Catching up and counting down the days to return to Mozambique

12 April 2012

Ahh!!  Spring is on the way!  The signs are all around us.  The weather is warming up and the grass is growing and needs to be mowed now and all the daffodils are blooming.  Just the other day we even saw two newts.  They are very interesting creatures.  I don’t think I have seen a newt before.

Avon Park Holiness Camp Meetings in Florida

            I see that we haven’t written in awhile.  As you can guess, we have been busy.  As I look at our calendar there aren’t many open spaces left.  Since our last blog we have been to Florida and back.  Our time at the Avon Park camp meetings was so beneficial spiritually and physically.  The speakers were inspiring and the fellowship was warm.  We were so blessed.  We spent a few extra days there enjoying some time off.

DCC Men's Bible Study group: Breakfast at Weils

            Once we returned to Washington State we were involved in a mission conference in Oak Harbor where we were in charge of the kid’s program and Susan was the speaker at the ladies’ luncheon.  We have been able to stay in Sequim a few weeks and enjoyed some overnight company as well as having friends over for meals.  So far we have had 100 people in our home for a meal or an overnight stay.  Larry invited his Bible study group over for a pancake breakfast.  There were 21 men!  It took lots of work but we had a great time. 

Sequim Bible Church Worship Team

            We have had dental appointments, joined the choir at church for Easter and even were part of a quartet that shared a special number at our home church.  It has been great to be at our home church for three Sundays in March.  We shared at all three of the services on Sunday, March 25^th at our home church in Sequim. 

            The third weekend of March we went to eastern WA to spend the weekend with Larry’s family and share in his home town community.  The weather has been very strange lately and we praise the Lord that we had clear passes as we traveled over the mountains.  The passes were good the day we traveled and the day we traveled back but the passes were actually closed right before our trip and the day after we got back home.

            We spent the first Sunday in April at Susan’s home church in Chilliwack, B.C. and were able to say goodbye to most of the family up there.  Larry had a very bad cold and could barely speak so it was a bit of a struggle, but he managed to speak on Sunday and Monday night too. 

Easter morning with friends and their girls

            Easter was a glorious weekend of celebrating Christ’s resurrection.  Our church put on an amazing display of Christ’s last days on the earth.  It was a sober reminder of His great sacrifice.  Sunday morning we joined the choir to present some beautiful numbers.  We had friends from the Seattle area visiting us with their four girls.  Our house was full of laughter and activities.

            Larry has been extremely busy working on the CAM yearbook getting it printed here and it is now in the mail.  We pray it will arrive in South Africa before the end of school so it can be distributed to all the CAM students and teachers.  

boxing and wrapping the library books for shipment

He also has been working on a huge shipment of library books that were donated to CAM by our librarian friend, Nancy Hesch.  They are going by surface so it will take several months to arrive in Maputo.

            We are three weeks away from our projected return time.  Our support is coming in and we are close to our goal.  We are so thankful for our supporters.  We are so blessed to have so many partner with us in the ministry in Mozambique. 

            We have one more trip to take before heading to Toronto, ON to say goodbye to Susan’s dad.  We are flying to New Mexico to speak at a supporting church in Red River this Sunday and then will fly to California to visit dear friends before heading back to Sequim to do our final packing. 

            We thank the Lord for an amazing home assignment time.  He has provided for all our needs through so many of our supporters.  We are so blessed and pray that our next term (our fourth) will be Spirit-filled and that we will serve the Lord with all our hearts, soul and strength.

            Our next blog update will be sent from Mozambique, Lord willing.

January update

22 January 2012

This past week Larry and I were stuck at home along with many other Western Washington people as the worst winter storm in years blasted through.  We received about 6 inches of snow with lots of cold air and it was nice to be safe and warm inside our home.  

 We were so fortunate that we did not have to be on the road last week and were able to travel to Seattle on Saturday to meet a new family interested in missions overseas.

Katie, Alisa, Mark, Libby, Nathan, Paul, Susan, Larry

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years with my family in Canada.  We traveled to British Columbia on Christmas Eve and spent time with both my brothers.  My father flew over from Ontario and we did all kinds of fun family things together – Christmas brunch with the traditional cinnamon roll wreath, going to Stanley Park to see the amazing lights, an Indian meal out and we even watched a movie together.  It was great to be together.  We even traveled to see more family in Chilliwack and visited my 5^th grade teacher (from India).

We traveled back to Sequim on January 2^nd and have been keeping busy here.  If you peek in our front window in the mornings you will see Larry and I “Walking for Weight loss and so much more.” Yes, we have officially put on the furlough obligatory bulge and need to walk it off.  We are hoping to get back in shape before we head back to Mozambique. 

Miss Salmon, Susan's 5th grade teacher in India

We have been inviting friends over for a meal and it has been great to reconnect. Our Sundays are scheduled at various churches and we have enjoyed sharing about the ministries in Mozambique.  We are blessed to have such faithful supporters in prayer and finances. 

We shared at local churches the past two weeks in Sequim.  The last weekend in January, we will be traveling back to Vancouver, B.C. to represent One Mission Society at Mission Fest.  We look forward to being with other OMS missionaries.  Pray that the many people who visit the different mission booths will be encouraged to serve the Lord in missions. 

As soon as we return to Sequim, we will do the laundry and pack the bags for warmer weather and head to Florida.  Yea!!  We will be participating in the camp meetings at Avon Park, Florida.  That will end on the 12^th and we will take a few days of vacation before we head back to Sequim. 

We appreciate your prayers as we prepare for all these meetings at the various churches.  We pray that we will be able to share our hearts effectively and encourage those who have been supporting the ministries in Mozambique. 

God Bless,

Larry & Susan

Merry Christmas!

December 21, 2011

Susan, Larry, cousin Susie, Aunt Donna, Kathy (Larry's sister)

Since our last entry we have had quite a schedule.  We spent the month of November traveling and seeing many friends and family.  It was a busy, but wonderful time.  We are so enjoying our beautiful car and are so thankful for a special car dealer friend who made us a deal we could not refuse. 



Larry, cousin Shannon, Aunt Clara, Uncle Vic, Jeff

Our travels first took us to eastern Washington where we spent time with Larry’s sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Dale.  Their exciting news shortly after we left was that they became grandparents for the first time.  They are looking forward to meeting their new granddaughter at Christmas.  During our time in eastern WA we visited with others from Larry’s family – two aunts, an uncle, and cousins, some we haven’t seen in years.  We took a short trip to Idaho to see Larry’s step-father.  During this time we spoke at a church that Larry’s family attended when he was young and spent time with special friends.



Larry and Walter (Larry's step-father)

On the way back to the coast, we were able to visit another cousin of Larry’s who has been going through treatment for cancer.  We had a good time of fellowship and were glad to see how God is healing her.  We enjoyed spending a couple of nights with friends before traveling up to visit my roommate from university days. 

Tina and Susan

People have always thought Tina and I were sisters and even after being apart for many years, we seem to continue to look like each other.  We had a good time catching up with Tina and husband Dan before traveling up to British Columbia to visit the Canadian side of the family. 

We spent a night with my brother Mark and his family in Richmond before heading to Chilliwack for a big family get together to celebrate an aunt’s birthday.  Everyone was there except for one of my cousins and her family.  It is amazing how much all the cousins’ kids have grown.  We worshiped at my home church and we will share about the work in Mozambique in April.

Reading to Drew and Isaiah (niece Kari's kids)

With Drew, Isaiah and Kate (niece Kari's kids)

We made a quick trip back to Sequim to do laundry and regroup for the next trip which was to Oregon.  This time we spent time with Larry’s brother Jim and his wife Diane.  We celebrated Thanksgiving with a niece and her family and a nephew along with Jim and Diane.  It was delicious food and wonderful company.  While we were in Oregon we took a trip to Florence a coastal town and met with a dear friend who has been in Mozambique twice working on the library at CAM.  We picked up several boxes of books for CAM.  We spent time meeting with friends in the area and ended our time speaking at a supporting church in Portland. 

With Nancy Hesch in Florence, OR

Enjoying the view on the Oregon Coast

We were so glad to get back to Sequim to a slower schedule with time to be “normal” for a bit.  We have spent the last couple of weeks getting our Christmas letter out to family and friends, baking, decorating the tree and having friends over for meals.  We have been a part of our home church worship team and enjoyed attending a lovely Christmas program as well as a church party. 

 

Susan sharing at the Ladies' Christmas Tea

Larry sharing at Rotary Club

I was invited to be the speaker at the ladies’ Christmas tea.  The topic was God’s Ultimate Gift.  Larry was the guest speaker at his old Rotary Club last week.  He enjoyed connecting with friends and meeting some new ones. 

Our Christmas Tree in Sequim

We are looking forward to spending time with family in British Columbia, Canada.  We will travel up on Christmas Eve and Susan’s father will fly from Ontario on the 26^th to spend time with the family. 

We thank the Lord for safe travels and relatively good health.  We look forward to the New Year and all the Lord is going to do.  We are amazed and blessed by all that God is doing in our lives.  Thank you for your prayers and friendship.  We serve a great God.

Merry Christmas!

Larry & Susan

Finaly arrived in Sequim, WA

November 5, 2011

Our first Sequim Sunrise

After spending two weeks in Ontario and two weeks in Indiana, we have finally reached Sequim, WA, our home for the next six months.  We will be at different churches during the weekends, but during the week we will be staying in our beautiful house in Sequim.  We so appreciate Bill and Nancy, friends and supporters of ours who are allowing us to stay here.  Our friends at Sequim Bible Church filled our pantry with all kinds of food and gave us gift certificates to the local grocery stores to buy other items we will need.  Thanks so much to all of you.  We are feeling spoiled.

Deer in our yard

front of our home in Sequim

Mike, Mayla, Sarah, Simon & Gabriel Thiessen

We need to back up and let you know what we have been up to since the last blog.  Of course, we had a restful time at the mansion in Ontario.  On our way back to Susan’s father’s place, we took a detour to visit Mike and Sarah Thiessen and to get caught up with what’s been happening in their lives.  They were the family that was in Mozambique for 9 months when their 2 ½ year old son Gabriel was diagnosed with cancer and they had to return to Canada.  We are glad to report that Gabriel (now five years old) has been cancer free and is doing well.  Mike is the pastor of a growing church and though they miss Mozambique, they are settling into life in Canada.  It was very special to see them.

Laura & Steve Kuhn & Mikayla

One of the highlights of being back in the U.S. and Canada are all the people we get to see.  A special treat is seeing people that were missionaries in Mozambique.  Steve and Laura Kuhn were in Mozambique for a year and we were able to attend the dedication of their daughter Mikayla.

We were able to spend a week with Susan’s father and wife Anne, and enjoyed some great meals together which included Thanksgiving with Anne’s family.  It was delicious turkey and ham with all the traditional trimmings. 

We left Ontario and flew to Indiana and were there for debriefing interviews with staff at OMS headquarters and also had our medical check-ups.  I guess they need to make sure that we are mentally and physically able to continue on.  We passed!!

Glenn (Tom) & Kris Berryman

While we were in Indiana we had dinner with Glenn and Kris Berryman, former missionaries in Mozambique.  We even were able to drive to Kentucky and spend a wonderful weekend with three couples who were missionaries in Mozambique.  One of those couples was Don and Aleta Hulsey who are on their home assignment time for a year.  We heard Don and Aleta share at the church we attended that Sunday.  It was a wonderful weekend.  We also spent time with Becca (Pullin) who had served in Mozambique and her husband, Joey.  They are funding to be missionaries in Mexico.

Larry & Susan, Martin & Susan Brooks, Kevin & Mindy Beck, Aleta & Don Hulsey

During our time in Greenwood, Larry spent many, many hours working on our DVD of the ministries in Mozambique.  We shared in chapel at headquarters and then were featured at a mission’s conference in Terre Haute. 

Now we are car shopping and getting settled into life here.  We were busy last weekend at a mission’s conference at a supporting church in Port Angeles.  It was close enough to us that we could drive there from our home. 

We leave for three weeks this Thursday (Nov 10th) to Eastern Washington and Idaho where we'll visit Larry's Sister, Kathy and Dale Countryman, and his step-father in Coeur d'Alene, ID.  We'll be sharing in Lamont, WA on the 13th in Larry's childhood home church.  The next weekend we will be in Chilliwack, BC and we will be visiting family there and heading to Salem, OR for American Thanksgiving. 

Now we are scheduling meetings and getting involved in different church activities. We need your prayers as we continue to travel and present the ministries in Mozambique. Pray for our team back in Mozambique as they continue to minister in Mozambique.

At a Wayside Chapel in Canada

in Him,
Larry & Susan

Susan with her Dad, Nathan and Anne

Larry with a couple furry friends..getting our "cat fix"

Larry reading story to Mayla Thiessen

Larry and Sarah Thiessen horseback riding

Arrived in Canada

30 September 2011

It is a blustery, rainy day and we are in a “cottage” surrounded by a forest on the shore of Lake Huron in Canada.  Actually, the cottage is a mansion with five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a huge A-frame living area.  Just beautiful.  The perfect place to rest and refresh ourselves.

at the "Cottage" on the Bruce Peninsula, ON, Canada

 It is already a month since our last blog update and we are miles away from Mozambique, resting and regaining energy as we prepare for our home assignment in Canada and the U.S.  We left Mozambique on the 25^th of September with two bags and four carry-on bags.  We had the best trip ever with all our flights on time and connections smooth.  Our luggage arrived safely and the customs agents didn’t blink an eye at our fully stamped passports.  Susan’s father was at the airport to pick us up and after one night at his place, we were on our way north to spend five days at the cottage for some R & R.

the completed bathroom block at CAM school

 Now backing up a bit, we had an incredibly busy September.  Every day we were able to see more and more completed at the new CAM and the students and teachers settling in.  The transportation to the school changed a bit and now we have two mini-busses and one large bus that pick up the students and teachers and bring them to school and take them home.

CAM Dedication: flag presentation by CAM students

 A highlight at CAM a week before we left was the 15^th year anniversary and dedication of CAM.  We were privileged to have Claude and Marilynn Meyers, the founders of CAM, join us as the special guests and speaker for the day.  What a blessing to hear the history of CAM and how God provided in miraculous ways right from the beginning when CAM was just a dream.  Now CAM has gone through another amazing event of moving to a new location.  God blessed us with Melvin Kelly who was our construction engineer and his wonderful crew of Mozambican workers who worked to finish the school in record time.  Teachers, students, and all the construction crew worked so hard to get everything ready for school to open.  We know God has great plans for CAM and for the families it is touching and will touch in the future. 

L/R: Melvin Kelly, Gary & Diane Gray, Larry, Marilynn and Claude Meyers

 We continued to work alongside of Gary and Diane Gray, preparing them for our departure.  We are so thankful to the Lord for their willingness to take our spots and be a part of the OMS team in Mozambique.  We were able to leave knowing that things would be in good hands. 

Packing and having to say goodbye to Felix

It was good to finally get things organized in our own house.  We moved the third week in July, but had boxes that still needed to be unpacked in September.  Slowly but surely we were able to get most everything unpacked or stored in one of the rooms in our house.  We even got some things hung on the walls too.  Just as we were getting settled in our house, we then had to get things packed to take to the States.  What to take, what to give away and what to leave behind was filling our minds as we packed to leave.  

OMS team farewell dinner for us

We look forward to our time in the U.S. and Canada.  We are getting our schedule organized and so far we will be in Canada until October 12^th when we head to OMS headquarters in Indiana.  We have meetings and physicals scheduled in the first week.  The weekend of October 21^st – 23^rd we will be a part of the mission’s conference at World Gospel Church.  We fly to Washington State on the 25^th and will spend the next week settling in our home in Sequim and finding a car. 

 We are working on our speaking schedule and when we have things firmed up we will post the dates on our blog.  Thanks for your prayers.  We hope to see as many of you as possible.  Our email will remain the same so you can contact us through that.

God bless,

Larry & Susan

CAM is moved and running

29 August 2011

I promised to update our blog after we moved and I never imagined that it would be such a busy time of moving and how long it would take to really get settled.

Moving into our new duplex apartment on the OMS Compound

More of moving in

Unpacking the 92 boxes of A Beka curriculum

We moved to our new home on the mission campus the third weekend of July.  We had lots of help and were able to get everything moved here in three days.  We did have one more load at the house that we got the next week, but we were living out here by the end of July.  Just as we started loading up our personal things, Larry received a call from the Port of Maputo letting us know our CAM textbooks had arrived and we needed to pick them up.  It was an answer to prayer to have the books before school started, however, the timing was not the best.  We were able to hire a truck which brought the books out to the new site, thus saving us the effort of moving them twice. 

1st of 3 large containers to move the school out

The new school wasn’t quite ready for us to move on Monday, August 1^st, but on Tuesday the 2^nd the big moving truck arrived at old CAM and the packing began.  What a job.  We were so thankful that we had hired a moving company to help.  If we had done it ourselves, we would still be moving things, one truck load at a time.  All the boxes and equipment came through the move in good shape.  The only bad thing that happened was that the truck backed into the new fence and totally knocked out a post.  The moving company took full responsibility and discounted the price to pay for the repair of the fence. 

 The move took two very long and busy days.  The teachers and school workers were on hand to help with the unloading.  We directed the moving men where to unload the things.  On Thursday and Friday we started to get the classrooms organized and things put in place.  What a job!!!  We were so fortunate to have Gary and Diane Gray here to help through the entire process.  They have been such a great blessing to us.  We thank the Lord that they are here to fill in for us while we are away for our home assignment.

Teacher Orientation August 8th

The next week was the teacher’s orientation.  It was a combination of training and continuing to get the rooms ready.  We had already delayed school for 7 days and we didn’t want to delay it again.  It was lovely to see the classrooms take shape and the teachers did a great job of decorating them.

The bathrooms are still in process of completion.  There are still things to finish off, but what is finished looks great.  For the first week of classes we were able to use some of the bathrooms.  I think everything will be finished by this week.

Golden with his third grade class

First day...rather rainy...kids gathering at the rondovel

The first day of classes for the secondary students was the coldest and wettest day I had ever experienced in Mozambique.  The busses arrived in time, but we had to hurry the students to their classrooms to keep them out of the rain.  The next day when the elementary joined in, it was a little better, but still windy and cold.  But in spite of the rain, the children were happy to see each other and the new school, but probably not as happy to have to get busy and study again.

Cynthia with her second grade class

We praise the Lord for sufficient staff for the year.  We are starting with 66 students and believe that it will grow in numbers once people realize that we are here.  We still have not advertised, because we wanted to make sure that we were able to make the move and that everything would be ready in time.

The busses are working out and it is so convenient for the students and teachers to have a ride to school now.  There are still some bugs to work out, but we praise the Lord for a positive beginning to our 16^th year of CAM. 

Last weekend was our annual Field Council meetings where the team gather and plan for the next year and beyond in all the ministries.  Although we were all very tired, the weekend was productive and we PTL for all He has done this past year and we look forward to what the next year will bring.

OMS Mozambique Team during Field Council meetings: August 2011