I remember as we prepared to leave Costa Rica for several weeks for the States at the beginning of January, I told myself, I wasn’t going to take much because I was going to bring back different foods that I was craving, like Amish peanut butter, apple butter, different cake mixes, spices etc. etc. So we all packed our suitcases “lite.”
I was looking forward to spending time with family. Since Christmas had just past, both families graciously waited to celebrate Christmas until we got arrived.
Our first Christmas was with the Hoover family. I gotta tell you, my niece and nephews are so cute! Living far away from them is sad for us because we miss them growing up. I remember how I felt living far away from my cousins, I missed them, but then when we were together it was a joyous reunion and one had to soak in every moment.
I was looking forward to spending time with family. Since Christmas had just past, both families graciously waited to celebrate Christmas until we got arrived.
Our first Christmas was with the Hoover family. I gotta tell you, my niece and nephews are so cute! Living far away from them is sad for us because we miss them growing up. I remember how I felt living far away from my cousins, I missed them, but then when we were together it was a joyous reunion and one had to soak in every moment.
After spending a week in PA, we traveled to OH. We had some speaking engagements awaiting us. We were also excited about seeing our Stauffer family. Since mom has passed away, walking into dad’s house always seems strange at first.
Our Christmas with our Stauffer family was planned at beautiful lodge. It was so relaxing. We had fun cooking, talking, playing games and just spending time together. Relaxing time was much needed.
It was during this time, our family started processing our furlough. We realized we were feeling worn out and needed some time of restoration. We arrived in the States fully anticipating we would return to Costa Rica in a couple of weeks. But after a lot of prayer and seeking counseling from friends, we felt the Lord telling us we were to stay longer than anticipated so that God could work in our hearts and so that we could return ready and continue the work He has set before us. This took some processing in our minds, but we knew we needed to obey our Heavenly Father. The word we’ve received from our Father is REST. For DeLynn and I, that’s a really hard thing for us to do. I almost think it’s something one has to learn how to do it! Especially, considering our ministry is one where each day is so different than the other and one never knows quite what to expect. That is fun and adventuresome but also can become very draining and tiring.
After talking with Gloria’s dad, we decided the best place for us to stay was in his basement. We decided it would be best for Carmelinda to finish the 5th grade at Shekinah Christian School, This the same school Gloria graduated from. Her mother also taught Spanish there many years. This is a picture of her first day of school, in her new uniform.
We are taking advantage of our time reading books, attending conferences, getting input from those with so much wisdom and just receiving prayer and support from friends and family and, of course, RESTING.
We have certainly had some fun times here. I gotta say though, that we’re all ready for the cold to go away! And we miss Costa Rica terribly! Pray for us as we continue through this time of transition. Keep praying also for the ministry, especially for Jed and Jaime Redcay as they take leadership over VidaNet.
