So I’m sitting here waiting for our bank and the airline we’re hoping to fly on to Jakarta to sort out the purchase I tried to make. Granted, five international tickets is much larger than our typical credit card transaction, but I have to admit it was more than a bit anticlimactic after multiple error… Continue reading Who Gets the Last Laugh?
Category: Change
Some Good News!
To be honest, the past week or two has been hard. We’re settled into our temporary digs in Arizona again. It’s nice to be back in somewhat familiar territory and close to family. But to be honest, the wear of constantly having to figure out our next living arrangement so we don’t lock ourselves into… Continue reading Some Good News!
Back in Phoenix
Two months almost to the day after leaving Phoenix for the Pacific Northwest, we’re back in Phoenix through the end of December. We made the roughly 1600 mile trek over the course of a week. In Santa Barbara we were able to connect with friends from our nearly 11 years living in the area, as… Continue reading Back in Phoenix
Visiting ‘Home’
Yesterday we were blessed to worship with my former congregation, Emanuel Lutheran in Santa Barbara, CA. I admit it felt a little strange to be in the pew instead of at the altar, but what a wonderful time it was to say hi to old friends and give them a first-hand update of what has… Continue reading Visiting ‘Home’
Shifting Sands
News reports indicate Indonesia is adjusting foreign visitor quarantine requirements in light of the newly discovered Omicron Covid variant. What was a three-day quarantine period for a short period earlier this month is being expanded to a seven-day quarantine. It is still possible to enter the country (at least from the US. Citizens of countries… Continue reading Shifting Sands
A Promising Start!
This afternoon we had a Zoom meeting with the owner of a language school in Medan. This school was utilized by the Woods when they deployed to Medan a couple of years ago and comes well-recommended. The owner outlined the process we’ll go through to be admitted to Indonesia on a short-term basis. Visitor visas… Continue reading A Promising Start!
Starting the Process
We have a path forward – trying to secure tourist visas to Indonesia for the first of the year. How do you start down such a path, though? We know one other LCMS family that has deployed there (and hopes to again in short order) but they have a work visa, something that isn’t an… Continue reading Starting the Process
A Path Forward
Thanks to a great conversation with the Regional Director for Southeast Asia (now my boss) this morning, we have a roadmap and timeline of how to proceed. For the first time since June and our physical departure from the place we called home for 11 years, we feel like we can begin tangible planning for… Continue reading A Path Forward
Book Review (Partial) – Healthy Resilient & Effective in Cross Cultural Ministry
Healthy Resilient & Effective in Cross Cultural Ministry by Laura Mae Gardner, D.Min I call this a partial review for two reasons. The first is the copy I was gifted from long-term overseas Bible translators is a pre-release copy that only has the first eight chapters – roughly the first half of the book. Secondly, I… Continue reading Book Review (Partial) – Healthy Resilient & Effective in Cross Cultural Ministry
Experienced & Encouraging!
A blessing in our work is talking with others who have experienced living and working overseas, particularly in the service of Christ and the Church. Gena attended a small Lutheran Bible college (no longer existing) in Washington state for her Associate’s degree in Biblical Studies. There she made friends with a young woman also starting… Continue reading Experienced & Encouraging!
The Nelson Family Indonesia 