to feel not only encouraged by each, but also to feel reaffirmed that SAM Academy is being prayed over and lifted up by so many wonderful, wonderful people.
In addition to sharing with our supporting churches, we were able to meet with a newer board member of South America Mission and share about God’s work happening in our region, reconnect with our home office staff and fellowship together, and, also, meet with and encourage the Golpalan family who are in the candidate orientation faze with a goal of serving with SAM Academy.
Around our Home Ministry “assignments,” we were able to have some really special family time with both our families, as well as other special friends. It was all very low-key this time around, but we made memories over dinner tables, fair visits and weekend camping getaways that filled us up and refreshed us.
Ella has started her college classes and is off to a great start. As she learns to drive Stateside, part of our daily tasks having been taking her to class and finding things to do until she finishes. It has been wonderful to have these stolen little moments with her and to also get to see a bit of what her life will be like as we go back. Countering my sadness at the thought of living apart from her is an excitement to see what this part of her life journey has in store for her. We are super proud of her and grateful to see the ways God is caring for her.
While we have been here doing our thing, the 2025-2026 school year at SAM Academy has kicked off! We are thrilled for a smooth start and anxious to be back in our classrooms. I’m so thankful for my substitute, Rona, who traveled from the US and donated two weeks of her time to look after my little class—she has done an amazing job! She’s going to be a tough act to follow. We are also thankful for our amazing staff who have gotten the school up and running. We pray for an incredible school year this year and for all the seen and unseen things God will do through us!
Dear friends, this is just a short little update, but there will be much more to share with you as we land back in life in Pucallpa and get back to the work we love.
Please pray for us as we start into our eleventh school year on the field…
-Please pray for safety and peace as we travel. We land Sunday afternoon and start back teaching on Monday, so prayers for our sanity this week would be appreciated!
-You can encourage the Gopalan Family in prayer as they work their way through Candidate Orientation, as well as Kayla, our new teacher, who is currently studying in language school.
-Please continue to lift Ella up in prayer as she adjusts to both college life and US life.
-As we begin our next term, pray we can be unified with the missionaries we are serving in purpose and love, bringing glory to God together.
Family of 4 Serving 1 