Mission Accomplished!!

After 34 hours of travel time, we are home again!! We are living with our daughter, Mahana, and her family (3 grands) in our little room above the garage. It is quite spacious - about the size of our apartment in Astana. We love all the trees and mountains surrounding us after 18 months on the Asian steppe.

We have not been released yet - having a hard time connecting with the Stake Presidency - but it is supposed to happen on Sunday.

The fight home was fairly uneventful. It was a close connection in Houston (yes, Houston - we went from Astana to Frankfurt to Houston to Anchorage) as that is where we went through immigration (their computers went down for a bit) and customs (we had the extra trek through agriculture since we had an orange with us - NEVER bring citrus into the States). We made it to the gate 5 minutes before boarding and so almost caught our breath. Fortunately, it gave us time to get some food for the plane since United does not feed you. Lufthansa was fabulous! Multiple feedings on both legs (Astana to Houston) with lots of leg room and entertainment. We were able to sleep a bit through out the flights but the last few hours of the flight to Anchorage were brutal - we were soooooo tired.

 In the Frankfurt airport with the Craig family (our primary kids from Astana) who were on their way to Atlanta.

As we arrived in Anchorage ... we looked fairly ragged by then!

Now we will begin to put together our lives again. Find a place to live (permanently) and get ready for trips to Tahiti and Florida to see our Moms.

As we reflect on the past 18 months, we are amazed at the blessings we have received. The people we have met and come to love. How they have changed our lives forever by their examples of love and caring for their fellowman - especially the caregivers of the handicapped both the parents and those at institutions and within organizations that arrange their care. We have been touched by those whose lives were changed as they chose to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and turn to Him to be healed. Their faith and determination in the face of opposition and, sometimes, persecution (Kazakhstan is a predominately - 70%- Muslim country) has strengthened our faith and determination to follow Him more closely.

The challenges of this mission have stretched us and helped us to see more clearly the Lord's hand in our lives and His work. We have both seen and been recipients of miracles that testify to us that He lives and loves all of His children. The promises given in the scriptures to those who serve Him are real, true, and available to us as we serve and ask for them.

This is a poem that I love and it expresses somewhat the feelings of our journey the past 18 months ....

Come to the edge, He said. 
They said, We are afraid. 
Come to the edge, He said. 
They came. 
He pushed them... and they flew.
Apollinaire, Guillaume

Here is a quote that Viviane would like to share with you ...

"Have you ever sat down and contemplated what kind of entries you are preparing for your life's history? Will yours be one comprised of slides and videos of worldly acquisitions of boats and motor homes, of travels and entertainment for personal gratification and amusement?

"Or will your history express the joy you have experienced in preaching and teaching the message of our Lord and Savior to all who would hear your voice? . . ." Elder Perry  5/92

We pray for and always will pray for our friends and the people of Kazakhstan - a people we were not even aware of 20 months ago. God has shared His love for them with us and we are eternally grateful for the experience of His love.

Now we begin to prepare for our next mission call. Where He will call us to serve we do not know, but it is already a bit exciting to contemplate it ....

The END