Departures and Arrivals
Farewell Uganda
One thing we have seen a lot of these past few months is airports (and not our Arua airport that we can seamlessly zip in and out of).
With negative Covid tests in hand and 18 totes to memorialize our 8 years in East Africa, on May 16th we departed Uganda and our life there. The flight through Dubai was uneventful and 18 hours later we were thankful to be Stateside. Uganda has locked down again, please pray that the Covid numbers go down so they can reopen.
Entebbe, Uganda airport. It felt strange slimming 8 years into 18 totes.
We apologize for the delay in sharing what is happening next. We are currently on a 6 month Home Assignment as we meet with churches and supporters. It has been a busy, emotional time as we process what we have left behind and what lies ahead.
Renee needs to be in Virginia by August 16th to begin University, so we shortened the time we usually spend traveling by road and resorted to flying to Anchorage, Seattle, and Grand Rapids, MI. Thank you to everyone who has opened their home, welcomed us for meals, and provided a vehicle for us. God has provided abundantly for all our needs (and the body of Christ is amazingly generous). If we missed you in Alaska or the Pacific Northwest, please contact us, and we will try to set up a time to Zoom or Skype (we are so sorry that we couldn’t stop in Idaho or Oregon this trip). For those not on the West Coast and Michigan, we will make every effort to see you or contact you at some point this fall.
On the plane headed back from Africa!
As we were leaving Uganda, we shared our intention to remain with AIM AIR and transition into the role of a part-time US East Coast recruiter/representative (these are still our plans). Joel was the only Caravan pilot at the out-of-Nairobi bases for 5 of our 8 years in East Africa and knows all too well the desperate need for more pilots on the field. Our passion for aviation, East Africa peoples, and spreading the gospel to every tribe and nation has not diminished. We pray that God will use our experiences to encourage and mentor those who are feeling drawn to serve.
Snoqualmie Falls, Washington
The part time position with AIM AIR will not be enough to sustain us, so we have also interviewed with and applied for a position with Liberty University’s Aviation Department. Fall 2020 they reinstituted their Global Studies (missionary) tract of their Aviation Degree Program of which we are very interested in being a part. Training and encouraging the next generation of missionary pilots is something that resonates strongly with the direction we feel God is leading us. At this point, Joel is in process for a part-time position as a flight instructor with Liberty and will begin this fall in Lynchburg, VA. We are praying this turns into a full-time position. We are doing our best to be transparent in all of this with our supporters, AIM, AIM AIR and the University. From the beginning stages of prayer about leaving Africa, our heart’s cry was to follow God’s leading. We really feel God moving all these pieces together for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.
Renee's happy place is a book in her hand! Arua, Uganda
PC: Hannah Touchet
After Michigan, we hope to fly into Alberta to see LaReina’s family and reunite with some of the household items we left behind 10 years ago. Please pray that the border opens without quarantine restrictions on July 21st and that we all test negative for Covid to be allowed in.
Joel, Ian, and the family in Alaska on brother Jon's boat. Beauty and R&R are good for the soul.
We are thankful for all the hospitality, love and prayers as we transition back to the US. We feel that God has released us from Africa (for now), but not from missions. This has helped keep our focus on God and the plans He has for us. Please pray for us. Temptation to take control abounds as we seek His direction and wait for His timing. We know that His plans are perfect and good, but it is unnerving to leave the predictability of the life we knew for the past 10 years. We are thankful that we are not alone.
Farewell to Calvary Chapel Arua!
In His Service,
Joel, LaReina, Renee and Ian
