KIRA:  Hey guys.  It’s been a couple of months since our last update.  We have been able to see a few of you and appreciate the opportunity to do so.  Kira came during the week of thanksgiving and since then it has been sleepless nights and major adjustments.  She is doing really well and is a blessing.

DEBRIEF:  While on paternity leave we are trying to tie up loose ends, get health checkups and sort out all of the necessary requirements for Kira’s birth certificate and passport.  Life in Mozambique was very challenging and when we got back to the states we struggled to adjust and settle in (seems like a missionary never settles).  We are meeting once a week with a pastor who is helping us debrief and process all that happened in Mozambique.   This time is very important to us and is helping us tremendously.  We have had many tear filled meetings that allowed us to think through the last two years in Mozambique, evaluate our ministry, and see how amazingly God moved in and through us.

 JOB: When our paternity leave is up in February, Tim has been offered a job as a pole vaulting coach for a local high school.  He has been able to work a little while here to save for unexpected costs. He will also be doing window cleaning to save up money for our return to Mozambique. 

EXPEDITION:  While in Mozambique we saw firsthand how people suffer.  We saw people drinking water from unclean sources and getting very sick.   We actually got very sick from the same water.  Water is one of the essential things to life and survival and living without running water for 4 months taught us a lot.  On this note, Tim and two of his good friends have been working really hard on a documentary that will raise awareness to the water crisis in the world.  They will be doing a stand up paddle boarding expedition in the ocean to raise money for Charity Water (www.charitywater.org).

 The more miles they paddle in the ocean-the more money they can raise.  The goal is to raise enough money to dig at least two wells in Africa.  They were even on the news, check it out:  http://www.cbs8.com/story/16366047/paddleboarders-to-make-470-mile-journey-down-the-coast

Please pray that they can accomplish their goal and raise the money for these water projects.

MOZAMBIQUE:  As part of our debriefing, we have been watching some movie clips from our time in Moz.  If you haven’t yet taken the time to see how life was for us, check out some of the clips here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ntmwarners?feature=mhee

Thank you so much, we love you all and happy New Year.

We can hardly believe it has already been a month since we arrived back in the United States. It has been a whirlwind of family, friends, meetings with supporters, visiting churches, running errands, house and car hunting, and moving! As of Saturday, we are officially moved in to our new apartment, which is a total answer to prayer and we can see God in it in every way. It is part of a four-plex, we are the only ones on the top story, and two of the bottom units are filled with our friends! We were also able to purchase a car with some savings, which frees us up from having to rely on using someone else’s and is big enough for a family of four!!

Kira is due to arrive in eight short weeks, and we are just getting the last little preparations squared away. We counted, and this is our 13^th move in our 6 years of marriage. It makes us tired just thinking about it! Because we sold everything before we left, we have had to start from the ground up to rebuild a “livable” house, but thanks to God and so many people, a lot of things have been given/loaned to us to help make it home!

Many of you might be familiar with the term “reverse culture shock”. After spending any time overseas or out of country, it is very common and normal to experience a wide array of emotions upon reentry into your home country. We have each (including Caden) been experiencing these things since we have been back. Some are more subtle, like the experience of driving on orderly, organized, clean roads, where everyone follows traffic rules, or the ease with which we can communicate to anyone at any given moment, simply because we speak the same language and share the same (diverse as it is) American culture. Other moments have been upsetting or overwhelming, like listening to someone complain about something we now consider petty and unimportant, or trying to find our way around a super-Walmart! These are things we are working through, and are thankful for the time and helps our organization has given us to encourage and support us as we learn how to live here right now. We know that our experience is uniquely shaping us and we also need to be gracious with the world around us and those who may not have the same perspective.

For those of you who are wondering what our timeline looks like, we have come back to California on a paternity leave to have our second baby here, seeing as the facilities in Mozambique are less than up to par. NTM allows us 5 months leave. This is calculated by included the latest date possible for a pregnant woman to fly internationally (for us it was 26 weeks), time for the baby to arrive past the due date, time for the baby to receive initial vaccines and for the family to apply for and receive/update passports and visas. All in all, 5 months barely covers all of those needs. Any time taken thereafter will come off of our home assignment time, meaning we will spend more time in Mozambique on our second term before being able to come back again. So, at this point we are planning on being here until February, and will play it by ear if we feel we need more time as a family or for any reason need to postpone our return.

Believe it or not, the mission field is a very tiring place to live! We hope to rest physically and spiritually re-energize during this time, and are so excited and thankful to be able to go to a church (with childcare!) where we can worship in our own heart language and hear the Word. What a gift! That’s not to say we wouldn’t love to see those of you in the SoCal area while we are here! Please feel free to contact us and we can grab a coffee and catch up! Our support level will need to increase as we have this little addition to our family and plane tickets to save for. We are open to sharing in more detail about the past two years and what God has done in our own hearts and in our ministry. We will post any events/church presentations on our site for those of you who are interested in hearing more.

Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to transition back to American lifestyle and prepare for a new baby! Please also pray for Caden. He is doing so well, and it has been amazing having both of our parents here to love on him, and all of the playgrounds and English speaking friends! Pray for him as he learns what it means to be a big brother! J

We are so thankful to be back, and we know that it would not be possible if it were not for the amazing support team giving and praying for us each month! We cannot communicate how much you all mean to us and what an impact you have made on us and our ministry!

Much love,

The Warners

Dear friends, family and faithful supporters,

The last few weeks have been quite a roller coaster for us.  Over the  last  2 weeks we have had four evaluations about the culture and language of Mozambique.  These evaluations monitor our progress and allow us to e more effective in ministry here.  We feel like we have been hit with a train but they evals have gone well.  Kat still has one last evaluation to do before we come home for pregnancy leave.  Pray for our minds to wrap around the language and culture of Mozambique.  Our language consultant has says we are making good progress.

Sickness:   We have made it a whole year and a half without getting malaria! Praise God!  Last week, Kat came down with a 104F temperature and had body aches, headaches and stomach problems.  We were really worried about her and the baby.  We took her to a clinic where there did some blood tests.  She came down with a bad virus but is now slowly on the mend.  Thanks for those who prayed. The baby was not affected and is growing and moving a lot!

Soccer:  Tim never thought that soccer would be a thing God would use him in but it is.  The other day, he was playing soccer with some of his friends when he got asked about what he is doing in Mozambique.  After sharing all of this, God graciously opened up a door for Tim to share the Gospel with his soccer friend.  He has decided to not be a Christian because of an argument he heard between a C-atholic and a J-witness.  Please pray for him, that the words shared through Tim would get him to thinking.  Tim will touch base with him today.

Works vs Faith:  Kat continues building her relationship with one of her good M-uslim friends and they had an intense conversation about religion and prayer.  God opened up an opportunity to share about Christ and the work He did on the cross.  This all sufficient work was more than enough to cover our sin.  We can be fully confident in our position with Him based upon his work, not ours.  As she shared the Gospel with her friend the lights were going on.  Please pray for her friend to continue to be curious and question some of her own thoughts and beliefs.

Orphans:  Ministry with the orphans continues out in Natakiri.  We love going out there and spending time with the boys.  After almost two years serving alongside our co-worker Jerry, he will be leaving and getting married in the States.  Please pray for the orphans and that they will handle the loss of Jerry’s presence in there lives.  When we come to the States for pregnancy leave we will also leave them for a short time.  Our time at the oprhanage is spent playing soccer, encouraging, loving and caring for the boys in any way needed.  They have lived difficult lives and are still so very young.  Pray for there continued growth both spiritually and physically.

Filip:  Since the last update, Filip has been living in a district 70 km from the city.  Filip is no longer working at the hair salon we built him in the city but is now saving money to work in a district town near to his mother.  Pray for him, that the Christian and financial saving principles we shared with him will be used in his daily life.

Youth group:  We are still serving as leaders at the youth group here in town.  The youth group is composed of 10-15 kids and we meet every Tuesday night.  We will be leading youth group for the next 5 weeks so please pray for our times with the kids to bless and grow them, and also for another leader to rise up and take over when we go. 

Options:  We are praying about a few options regarding our future ministry.  Thank you for your continued prayers as we trust God in these things.  Two of the possibilties have to do with working amongst Mozambicans in a village setting.  We are in the process of doing some surveys to the area to understand the need and possible barriers we might have. Others include ministry in a broader context, with the African church. We are really seeking God in all the factors and looking for wisdom as he unfolds his plans.

Pregnancy Leave:  We are still looking for a place to rent when we come back to California. Please contact us if you know of anyone who is renting out their house. We will be home basically from September through February, but that is really just an estimate. We will have to wait and see how things go with the baby’s health, paperwork and vaccines, as well as the funds to get our tickets back, but are aiming for around 5 months time there.  Thank you to those that helped with our one way tickets to the USA.  If you would like to touch base with us while we are home, please E-mail us and we will be glad to plan something

All in all, we thank you for your prayers and support as we serve here.

Please also be praying for our coworkers who are currently serving in a village where the men and women are hearing the Gospel for the first time ever.  Click here to see there updates and be apart of whats going on:  www.ntm.org/phil_henderson

It’s already the end of June, and we can only look back in awe at what God has taken us through in this past year and a half. Life in Mozambique was nothing like we expected, nothing we could have anticipated and nothing short of life-changing.

Just last night we were reminiscing with some old video clips of Caden when we first arrived, and how little he was. Now, as we prepare to come back to the States to have our second baby, we are filled with mixed emotions and thoughts as we reflect and look forward.

We are now going on 19 weeks pregnant and everything looks good. The baby is moving and Tim even felt it kick which has been fun. We are still waiting for the next appointment to find out if it is a boy or a girl.

Just yesterday we were presented with the opportunity to visit some team members working with the Lolo people and bring them some needed supplies. We have wanted to visit them and see the work God is doing there for some time now, and have been given a perfect opportunity before we head home on paternity leave. We hope that we will be able to bless them while we are there and also get another perspective of the work in the village. A colleague here in the city will be joining us. She is currently sick, and recovering from Malaria and pink eye, so please pray that she will recuperate quickly. Click here to check out the work currently going on with these Lolo people of Mozambique!

Tim has continued to be involved in the work out at the orphanage and recently helped with our friend/colleague Jerry to build them a ping pong table. Thanks to some generous donations from the States, we also were able to present them with proper soccer jerseys this past week. They were elated!

Kat has a good friend here who she visits once and a while. She belongs to another faith and is very open and strong in her beliefs. The other day, God opened the doors for some very interesting conversation, where Kat was able to ask her thought provoking questions about the makeup of her faith. It boils down to her total reliance on her good works to be saved and safe in the afterlife. Kat was able to clearly contrast this with the Gospel, and how we as followers of Christ are completely dependent on the work of Christ for our salvation. This was the first moment in their relationship that the Gospel was explained. Please pray that she will be thinking and dwelling on what that means, and that God will be speaking to her heart.

Caden’s ever-growing vocabulary is making for some hilarious moments around our house. He is very clever, and (apparently) very “Two”. He loves to tell us what to do or not to do, how to do it, and asks specifically several times a day for “hot chocolate milk with cold ice in it”. He is mastering his train and firetruck puzzles and is slowly catching the concept that there is a little person growing in mommy’s tummy.

We are still looking for a place to rent when we come back to California. Please contact us if you know of anyone who is renting out their house. We will be home basically from September through February, but that is really just an estimate. We will have to wait and see how things go with the baby’s health, paperwork and vaccines, as well as the funds to get our tickets back, but are aiming for around 5 months time there.

Both of us are still preparing for our last evaluation in language and culture before we come home. It is scheduled for mid-July. Please keep us in your prayers for this-to be well-prepared, have clear minds and good communication to get an accurate idea of our current levels in NCLA.

Thank you for all your prayers and for dropping those emails every now and again. We love to hear from you and are excited to see you again. Looking forward to a time of rest with our families and friends, and a time to digest the past couple years.

1. People are walking their goats, not their dogs.

2. Your alarm clock really is a rooster.

3.  You find yourself tying bamboo to the sides of your toddler’s bed with rubber strings from tires so he won’t fall out at night.

4. You are in ten-passenger taxi with 30 other sweaty people, sitting on someone’s lap and bracing yourself to not fall out the half-broken door.

5. Bucket showers and random power outages are normal.

6. It’s only noon, but you can’t survive without a nap.

7. You can buy cucumbers the size of watermelons.

8. A family of four can fit on a motorbike.

9. You are bargaining with the vender at your door to buy papaya for 10 mets instead of 15. (30 mets=1 dollar).

10. A simple process-ANY simple process-takes 100 times as long and requires 10 times as many people.

11. You can walk through the city and hear over 4 different languages spoken on your average day.

12. You are in the pharmacy trying to describe your symptoms in Portuguese while the person nexts to you is holding a live chicken by the feet waiting in line.

13. The two lane road can suddenly become a 6 lane without warning.

14. Only 2 main roads are paved.

15. You are happy to see the geckos in your house, knowing they will eat all the other bugs.

Through the ups and downs of life on the field, we have often remembered the people in our training who influenced and encouraged us.

These people have already lived on the mission field, already experienced deep pain, great joys, and millions of challenges, resulting in the people they are today:

God-shaped and humble, knowing and understanding more than any book alone could teach, and full of a compassion that only comes through a certain type of experience and sacrifice.

In our journey, we were prompted to write and ask them for their insights on what God them through their hardest times, what God showed them, and how his strength and grace showed up in their lives.

Below is a glimpse into this process: Becoming like Jesus through each experience life brings. This is not just about missions, this is about every person looking for meaning in their life, purpose to make every trial worth something, and in the end, to know Peace and Life and Joy.

As Paul said, “But  whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that  I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that whic is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ–yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” ~Philippians 3:7-11

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I had a number of thoughts but one thing that stuck out and it doesn’t always make it easier for us right now but we have definitely seen the truth of II Cor 1 regarding God’s comfort. He not only comforts us in our present trials but He uses them to help us comfort others with the comfort we have received. Over the years we have come in contact with many who are facing trials similar to ones we faced many years earlier and we can certainly empathize with them and comfort them. I guess what I’m saying is that in our present trials we can be aware that God is not only using them in our lives but will enable us to help others in the future.

 -Bing Hare, Brazil

In translating 1 Peter recently, we saw that we are not to be surprised by the intense trials we undergo and yet in Romans “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus”! God proved this to us in our first term when, just as we were ready to begin language study in the tribe, religious rebels visited our house and began operating in our area. We remembered our youth pastor’s advice, “Don’t doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light,” and clung to his promises, spent more time in prayer and saw God take care of us, although it was indeed hard!

Bill and Donna Davis, Philippines

All through Biblical history, when men and women followed God in His enterprises it meant a measure of pain and suffering for the worker.  When these men and women remained in the place of trial by faith, God accomplished incredible feats through them and sometimes in spite of them.  Like David in the wilderness they seemed to thrive even in the midst of crushing circumstances.  Those who resisted this purifying work, walked by sight, and chose expedience over patience, still seemed to suffer, but their suffering was empty, self focused, and without meaning.

 Remember some days HE is the only thing that will make any sense at all.  Relax and enjoy Him.

-Rich and Rae Bruce, South America

We went to the field not realizing, but in the back of our minds subconsciously thinking, “We are going to do ‘great things’ for God.”  He quickly showed us that He wanted to first do something in us before He was going to do something “great” through us.  This meant going through His refining fire that often came in the form of trials.   We realized trials are a good thing because they grow us and mature us into the vessels that that He wants us to be and use (James 1:2-4).  We want Him to first do a work in us so that when He does work through us it is not despite us (as in the case with someone like Jonah), but because we are walking in fellowship with Him and have that which is eternal in view (1 Cor. 4:16-18).  We are so grateful  that the One who has called us is also faithful to complete the work that He has begun in us (Phil 1:6), and will be faithful to complete the work that He is wanting to do through us (Matt 16:18).

-Jay and Lisa Franicevich, Papua New Guinea

When our boy died I was reading in Psalm 100 that the Lord is good.
It certainly didn’t seem like the Lord was good right then.  I was
challenged to choose to say, ‘Lord, you are good’ not because it felt
like it but because the Bible tells me so.

Sometimes our trials get pretty intense and/or prolonged and I
certainly felt like giving up more than once. God has used what Paul
said in 2 Cor 1:8,9 many times in my life to keep me going.  Paul was
so utterly burdened and beyond strength that he despaired of life
itself!  That’s heavy trials!  But he said that it was all to make him
rely on God and not himself.

-James and Lisa Hatton, Papua New Guinea

In our hardest times (When we felt our children may be dying) we WERE comforted by the reality that Jesus really is ‘more than enough’. It took stripping us of our dearest ones on the planet but His grace really does show up in the dark times…if we’ll look for it.

-Brad and Beth Buser, Papua New Guinea

Looking back on my time in the tribe, I can say that there were definite times of trials.  There were times when I came to the very end of myself and wanted nothing better than to run far away.  I remember one time in particular when I felt extremely helpless and didn’t know how to cope.  A Maco lady was laying in her hammock and refused to eat or drink for days.  We begged her husband to take her to town to get medical help but he refused.  My co workers and I would take her soup and beg her to eat.  She would not.  We thought she was going to die and we could not change that.  It was heart breaking.  I wanted to escape, but there was no escape.  I had chosen to live with the Maco and I wanted desperately to share the love of God with them, so I had to stay.  I was very thankful that I did not carry that burden alone.  I had teammates that were caring for the Maco friend as well.  We prayed and cried together, and we talked for hours trying to find a way to help her.   I also found great comfort in knowing that God has His plan and He will work it out.  He is bigger than I am and bigger than anything I face in life.  If He is allowing it to happen, I can trust Him.  I know that He is working for His will and for my best.   When life doesn’t make sense and I am hurting, I have had to learn to let it go, trusting that Someone greater than myself can work it out.  I am so thankful that the working out of His will is not depended on me or my perfection.  But is rooted in an All powerful God and that he lets me come along for the ride, even when I want to get off.  Staying under or in the hard times til He has finished teaching me has been hard at times, but the lessons I learned in those times are invaluable.  My team, His Word and trusting in His love for me and His ability to work out His will, is what helped me get through the hard times in life.

Jackie Bruce, South America

Warner News for March:

We thought it’s time we wrote and gave you a more detailed update of what is going on over here in Mozambique. 

Aside from our ministry in the city, we are continuing to plug away with our NCLA (Nat’l. Culture/Language Aquistion) and are preparing for another evaluation soon. Our language consultant is encouraged to see our progress and has suggested an evaluation sooner than normal.

Upcoming Trips:

1: In April, we will be visiting an existing work where the Gospel is being taught for the first time in the tribal language. The team (made up of our Field Consultants and their families) are in Phase 1 and are also teaching Literacy. To read more about what’s happening with the Mwinika, click here!

2. We will be joining leadership and potential partners on a survey trip of the area where we might live and work. In order to determine the needs and urgency, as well as receptiveness of the people, as well as get a more realistic picture of what our living situation would be, we have communicated with our leadership that we believe this trip is crucial for us to be on. We are praying for God to speak to our hearts about what he wants for us and this potential work.

God Speaks:

We have continually asked God for direction and wisdom, from the minute we heard about overseas missions until now. He has faithfully brought us and kept us here, teaching us along the way that he is more interested in the process, the day-to-day becoming like Him, than the end result. In regards to our future ministry, he has simply and clearly told us, “WAIT.” We have no indication of our next steps, and are pursuing all avenues as we wait for him to lead. In the meantime, we are working diligently to reach the level of cultural and linguistic acquisition to move on to the next phase of Church Planting.

Family Life:

Overall, we have to give so many thanks to God. He is so amazing and gracious with us. We were just laughing the other day about how in the middle of a disagreement, we can just start laughing with each other and know that there is no tension. We praise God for the ways he has kept our marriage solid and fun through this all. Caden is great. He has officially transitioned to a big boy bed, and never stops talking, asking, and imagining. Child-training can sure be a challenge, but we couldn’t be more in love with this little guy.

Please Pray For:

1. Our NCLA to continue to progress at a consistent rate.
2. Our trips to be well-planned and prepared for AND for Caden to feel relaxed and have fun on them (long-journeys, camping in the middle of the bush…etc.)
3. Our future plans. Please pray that God gives us ears to hear him, and a heart like his, to know what and where it is he wants us to be.

Thank you Thank You!! Keep in touch!

tim_warner@ntm.org

facebook name: TimandKat Warner

Skype: timmyfwarner

Much Love,

Tim, Kat and Caden

This past few weeks have been full of desafios, or challenges. And events! Caden turned two years old, and we threw him a birthday party with all his friends. Our water tank has been empty on and off all month, so we have had to get our water from the office while we wait on the water company to fill up our tank. (Although God provided rain like crazy and we were able to capture a few big jugs worth of water coming off the roof!) Tim got a couple boils, one of which became infected and turned into a staph infection/absess, and just recently opened to leave a gaping  golf ball-size hole in his arm. Our worker’s little girl disappeared for a day, and then was found (safe and sound)  the next morning. And we were asked by Field Leadership to pray about moving into a certain work to be church planters. So…things have been a little heavy. Lots going on and lots to pray about. Kat will begin language sessions with a new helper today (answer to prayer, as her other helper moved away). And Tim continues to meet with his helper as well. We have decided to visit the boys (the orphans) at our pastor’s house every Friday. We continue to help lead the youth group on Tuesday nights and Kat is currently going through Proverbs with the girls on Thursdays.

Amidst all this, we know that the only thing giving us the ability to be here and stay strong as a couple and family is the Lord. We are praising him for the opportunities he is giving us and for the ways he has solidified our relationship with each other. He has also blessed us with friends here on our team, which goes a long way when you are submerged in another culture. There are stresses that you don’t even realize you are taking on because they are subtle, but they can wear on you. That is why we are so thankful for our friends and so eager to be those friends to our team/ other missionaries through out the day to day here.

Thank you to everyone who keeps us in your prayers. And for all the funny facebook comments! Follow us on facebook to see our latest pics of Caden’s party andevents.

Our past year in Mozambique has been the most challenging year yet for us. We have had experiences that we never could have if we had never come, and are different people because of it. God continues to show his grace and faithfulness to us in sustaining us and giving us strength.  The joy of the Lord is our strength!

We plan on spending the year of 2011 focused on 2 things:

1. Continuing with our National Culture and Language Study with the aim of reaching Capable High proficiency

2. Making several trips to visit existing works of NTM in various villages and possibly potential  villages where we could work to get a clearer picture of how our field is working right now and what it could look like for us.

With these goals in mind, we hope to gain some clarity on our next steps in ministry. Please pray for the funds to make these trips and maintain a working vehicle to get there and back!

We have stepped down from our teaching positions with Crossroads Academy to be able to devote more time and energy to NCLA. On that note, please pray for the School Staff and those taking over our positions, as this is still all new for them and they have a lot on their plates!

We have recently learned that a law has been passed to increase the fees for visas for those here working from other countries. So, as ours will be expiring in February, we will need to renew our entire family’s visas for 72,000 meticais. That is the equivalent of $2322.  Please pray for us as we try to organize this and that we would not become discouraged or frustrated with the expenses of living here.

We have continued to work with the youth here (missionary kids from all over the world) and Kat will be starting up her girls’ small group again in 2 weeks. It is a definite highlight of our week and a praise in our life! We are so blessed to be able to dive into God’s word and encourage these kids in their lives as they walk with God.

Caden is doing great, learning so many new words and phrases in English and Portuguese alike! We are potty training him and he is almost ready for a big-boy bed! We have so much fun. He will be turning 2 this month and we are having a party and building a giant “Offroading Truck” themed cake. Pictures to come.

We want to say how thankful we are to all who have supported us with donations, words of encouragement, and prayers. You have been God’s vessels to carry us through this year. May God bless you for your partnership in bringing his name to the lost.

Much love from Africa!

The Warners

Life in general seems to be more tiring here in Mozambique, and it’s hard to get through the day without lying down for a bit. However, we are happy to be back in our own home and to see our friends.  Caden is doing well. He thrived in South Africa seeing his cousins and being able to run around at a playground every day. We enjoyed our time and got to see some amazing places and experience awesome things like hiking Lion’s Head, Table Mountain and Cape Point in Cape Town, visiting the aquarium and museums, being along the beach and just visiting with family. We also took care of some all-too postponed medical appointments. Being out of Mozambique was a good time to rest our minds from Portuguese and have a nice change of scenery, as well as take advantage of the fresh milk, washing machines and dishwashers, clean parks and smooth roads.

Now we are back at home, decorating for the holidays and just getting back in the groove of life’s pace here. A good friend and colleague reminded us to give ourselves some time to readjust, and that no matter how long you have lived here, it is always a bit of a shock coming back.  

Right now, our plans are to continue to look to God and his word for each day and each step and each relationship. We want to live alive, and take advantage of every moment, even if that means giving ourselves the grace to rest. Or push through knowing God will provide rest at another moment. He is teaching us the importance of listening to his voice and the meaninglessness of life without that. He is challenging us to bring us closer to him, and showing us his grace along the way. One thing we are learning is that life’s journey is not black and white, God doesn’t work like us, and he cares for us more than we can understand. These are the things that will keep us going.

We hope you are all blessed this holiday season and can find time to reflect on whatever it is God is whispering into your lives.

Much love,

The Warners