We Were Leaving On A Jet Plane - The Story of 2013

As we look back on our past year, it seems the words from the old song "I'm leaving, on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again" rang true for both of us this year.  The one thing that was different, is that Debbie spent more time on a plane than Karl!  But, we are glad to both be home for the next few weeks as we get our house ready to sell and make preparations to move to Colorado Springs.  

Around the World In A Few Pictures

This year we traveled to Malawi, Guatemala, Cambodia, Thailand and Uganda.  Here are some photos of our international ministry travels. 

Malawi 
Debbie took four trips to Malawi and Karl two.  Too much to say about all that happened, so the following pictures will have to suffice.

Njanda, Malawi, Community Center Celebration in April

Our Team in June

Debbie greeting a friend in Ntandile, Malawi.

Debbie, Gary & Cheryl Krueger and Cythia Croker in Malawi in September 

Guatemala
In May, Karl led a team to Guatemala to visit and capture on video some of the work being done by Global CHE Enterprises.  On the last day they visited several families that Global CHE had helped in the aftermath of the 2012 earthquake.  The mother of one of the families we visited expressed her gratitude for the help in rebuilding her home.  Her new home was so much better than her old one - afterall, it had cinder block walls and a concrete floor. She never imagined being able to live in such luxury.

The New Home in the Aftermath of the Earthquake

The Grateful Family in their New Home

Cambodia and Thailand
In July and August we spent two weeks in Cambodia and Thailand visiting ministries involved in helping to stop sex trafficking.  It was our first time in these two nations and we learned a lot about what God is doing in these Buddhist nations.

Residents of One of the Ministries We Visited in Cambodia

Mike and Nicole Zins and Debbie in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

It was great to visit with Mike and Nicole Zins, missionaries from Mission Community Church working with The HUG Project. 

Uganda
While Debbie was in Malawi, Karl went on his first assignment with Development Associates International (DAI) to Uganda.  In Uganda he joined the DAI Training Team as part of a week of training with the leadership of New Covenant Christian Centre - a ministry with over 100 churches in Uganda, Sudan, Kenya and Congo.

Karl with the DAI Uganda Training Team in Lira, Northern Uganda

 On A Personal Note

 

Because we didn't spend enough time on planes this year, we also traveled to Edmonton Canada twice to be with Karl's parents. 

Shoveling snow in Edmonton in March

Karl's Parents - 61 Years of Marriage!

One of the highlights of our year was to be able to go to California in August and attend a  concert at McCabes Guitar Shop of the "Trippin the Sixties" show and see our friends Barry and Mari McGuire.  

Debbie, Mari, Barry and Karl at McCabes Guitar Shop

 2014

On January 2, Karl starts his new job with DAI, and we will focus on getting our house ready for sale.  The international office for DAI is in Colorado Springs, so once our house sells, we'll be moving.  We'll certainly miss Donovan and Hyesun, the friends we've made over the years, and Debbie will miss her ceramics community, but we are looking forward to all that God has in store in the days ahead.  

We hope you too are looking forward to the coming year and hope that you will have a wonderful "slide" into 2014.