 As I write Kathy is packing. She keeps coming to me bringing things, “Do you want to take this home, leave it here, or throw it away?” Not a bad metaphor for life.
- What is worth taking up space, hauling around, and consuming the energy of life as I allow it to continue to be a part of my life?
- When I leave--either where I am right now, or when I take leave of this earth—what will I leave behind, anything of eternal value?
- What are the “weights that slow me down” that ought to be cast off, so I can more effectively run the race (Hebrews 12:1)?
We leave the lovely nation of Palau in less than forty-eight hours. We’ll be in Guam for the PIU baccalaureate and graduation, then visit with our sons and their families, and arrive home in VA the evening of the 14th.
 So, what will we leave behind?More than anything else, we’ll leave behind relationships. It makes it hard to go. Our prayer is that they will last until we return. Just yesterday Kathy spent the afternoon with a young lady from Papua, and then a lovely evening with a missionary colleague, and a pastor’s wife. We have built and strengthened relationships with several church leaders, our students, our landlord, our neighbors, and others. Palau is a place where relationships are very important.
We leave behind the knowledge and growth that has come to our students. All three of our academic students plan to continue taking classes. Our most faithful nonacademic student is planning to plug-in to whatever further opportunities we offer. We have been privileged to be part of the conversation surrounding the Palauan Evangelical Church’s commitment to send one of their own couples to Indonesia. We stand with our fellow LMUSA missionaries, Steve and Anne Stinnette, who are key trainers in this process. We didn’t accomplish everything we hoped to, but, by God’s grace, we’ll leave some worthwhile assets behind.
What will we take with us?
A profound sense of “This world is not my home.” For a long time I have referred to our house in Covington as “Kathy’s house.” We decided that  our place in Palau is “Howard’s apartment.” Really, our home is in heaven. We will take plans for the future home with us. Our plan is to be here for the Spring Semester of 2017. It is likely that I’ll be here to teach the classroom part of a hybrid online/classroom class sometime during the Fall Semester. We’ll go home with hearts full of thanks—gratitude that we have been privileged to be involved in this ministry, and invest in lives here, and appreciation for the gracious way the Palauan people have received us. We go back to Virginia with deep thanks for your investment in our lives, an investment that has resulted in treasure being sent ahead to heaven.
What will we throw away?
I don’t have a specific answer for that, but we want to live our lives in a way that counts for the Lord. If something is in the way, we pray that God will give us the ability to trash it. We look at that question with clearer focus than before.
In addition to what you read above, here is some information about the next eight months.
< >I’ll continue in leadership, though from afar, with PIU-Palau. There are plans to be made, decisions, classes for which to prepare, and relationships to maintain.I’ll enter the other phase of my new “job.” I’ll be working with Global Ministries Director Bill Schuit. Our goal is to encourage and assist missionary candidates and their churches.We have work to do at “Kathy’s house.”We’ll have some opportunity to spend time with family.I’ll be preaching at CBC the Sunday after we arrive home. I’m preaching at First West Fairbanks, Chad’s church the week before that. I’m open to filling pulpits and ministering in churches as my schedule allows.Kathy completed the first phase of a major writing project at the kitchen table here in my apartment. Pray with us that she’ll be able to identify what to do with it. We have already sent out some feelers.
experience discoveries in God’s word is priceless! Seeing two of them share PIU-P with a crowd of perspective students was very special as they shared their passion for PIU & God’s word from their hearts! It made us very proud of them!! We will miss our twin 5 year olds next door! I could go on and on!
We ask your prayers as we return to Covington to some more transitions. We are really looking forward to seeing all of you at some point in the next eight months. I must say Mesulang again!
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