A Quick Note to Say “Hello, Thank You and Stay Tuned!”

We are in the midst of packing. We leave Togo June 3rd. We will head to Madison, Indiana for 3 weeks after which we will leave for Fort Wayne, Indiana to start an ER fellowship for one year. Please know we are both excited at the opportunity and a bit stressed as we start to pray about our future after the year.

What we do after the year is really dependent on a few things such as Nathanael’s speech, how our family is doing, and the direction HBB will take. As missionaries we have become champions of intentional discipleship not only in the

PAs and Nurses Fred has been teaching

Christian faith but also in education and business. Over the last 4 months (since the middle of Jan 2018) we have been able to participate in some very open and frank discussions about HBB concerning the paths that are available in going forward. The

fruits of the discussion have seen the primary responsibility of the medical clinic and hospital being transitioned from the doctors to the medical assistants, with the doctors playing more of a consultant/educator

Fred with the OB nurses

role. Not only that, the maternity ward/OB clinic responsibility has been transitioned from a high-risk service run by a doctor, to a low risk service run by nurses. The goal of the service is not to limit itself, but to build a strong foundation prior to becoming once again a high-risk service.

As we leave HBB, we leave in a better place than we did in July 2015. Back then we were burned out and confused, not knowing how to process our time in Togo. Today, we leave, healed and at peace with our time here and with no doubts, that we were where God wanted us for the last 5½ years. If we are confused it is in our next steps.

Topping this all off, HBB has asked us to come back as full-time missionaries. We can ask for no greater compliment then that. Thank you. And we are fervently praying about if God would have us to return to Togo at HBB.

Please know that we plan to continue our blog and newsletter over the next year as we consider our future. And that we are available, upon requests, to make a presentation and to participate in mission conferences. We are strong believers in the “missions movement” and would love to share our experience wherever and whenever.

To our prayer supporters:

we ask if you can continue to hold us up in prayer as we consider our future if it is to be at HBB or elsewhere;
we ask for your prayers for Nathanael, that he will continue to grow and that he will respond to speech therapy;
we ask for your prayers for the rest of the family as we transition to a new town, a new job and new schools;
And we ask for prayers for HBB as it continues to reflect on its future, and for the decisions that have to be made.

To our financial supporters:

Please know that we have job for a year and we are uncertain about what we will be doing after the year.
Please know that we do not need financial support while we are in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Thus it is OK to stop your support as of July 1^st, 2018.
If and when we decide to go back, we will approach you once again, with no expectations that you will give.
Please know that we are very grateful for your support over the last 5½ years . . . thank you.
Please know that our account at ABWE will continue to be open as we pray about our future. And that money given to the account can only be used for “mission trips” and “mission related work”.