???????????????????????????????To quote our programmer analyst son our ” family runs off a distributed architecture, with nodes functioning in edge locations around the world.” Not sure exactly what that means (we haven’t actually understood our son since he was 13 and his frontal lobe disappeared into his first hard drive), but it seems to involve a lot of good-byes and too much time apart from the ones we love the most.

This year has been a tremendous blessing for Steve and I to have had almost two months home together (many thanks to a very understanding boss and dear friend Jim Leonard).  The most we have ever had for the past six years was just over two weeks. This year we started with a relaxing time enjoying the gracious hospitality of my brother and sister-in-law  in Southwestern Ontario, getting caught up with family and friends there. We even managed a Sunday at our home church and appreciated the opportunity to report on our ministry over the past six years.

From there we headed off for almost a month in Seattle, just hanging out with Jon, Nic and the kids. It was so fun to join in their lives for a while: playing in the park, visiting the Science Center, boating on Lake Chelan and exploring the area. Steve managed to get in two intensive courses towards his Master’s but I only did one because I wasn’t willing to give up that much time with my grandkids. Neither was I willing to accept the last minute change of the professor I wanted for a stand-in who turned out to be more than a little frustrating for Steve.

Back in Calgary, Greg and Liz graciously allowed us to share their home with them as we waited for and then welcomed the birth of their first little child, Russell. To be able to spend the first two weeks of his little life with him is a joy that we will always treasure. He is an absolutely gorgeous baby (we are not biased at all!), and Liz and Greg are making the most of their early days with him. It was also a real pleasure to cook meals for family and enjoy some fine Alberta steaks on the barbeque. Steve even managed to scratch that renovation itch of his with a few projects done on their house. With a new little addition to the family, Jon and Nic and the kids drove twelve hours each way for one delightful evening together as a family. Such a rare and precious treat for us to have the whole family together for the first time in two years.

But now we are back in KL, and in spite of some major jetlag, we have the apartment up and running again. We even reorganized our work area to make is easier to discuss while we work as tomorrow we embark on a new journey in our work and ministry. We won’t trouble you with the details just yet, but we are excited about the possibilities and praying that once again the Lord would use our simple talents and our willing hearts to do great things through us. As always, we appreciate your thoughts and prayers on our behalf.