Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. This year it was an especially meaningful time for us to look back and give thanks for God's goodness to us in several ways.
Kristi has continued to regain strength in recent weeks. She is very near full recovery from surgery on her pancreas. We are grateful to God for the clear signs of his hand of blessing on her health. Most significant among many is the fact that through God's grace the benign tumor she had is only found in about 1% of pancreatic cases. We know Kristi's recovery is only due to a good gift from the Lord in our lives.
We last wrote to ask for prayer regarding Ecuador's turbulent political situation. The nation experienced about 10 days of violent protests over the removal of a gasoline subsidy in efforts to solve an economic crisis. The subsidy was re-implemented and peace has returned. Other solutions for the economic crisis are being pursued. Please pray that long-term stability can be achieved. We are thankful for the return of peace. We are also thankful that we weren't there for the difficult days of turmoil. Nevertheless, if it turns out that rocky times are still to come, we are prepared to trust the Lord for our safety.
We are gearing up for our return to Ecuador on December 11. We will continue the work of settling in to our new apartment after we arrive. Kristi also has a lot of preparation to complete for stepping back into her teaching role in January. Lindsey doesn't finish her semester here until a few days later. We will leave her with friends and family, and she will travel alone to join us on December 21. Please pray for her to end the semester well, have a smooth transition between schools, and have an uneventful day of travel alone. The upcoming changes are a difficult test for Lindsey, but she is facing them with a good attitude.
Joel recently made a move and is working on an internship in children's ministry in a church in the Los Angeles area. Scott was able to visit him and see how he is adjusting to his new environment. We are thankful for the friends he has there who are obviously godly and caring people. We are also thankful for an employment opportunity that he needed as a supplement for his living expenses.
We are very thankful for the time we have been given to be with friends and family in the past months, weeks and days. Your encouragement and friendship is so important to us. Our hearts are full as we return to ministry in just a few days. We are also really looking forward to spending the end of the year with our whole family in Quito for a few days. We haven't had all our kids together at once for 2 1/2 years. It will be good to go to our other home in the Southern Hemisphere and gather with our immediate family to celebrate!
