For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:16-17‬ ‭ESV‬

Our first round of PCR Covid test results didn’t come in time for us to depart Knoxville when we planned on Tuesday. We had to have another round of tests, and received one positive and seven negative, ending our plans to leave Thursday or Saturday. Our individual who tested positive has had no symptoms recently.

To say we’re disappointed is an understatement. But we can’t overstate how lavishly God has poured His peace into our hearts. We will try again after ten days. We also will need to book a transit room in Singapore and perhaps Port Moresby, as well as working with our aviation department in Ukarumpa to pick us up.

Please pray with us for our friends overseas who have also put a lot of hope and planning into our arrival.

Please pray for us to have joy and motivation as we isolate, dig the homeschool books out of our suitcases, and get started on life again, but still staying mostly packed. It feels like we’re a rusty old car that’s just stalled, died, and is rolling backwards. But here we go, believing in His truth and promises and looking forward. He’s given us many reasons to rejoice in thanksgiving and to move forward in hope.

Please pray for our entire family’s hearts and spiritual growth at this time. He is good and His sovereignty is not limited by any rules or mistakes or circumstances, no matter what we feel. We are all (children and adults) dreading another round of the PCR tests, as this last round was quite painful to experience and quite agonizing to watch each other experience. We place our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health in God’s hands, with much gratitude, but our flesh is weak.

And please pray for ALL the logistics of our travel back to PNG to work out effectively this next time.

More than anything, pray we’ll have the strength and focus to keep giving God glory in our lives, to not waste a single moment together, and to live fully in His purposes for us.

Thank you to everyone who wrote letters to the Mamusi translators! We’re so excited to hand those off to them sometime in the future.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts, friends. We love being on your team.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:6-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬