Furlough

You know your furlough was good when you are excited to get back home but not desperately so. That means your church visits went well, (great, actually!) your time with family was fulfilling and good, and you saw most, if not all, of the people who you've come to rely on as sources of encouragement for the work you are doing.

My interview/report to the Springtown church of Christ

In terms of the work-related part of this furlough, it was hands-down the best I've ever had. I got to know the leaders and members of my two supporting churches on a whole different level than on previous trips, and I got to share about the exciting things that God is doing in Natal, which is my favorite part of church visits! In terms of the personal part, this trip came in second to the trip I took last year for reasons that should be obvious to all who know me. :)

Gathering with a group from Westover Hills church of Christ
in Austin

At the end of my trip I was so ready to get home to Natal. Not because I was tired, because I was exceptionally well-rested (which, for those of you who know what furlough entails, is unusual.) Not because I so desperately missed my Brazilian family, because I face furlough as a positive and necessary break that contributes to the future well-being of my ministry. But, because after such a great visit, the only plausible next step was to get home and channel all of the encouragement, prayers, and new ideas into kicking off another wonderful year. And that's exactly what has happened! I have never been as ready to get back as I was this time, and it made me realize all over again how thrilled I am that God brought me to this place and continues to show me why.

Up next: a post about how great it was to get back in the groove of my Monday night English class!

Running in to one of our LST readers on the streets of NYC! What a coincidence!