Now That We’re HereDear Friends, In our last update, we told you we were preparing for our fourth home service and getting ready to leave the Philippines. We were packing, saying our goodbyes, celebrating Josiah’s graduation, and trying to finish well. Well… we made it. I think one of the reasons it has taken me so long to write this update is that I didn’t really know what to say. In April, we were preparing for a big transition. Now we are living right in the middle of it, and we are still trying to figure out what this season is supposed to look like. Adjustments are never easy, and this one has been a big one. We moved out of the house we had lived in for seven years—the longest our family has ever lived in one house. We sold and put our things in storage, found friends to dog sit for Bella, other friends to drive our car and motorcycle, left the Philippines, and came back to Tucson. Josiah graduated and started his own next chapter, which means that now only Luke is living at home. There has been a lot of change all at once. Starting Over… AgainOne of the strange things about missionary life is that you get really good at starting over, but that doesn’t mean it gets easier. You learn how to arrive somewhere new, figure out where to buy groceries, find a church, learn the roads, make friends, and establish a routine. Eventually, all those little things become normal. You know which grocery store you like, which shampoo you buy, where you go when you need something, and what your week looks like. Then you move again and realize how much you had built without even thinking about it. This time is a little different because Tucson is not unfamiliar to us. I grew up here. It has been home before. We have family here. We have memories here. We know our way around. But after 20 years of building a life in the Philippines, coming back to the US is still a transition. It feels a little like having one foot in one world and one foot in another. We are learning to give ourselves permission to adjust—to not have everything figured out yet. But at the same time, there is a little clock running in the background. This is a one-year home service, and four months of it are already gone. So we are trying to hold both things at the same time: giving ourselves time to settle while also making the most of the time God has given us here. What the Last Few Months Have Looked LikeOne of the first things we did on our way to the US was stop in Japan to spend a few days with Caleb. He is stationed at an Air Force base there, and it was such a gift to see him and get a glimpse into his life. We are thankful that he is doing well and really enjoys his job. He is also enjoying learning about Japan and the people there. It was fun to hear him already communicating with people in Japanese. We are thankful for the ways God is taking care of him so far from home. Once we arrived in Tucson, one of our biggest priorities was getting Luke settled into school. God provided a Christian school for him for 8th grade, and we are very thankful. He has adjusted well, is making friends, and seems to be enjoying it. He has also gotten into flag football, which has given him another way to meet people and get involved. Our church has been such a blessing and has embraced him right from the start, he was even able to join the summer camp and local missions week. Josiah has had quite a transition of his own. After graduating in May, he signed up to join the US Air Force and moved to Wyoming while waiting. It has taken a while, but he just heard that he got the job assignment he had been hoping and praying for! He will begin training in January, and we are so thankful to see this next step finally coming together. Josiah has grown up in the Philippines, so living in the US as an adult has been a whole new experience for him. We are excited to see how God continues to lead him in this next chapter. Gilmer has also started something he has wanted to do for years—he has begun working on his master’s degree. This has been a big step for him, and we are excited about what it will mean for the next season of ministry. Lord willing, as we return to Davao, we are looking toward a ministry where Gilmer will be teaching and we will both be partnering with the local seminary. There are still many details to work out, and we will share more about those plans in the coming updates. For now, though, the classes themselves have been quite an adjustment. Because we are in Tucson, his classes begin at 3:00 in the morning. Needless to say, trying to adjust to that schedule while also adjusting to life back in the US has not always been easy! But this is something Gilmer has wanted to do for a long time, and we are thankful that God has opened the door for him to begin. FamilyAnd for us, having family close by has been one of the sweetest parts of being back. We have been able to spend much more time with Nhaya, Jake, Addy, and Jesse. The grandkids are growing way too fast, and we are trying to enjoy every minute of this season with them. There is never a dull moment, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to be part of their everyday lives for a little while. It has also been really special to have time with Julie’s parents and other family members. After being so far away for so many years, being able to sit together, visit, share meals, and just be present for the ordinary moments has been a gift. Those are the things we know we will miss when we return to the Philippines, so we are trying not to take this season for granted. God has given us this time with family, and we want to make the most of it. God Has Been FaithfulAs we have walked through these past few months, we keep coming back to the things we have been praying about. Before we left the Philippines, we asked God for provision for this year—for a place to live, for Luke’s schooling, for transportation, for our family, for Caleb, for Josiah’s next steps, and for the many details that come with starting over. And one by one, we have watched God provide. He provided a home for us here in Tucson. He provided a Christian school for Luke. He has taken care of Caleb in Japan. He has now provided the job Josiah was waiting for and the opportunity for him to begin training in January. He has opened the door for Gilmer to begin the master’s program he has wanted to pursue for years. He has given us time with Nhaya, Jake, Addy, and Jesse. He has allowed us to reconnect with friends, churches, and many of our partners. These are not just things that happened to work out. They are the very things we have been praying about. And once again, God has been faithful to provide. We don’t always know what the answer will look like when we pray. Sometimes we don’t even know how God is going to work it out. But looking back over these past months, we can see His hand in so many of the details. That doesn’t mean everything is easy or that we have everything figured out. We don’t. We are still adjusting. We are still learning what this year is going to look like. We are still trying to figure out how to live with one foot here and one foot in the Philippines. But we are learning to trust God in the middle of it. Thank you for being patient with us as we have been a little quiet. Thank you for continuing to pray, even when you haven’t heard an update. And thank you for being part of our lives and ministry for all these years. After 20 years, we are still learning what it means to say yes to God one step at a time. And we are still thankful that we don’t have to know the whole road ahead. God does! | 
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