April Plans

Since our plans may seem a bit sudden, Eric & I were just thinking maybe we ought to explain why we're coming back to visit in April. I (Ang) had been hoping to go back for the wedding of one of my best friends. We have been praying about it ever since she told me that she was getting married. Probably most of the impetus, though, came from Gabe. As some of you may know, I found our last trip home both good and difficult. A month seemed too short to have enough time with all of our friends and family, and I left feeling that we had given priority to partners and friends and had given too little time to family, especially since it was the only time in four years that we would see some of you. Though I was sad about it for my own sake, I was even sadder for Gabe's sake. When I was growing up we not only spent holidays with family, but they were a very regular part of our lives. My aunts were like second mothers to me and at times we saw our cousins a couple of times a week. I think it was very important to our mothers that we had close relationships and I really appreciate this now. One day Gabe was saying he'd like to work with his grandpa in the shop again and it hit me, "the next time he can do that he'll be six--almost seven. He may not like the same things. He may be a different kid. He has already mostly forgotten his aunts and uncles and only Sam, Elijah and his grandparents remain firmly in his mind. I find this incredibly sad. I really don't want him to spend his childhood feeling like he is always meeting his relatives for the first time. Most of the children growing up here see their mission family as more important than their extended family, and sadly, that mission family is not going to be a big part of their lives after age 18. As a result, I've been praying that, if God wills, Gabe, at least, could see most of his family once a year for as long as we are overseas.

I really did not think it would happen this year, but thanks to several generous gifts, we find that we can come back. Our desire is to spend almost all of our time with family. For this reason we'd like to request that you not spread word of our coming. We focused a lot on friends last time and will do so again next year, but this time we'd just like to be with family.