In way of an update...we've had a great holiday season with our family in Colorado.  Mimi and I are back in the frozen tundra of Minnesota.  Over our time in CO we gained five new financial partners!  We have five others who have committed to start giving soon.  It would seem that in spite of ourselves we will be able to deploy to Benkadi some time in the Spring.

I've been thinking about how blessed we are.  Let me recount some of the blessings.  First, my brother Greg and his wife Cheryl have put a roof over our heads since last August.  This is HUGE.  On our starting level of support we could not have met financial obligations and paid for an apartment.  Second, being with my brother and his business has given me an out to use some of my manual skills.  That might not seem like much but my sanity is dependent upon getting out and doing some physical work.  I count it a huge blessing.  Third,  people and churches continue to express an interest in projecting us into Journey Corps in general and Benkadi in specific.  So many of these partnerships have been...heaven sent.  There is definitely nothing special about Phil and Mimi.  People must be drawn because God is doing something in them and us.  Another Blessing!  Fourthly,  our kids and grandkids are in walks with the Lord.  This one factor makes us feel free to be able to deploy far away from them.  We would be reticent to do that without their walks with the Lord and with their blessings on our work overseas.

Finally...and certainly not least is a wife who doesn't just accept this path we're walking but actually fully endorses it.  This is not to say she doesn't have her moments of doubt.  Mimi first endorsed our life in an RV for 4 years as we did mission coaching.  Before that it was Rwanda for 14 years.  Without that support how could I move ahead.  Yes...she is my crowning blessings from the Lord.  I can't name another woman who has, is and will walk the life we have together.

Got Blessings?  Yup...got'em...got the T shirt to prove it.