A lot has been going on since our last update. John, Millie, and Banner made it back to America just in time for Christmas! It was a joy beyond words to be together again—this being the longest we have ever been apart in our marriage. We were able to see lots of family and even squeeze in a few old Christmas traditions like going to Christmastown USA to see the lights. January was really a whirlwind of transition and decision making. We had to figure out the best school options for all the kids to keep them on track with their classes back in Ukarumpa (it gets complex when you want to start in the middle of the school year, leave after 6 months, and meet necessary accreditation!). Nori was still going to her therapy sessions 4 days a week, but also needed to start back with school. We also had the challenge of setting up the house with 4 different office locations so that everyone could have a quiet place to work. We are super thankful for our house at JAARS, but extra space is not its specialty.

As we settled into our new temporary routines, February brought even more changes. John has been continuing his work as manager over the Construction and Maintenance (CAM) department in PNG—trying to support them remotely in any way that he can. He has a weekly video call with his team, but most of his time is spent looking for parts, doing purchasing, tracking budgets, and answering a host of emails that flood in while he is sleeping. Millie has been doing a combination of online school and then regular homeschool classes with mom. She has also enjoyed joining a local art class for homeschool kids her age. Banner has been taking all his school credits this term with Liberty online which let him start all his courses mid-year. He is also attending two different youth groups each week, one at our church, New City, and one here at JAARS. Another big blessing for him this time back in America has been his volunteer job two mornings a week at the CAM department here at JAARS. It’s been great to see him joyfully enter in to this responsibility and all the manual labor!

February also brought changes for Nori. Her therapists cleared her to move to a twice a week program. We were thankful, because we have seen so much growth in her these past few months. We praise God every day to still have her here with us and are so thankful her new medications and counseling is going so well. Nori has even gotten a job hosting at a local restaurant. She is taking dual enrolment classes with Lee University and has been filling out the rest of her homeschool time with an assortment of other online classes ranging from driver’s ed. to medical terminology. Her biggest news, that came with much prayer, is that she will be graduating high school this May and we are taking steps toward college in the Fall! In fact, she is taking the SAT as I write this, so please be in prayer for her now. On one hand, it feels crazy to release her like this after all that we have been through, but on the other hand God has given us a peace that this is the road forward. More details on that coming soon!

With all these changes, what does that mean for our family in the months to come? We still feel God’s call on our lives to serve Bible translation in PNG… we just won’t be retuning all at the same time. John and Millie will be heading back at the end of May so that John can rejoin his team back in person before a number of his expat managers leave for furlough. In July, the daughter of some of our dear friends and colleagues from PNG is getting married here in NC. Kristi will be helping with the wedding and then on July 8th Banner will fly with that family back to PNG. This way he will return before the start of his sophomore school year. Kristi is currently planning to stay to get Nori settled into college in August and then follow everyone else back to PNG. Our hope is for Nori to be able to come visit us in PNG sometime this next year just so we can have the joy of seeing her and to help her say good-bye well to her home of the last decade.

We had to sneak this picture of a sweet moment between sisters <3

There are so many pieces to all of it. If we stop and consider them all, it’s overwhelming. However, it’s not our story, it’s God’s story and we are looking to Him. We continue to take great encouragement in what God has done and that bolters our faith for what we know He will do. I’ve been convicted about that this week. I (John) don’t usually lose sleep over anything really, but I had a sleepless night this last week as I thought about all of the work that I needed to do, and of the things in PNG and here that I couldn’t control. God spoke to me through the words of Jesus in Mark 8 the next morning. The disciples had just seen Jesus feed 5,000 (on the heels of Him also feeding 4,000…), but they were arguing with each other about having no bread in the boat. Jesus is rightfully frustrated that they “just don’t get it”. If you stop and think about the disciples, what was their job? What did Jesus actually expect from these guys that were his key people? I’m no theologian, but all I could come up with is two things: Follow Him and Trust Him. We are all going through different trials at the moment, but I am confident that in all of our situations God wants us to come to Him first and then trust Him in whatever happens next. I hope that this encourages you like it has encouraged me. Thanks for all of your prayers and support of our family! K&J

1 Unless the Lord builds a house,
    the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
    guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
    from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
    for God gives rest to his loved ones.

3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.

Psalm 127:1-3