Furlough Fun -Written 1/18/16

(I just found this draft I wrote back in January and decided to post it late)

We are nearing the end of our first furlough/home assignment.  Its been a wonderful 2 months in the states.  Here are a few highlights from this trip.

1. The holidays-We got to spend Thanksgiving with my family in Mobile.  This was great, a much needed time to catch up with people we don't talk to nearly enough. We made great Christmas memories as well.  We had get-togethers with the grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and the kids got a bunch of high-quality American toys, yea! As long as they all fit in our luggage and get through security in the airport....

2. Church visits-We've been able to visit our supporting churches, IBC of Hattiesburg, The Korean Church of Hattiesburg, Grand Cane in Louisiana, and Luke 4:18 in Mobile.  These four bodies of believers continue to be such a blessing and encouragement to us.  We've connected with people in ways only the Holy Spirit can orchestrate, and feel such a peace about our future in Bolivia knowing so many brothers and sisters personally praying for us regularly.  We've had and still have other opportunities in the area to speak, and are so grateful for the opportunities to praise God for what He's doing in Cochabamba and preach the good news of the gospel.

The girls got to sing a song in Spanish for IBC in Hattiesburg.
3. Incredible Generosity- This has been demonstrated in so many different ways.  From extra Christmas gifts from family, a borrowed vehicle (HUGE blessing, Gale Nivens!), getting to house sit and have some down time as a family, staying with family far and wide (that in itself is so generous when you have three kids), free dental check ups,  donated luggage and so much more.  These are gifts we continually thank God for.

Saying goodbye to Kathryn and her kids in DC

4. Special people- This gets its own category.  There are many special people in our life, but seeing people in the US who have traveled to Bolivia to see us, there's a deep connection built.  We saw our friend Jhon get married (he stayed with us a few weeks last spring) tonight, saw Joey and met his wife, saw Brittany in DC, and even our friends the Farley's in Purcelleville.  And then seeing friends and family members who we know pray and support us with such love, we couldn't thank them in enough ways.  I am so grateful the Lord put them in our lives.

Jhon's Big Day! 
5. Vacation-We did one "fun" trip, three days at the Disney parks with their cousin Maddox and Seth's brother, Matt and our sister-in-law, Mandy. The kids had SO much fun and I feel pretty confident that will be our one and only family Disney trip. We also took a trip to DC, Seth's favorite place to visit in all of the US.  I love that so much there is free, and the history there is amazing.  I LOVED visiting Mount Vernon, and touring the capital building was really interesting as well.  Cruz loved the museums, and the girls had the most fun playing with my cousin Kathryn's kids at their house.  We will probably need another DC trip next time we visit...if we can manage that long drive again! 

6. Food/Fat-We might need a Biggest Loser of Cochabamba when we go back...its so hard to keep off the weight...1. When you return to the states for the holidays 2. You travel all the time.  3. People cook amazing food for you in their homes and you know you can't eat that in Bolivia.  So....let's just say the healthy, organic diet better work fast when we get back!  We want to fit into our clothes again :-( 

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