Thursday, July 21, 2016

3... 2... 1... Furlough! "Kermit"




She has been affectionately named Kermit.
Light green in color... and bouncing like a frog, to and fro.
It's our van.

Kermit has tasted adventure.
The sights, sounds, smells... yes, even smells... she has been with us through them all.

We load her up...


We unload her...


Over and over again.
She never complains.

She comforts and rocks us to sleep through the many miles,


Ready to go at a moment's notice,
State after state.


She has shared our laughter,
Our tears,
Our secrets,
And even a sandwich or a french fry every now and then.



She has been a table, a bed, and even a gym.


She is part of our story. We are thankful, because God sent her to us.
You see, one of the struggles missionaries have on furlough is finding good transportation.
Some go through transportation ministries to get their vehicle.
Some have to borrow a vehicle from family and friends.

Kermit? Well, Kermit was purchased at an auction by a trusted friend,
and given to us at cost.
So I guess you could say we adopted Kermit.
She is ours for now.

Pray for Kermit.
She has many miles to endure for the next few months...
Over sixty churches... two countries... from Canada all the way down to Florida, and every state in between.

Pray she stays healthy. Pray she stays safe... because she is carrying precious cargo.
My family.


**************************************************************************

 Adventures in "Woops!"

Gabriel: Where are we?
Me: Virginia.
Gabriel: Do they take American money here?

We traveled all day. Throughout the trip we kept noticing that we had a lot more room in the van than we expected. I even complimented on how we had all traveled light. After nine hours on the road, a mere ten minutes from our destination, I looked back and asked, "Jason, um, where are your suits?" The sheepish grin said it all.



Check Up

One thing that many missionaries do on furlough is get everyone in the family checked at the doctor. Healthcare on many fields is poor, so they take advantage of the opportunity while they are stateside. So far, so good for our family...


Convenience Cooking

I have to admit, this is one part of our American culture that has me giddy! Pop open a can, tear open a packet, mix it all together... and there's a meal! Food in thirty minutes! I have to confess, though, that I am doing most of my cooking in a rice cooker!



**************************************************************

So, have you ever thought about how missionaries find their transportation for furlough?
Missionaries, how have you acquired your vehicle for furlough?
Did you give it a name?
We'd love to hear from you!





2 comments:

Angela said...

One furlough my parents bought a secondhand van for us, and ended up selling it a year later for more than they paid for it! The last 2 furloughs we've been loaned brand new vans from a friend who considers it part of his ministry. The 12 passenger was affectionately called :The Big White! We always said if we could take this thing to India with us we could pack about 30 people in here!

Angela said...

One furlough my parents bought a secondhand van for us, and ended up selling it a year later for more than they paid for it! The last 2 furloughs we've been loaned brand new vans from a friend who considers it part of his ministry. The 12 passenger was affectionately called :The Big White! We always said if we could take this thing to India with us we could pack about 30 people in here!