Praise the Lord, we just got word today that we have been recommended for our visas! So that means that we'll have a departure date set soon! So thanks for praying! We are excited. I'm nervous, though, because that begins to put finality to all of the things that have yet to be done! I'm not very good at prioritizing. So I need the Lord's strength.
It also brings finality to the emotional aspect of things. I was looking at pictures today on the computer and found some of C.J. and Hannah in Indonesia. It made me realize what a heart connection there is to that place, and kind of slapped me in the face with it. It's going to be hard to go back. But, I am trusting, very healing as well. Well, it's late so I'm going to sign off for now.

As we prepare to go back to Indonesia, God has brought Psalm 46:10 to my attention several times this past week, the last time being this morning. Okay, Lord, are you trying to tell me something? Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." I have such a hard time being still. Do you? Please tell me I'm not alone. I would much rather be in motion than be still. It's scary. I think I feel like if I'm actually still, either God or myself is going to discover something about me that I don't want to be discovered. Being still means to stop and pay attention to what's going on on the inside. It also means facing whatever's going on on the inside and coming in vulnerability to stand before the Lord. I think that's the hard part! I don't know about you, but being vulnerable is hard for me.
But being still isn't the end of it. The Lord also wants us to know that He is God. To let His truth soak into our being. To believe He is who he says He is. To accept His love for us. To acknowledge who He is. To rest in Him and in His love for us. To just let him be God. Anyway, that's what He's been speaking to me these past few days. It's so busy with details getting ready to go. I don't like details! But I know it will be worth it.
Ryan and I joined Dave at MAF's chapel on Wednesday morning to hear the team that went to Kalimantan to help with VBS for their Family Conference. They each shared and showed pictures and it was neat. It brought up a lot of emotion seeing pictures of Tarakan and telling Ryan, "That's where we're going!" and "Those kids are going to be your new friends!" So I've been a bit sad lately too as it really hits home that we're leaving friends here and going back to face our memories of Tarakan and Hannah's life there. But I was reminded in the video from Bible Study (We've been catching the end of Beth Moore's Fruit of the Spirit study) that on the other side of the pain God allows us to go through is a promise. I want to hold on for the promise!
PRAYER POINTS: You can pray for our visas to come through. All of MAF's visas in Indonesia have been put on hold. We would like to leave June 23, but we need God to release our visas. Thank you!