Hello from snowy Wisconsin!  We are officially stateside!  After a flurry of Christmas celebrations, ministry events and packing, we arrived in the US on December 28th.  We spent our first week or so quarantining and nesting in our new place in Milwaukee and then spent time visiting parents and grandparents in the Midwest.  We are now back in Milwaukee and getting more fully settled in our apartment, getting into a routine with homeschool, and adjusting to life back in the US.

As we shared in our last update, we were thankful for our “bonus 6 months” in Albania after our home assignment was delayed due to Covid.  Our final months in Albania were full ones (see pics at the end of this letter for some highlights) and we’re thankful that our Albanian friends and colleagues in Tirana will carry on with ministry in our absence. Our church will continue providing food in the community and developing relationships with families in need through Project James and the GrowBiz project through LinkAcross will continue to be implemented throughout this calendar year. We both felt a strong sense of peace about returning to the States and were thankful for how the Lord tied up so many loose ends with ministry and relationships before our departure for home assignment.  

Many of you have asked what our year in the US will look like. The graphic below gives a helpful snapshot of our goals and purposes for this home assignment year.

Connecting
Much of our time will be spent intentionally spending time with you - our ministry partners! We look forward to sharing what the Lord has done these past 4 ½ years in Albania and re-connecting with you.

Equipping
As we look back on our first term we have both identified areas where we would like to hone our skills as we seek to strategically invest in our future ministry. Jeff is taking some classes towards a seminary degree. Meredith will be receiving training in helping women deal with trauma and grief as well as more training in teaching ESL.  

Resting and Reflecting
We plan on spending dedicated time resting, debriefing, and seeking spiritual renewal. The past year or so in particular has been taxing emotionally and spiritually and we are looking forward to the opportunity to further process, reflect, and refill our tanks. We will be doing a debrief as a couple for missionaries on home assignment through Barnabas International and will attend a debrief as a family at the WorldVenture headquarters in Colorado in July.

We are very excited to see you all and will be reaching out individually for a time to connect! As always, we are incredibly thankful for your interest and support of our ministry and family.

Blessings,

Jeff and Meredith