Safe Arrival and Day One

Thank you for all of your prayers as we have arrived safely in Orlando. (It just took me a day to get some internet access)

As you can see from the photo, we are all quite excited to arrive in someplace warm and sunny in contrast to the cold and rainy State College that we left behind. But we have all arrived safely in Orlando and it is wonderful to be here.

One of the sweetest things of arriving has been getting to connect with many of our dear friends who serve here year after year. Those of us who have been down here in years past have developed friendships with many of the workers and eagerly anticipate seeing them. From John and Sandy Dillon to Marlin, George and Cathy it has been great to catch up with everyone and hear what God has been doing since we were last here. Please pray that we'd be able to encourage these friends of ours as we share life with him over the next few days and that they would encourage us as to their example of decades upon decades of the Lord's mercy shown to them.


Since this was also our first day much of the day was spent in orientation and touring the museum at Wycliffe. One of our tour guides, Christina (photo of the lady speaking), was actually a translator from Mexico who is back in the States. It was encouraging hearing about her work on languages even still here in North America that need the Word in their own native language. You can be praying that the Lord would enable Christina to be ready to return to the field soon and that He would provide her a coworker too in order to continue her work.

In 1 Thesselonians chapter 1 tonight we also got to discuss and learn from Paul about what it meant to encourage other believers and see the work of the Lord in the hearts of people who were enslaved to idols and rebellion. That's also the work we get to help as we assist translating the Bible into new languages for people around the world to hear the Lord and be transformed by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:5) like the Thesselonians several centuries ago! Please pray that this time in the Word would continue to encourage us all in the Lord!

Finally, it's been a great joy to get to serve. We've had a variety of projects from weeding and mulching to power washing and sealing cracks in the driveway for the RV park.

It's great getting to serve the Lord through service and you can continue to pray for us as we work. Many of us are in the sun which can be tiring and sun-burning (if that's a word). Plus three of us are demolishing a wall tomorrow (absolutely awesome job) so you can be praying for us as we swing sledge hammers in an active construction zone.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!