pointed east

Our car and brains are pointed to the East. Today we are visiting with Andy's brother's family. Tomorrow we'll be in the house we'll live in for the next year. We've had a wonderful summer visiting with friends and churches but we are so ready to unpack the van and settle into our home.

I have found in our missionary career that when the car is pointed for home, my stress really picks up. This seems opposite of what should be true. But when you are on the road you are not living a real life. There is no house to clean, meals to prepare or kids to get to school. Only laundry is our traveling companion.

Please pray for us in this next week as we settle in: to a new town, to a new church and to new friends. Pray as the girls begin school next Tuesday, September 5. Natalie is the most nervous about this new experience, but I'm sure Elissa feels it too.

We feel so blessed with the summer and all that God has done for us. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Living Out of a Suitcase

There's an old Phil Keaggy song that comes to mind right now. "Living out of a suitcase, Traveling on with the band from town to town." I have the Raatz version of that--it starts the same but ends "traveling on in the van from town to town."

We've been traveling since landing in America in June. We packed the car at my parents and left on July 6, and have been on the road ever since. It is great and it is awful.

I love meeting and reconnecting. The services have been great and it is so fun telling others about what we are doing in Moldova. We've reconnected with great friends. It is wonderful and painful. We have great moments with some really wonderful friends. And it is painful leaving these friends after a very short visit.

But we are also ready to unpack a very crowded van and settle into a house and routine for the year.

Please continue to keep us in prayer as we finish up this summer's travels. We'll end up back in Minnesota at the end of August and settle there for the year.

Thanks.