Much has happened over the past couple of years!
I was thinking about our blog this morning and realized we never wrapped things up. So, we'll do that now!
From the time I was just 13 years of age I felt God tugging at my heart towards missions. In August of 1980 I answered God's call. I said yes! Ever since that time I have always thought I would serve as a missionary overseas for my entire life. That decision determined my steps through my undergraduate studies at Mt Vernon Nazarene University, through medical school at the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo and through my pediatric residency at The Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron. It determined who I married! And finally, it determined our steps as a family to our assignment in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. It has been an amazing adventure and God has been faithful all along the way! We have no regrets for the years of service there! We feel blessed to have had the privilege!
A few years ago we, both Jeff and I, began feeling an increased yearning and need to return to the US in order to be available to our families. We believe God placed that yearning in our hearts and gradually prepared us for this change. We turned in our letter of resignation as Global Missionaries with the Nazarene Church in January 2022. We were both excited and heart broken. We were excited to return to the US and be near our family and see what God has for us here and heart broken at the prospect of saying goodbye to our friends, missionary family and home in PNG. We held tightly, and still do, to the promise that God is always with us and has a plan for us! He is faithful!
We began our service as missionaries for the Nazarene Church on Jan 1, 2001 and completed our service on Dec 31, 2022 thus a full 22 years. God has been so faithful! The adjustment to life in the US has been gradual and is not yet complete. The process of grieving the loss of our life in and call to PNG isn't over. But, again, God is faithful!
We each have a vehicle to drive and have begun employment. We are looking for a house. We are renewing old acquaintances and making new friends. It's a process and we are constantly reminding ourselves that it takes time and...God is faithful!
Thank you to those who have been praying for us and who have loved and supported us over the years! None of us are intended to travel this journey alone. We are grateful to each of you and to our Faithful Father for traveling with us!
Please continue to support the work in Papua New Guinea through your prayers and giving! And please remember us in your prayers as the Lord brings us to your minds!
Blessings!
Jeffrey and Susan
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