Our Family, Spring 2020

Our sons are now young adults, so maybe this should be an “extended family” update at this point in our lives. Yet over the years you have been part of seeing our sons become who they are today, so we wanted to include an update on all four of us.

Kaleb is a master at zoom as he now attends college classes, leads Jr High Bible studies and youth group, and continues his internship online. It’s been a huge change for him, as it is for all of us. He is thankful that so many things can actually be done online. Kaleb is also still free to do some street and park BMX within the confines of social distancing and is also doing some video work remotely. The biggest challenge for him has been to stay motivated without the personal interactions and normal demands of life. Yet he is rising to the challenge and moving forward during this time, learning in his classes and reaching out to those he is discipling.

Kevin is thankful to be in Manitoba and done with his 14 days of self-isolation after his time in Calgary. He is staying busy with training and thankful for the opportunity to focus on his strength and conditioning. It is good for him to be close to extended family and in the country instead of the city during this time. Kevin continues to move forward in his badminton training and looks forward to getting back to competition. His biggest challenge these days is the huge change in interaction, from intense interaction while coaching many hours a day to very limited interaction. Yet he is rising to the challenge and filling his mind with great books and reaching out online.

Garry is working hard these days with the rest of the leadership team as they seek God for how to invest well in our students and staff during this quarantine time. He is getting his fill of Zoom meetings, but thankful for some extra time to catch up on some projects and make plans for moving forward effectively in safety. His passion is to see us invest this time in furthering the reach of the Gospel, in our own lives and in the lives around us. Garry sees this as an opportunity to refocus on why we are doing what we do and how we can be most effective at knowing, loving, and serving God.

I am also staying busy with various projects and connections and a bit of studying. It’s been good to set aside some extra time to reflect, pray, and study. I love God’s ability to redeem all things and I know redemption is His plan for this time. May we choose Him first and may our lives overflow with Him—loving and serving one another because we love God.

What's up with our family?

It's getting complicated, this writing about our family. Twenty years ago there was one thread to report. Ten years ago there was a bit more individuality, but our story was still one. Now we are living three unique stories, and only one of them belongs to Garry and I to share. Yet so many of you are invested in the stories our sons are living that it matters to share at least a bit. In fact, despite the physical distance that has nearly always existed between you and us, you are our people. You are the ones who have followed us around the world and prayed us through so many things. You are our community, despite seldom being local. So here goes a recap that has me imagining my side of the conversation with you sitting across the table from me.

Garry and I are loving this stage of life and working together in new ways. Our current project of organizing seminars and audits is not our primary sweet spot, but it's part of what keeps us in our sweet spot. We are continually challenged by the Gospel and its impact on lives. We are increasingly challenged to invest in the next generation and their capacity and passion to live and share the Gospel. We love how mission aviation is part of bringing the Gospel to isolated people groups, be that geographical, political, or community-related isolation. We love the fact that we continually have opportunity to share what God is doing in our lives and around us. We love encouraging young people to follow hard after Jesus. And besides our more serious pursuits we are enjoying settling back into our home in Spokane-- walking trails, local coffee shops, and pretty drives. Garry is getting back to building and I'm enjoying writing. And most days we can't believe we actually get to do this.

Kevin has been blessed to pursue his calling in badminton as he trains and coaches. He has had some great opportunities to both live and share the Gospel in a very unique setting. His grit to keep on despite challenges has been encouraging. God has provided sponsorships to allow him to train effectively: strength and conditioning training (Sweaty), physical therapy (Dynamic), and on-court training (Gao Badminton). He is coaching many hours to cover living expenses and depending mainly on donations for competition expenses. It's fun to see his walk of faith in this season.

Kaleb is enjoying the unique opportunity to study at a school that is in its infancy (Great Northern University), a place where he sees his professors constantly choosing faith in uncommon ways. He loves learning and engages us in great conversations many evenings. He is also investing in youth at church and being mentored by a youth pastor. Weekends often find him at the skate park where he has opportunity to share light in a dark place.

That's us. What is up with you family? Drop us a line and let us know!

Beginning 2020

January 1, 2020 marked a new day, a new year, a new month, and a new decade. As I reflected on so many new beginnings I was humbled by all that God has done in each time-frame. Following are some of my reflections…

Day: December 31 was a day of goodbyes as Kevin and Kaleb left for Calgary and we began another series of “finals” in Manitoba. We are so thankful for the gift of Christmas as a family in 2019. After saying goodbye, we joined an amazing group with whom we welcomed the new year—thanks BCC and the small group that’s welcomed us during our time in Manitoba. January 1, 2020 was the day we started packing to head back to Spokane, a new beginning as we closed up shop in Manitoba and anticipated returning to Spokane, Washington.

Month: December was a busy, fun month of meeting with family and friends in Manitoba. It marked the end of our six months in Manitoba, and we packed it full of people we love. We enjoyed time with many of our friends, family, and supporters, yet we ended the month with the realization that we were not able to see everyone. As we began January, we did so with anticipation of our return to Spokane and investing in what God is doing there. We were looking forward to seeing many friends and some family in Spokane, the local part of the team we serve with in mission aviation.

Year: At the beginning of 2019 we had no idea what the year would hold, and we look back at all God has done with more than a touch of wonder. We ended 2019 with a sense that we had explored many things and found new passion for what God has called us to. Our vision to see the Gospel shared around the world, to see the next generation passionately following Jesus, and to invest in mission aviation as our small part of reaching the unreached grew in 2019. This growing vision was fueled by our time with many of you as well as by our travels across North America, Mexico, and Brazil. What a blessing to be refreshed in what God has called us to! The things God was doing in 2019 fueled a deep anticipation as we began 2020 asking God how He intends to use and lead us this year.

Decade: We started 2010 in the Philippines, relatively newly arrived on the second island where we would serve. Kevin was 14 and still recovering from a serious bout with dengue fever. Kaleb was a grade school guy just getting interested in animation. And wow, how things have changed in one short decade! Now we have two grown sons who are following God in the path He has laid out for them. We are no longer homeschooling or parenting kids or teenagers. We no longer live overseas, but the people we were just getting to know a decade ago are now among our best friends. We’ve lived in seven houses in three countries over the past ten years, and Kevin has his own numbers adding up now. We’ve grown a new passion and greater understanding of the next generation and the call God has on their lives to carry the Gospel around the world and into the future. 

All this reflecting makes me wonder what God will do in the next days, months, years, and decade. Truly, every day is a new and good adventure with Him!