In some ways it's hard to believe 4 months have passed since we returned to the US. In other ways it seems way, way longer. We're still not completely settled in our apartment (the first floor of the duplex Sarah owns) and the storage isn't empty. Despite all we got rid of before we moved to Bulgaria, what's left is more than works in an approximately 1000 sq ft apartment. There's furniture that doesn't quite fit in the new configuration, things that we thought we might need that we just don't and some things we're sure we kept that we haven't found yet. We've given pretty much everything back to Sarah that she loaned us initially and I made a point of decorating for Christmas as that helps me to feel settled.
The flexibility of our physical move kind of fits with other aspects of ongoing life here. Paul is still officially the pastor of IBC Sofia and has continued to counsel people, meet with the board, deal with finances, preach some - and we both are at the Sunday service at 3am Minnesota time. The search for a new pastor has hit some bumps, aside from the issues that Covid presents. We were close to calling a new pastor when he withdrew at the last and we were basically starting over, but with very few new candidates. Prayers for the church would certainly be appreciated! There is a great core group who have continued to meet, lead music, host the service and preach. Our fantastic youth group leaders continue to bring the kids together - social distanced in person when possible and over zoom now that Covid has worsened in Bulgaria. We are grateful for all the options technology provides to continue drawing people together in fellowship and worship!
While the loss of friends and family for many due to Covid has brought a lot of sadness and grief, we have experienced an unexpected and devastating loss. Our daughter Sarah's longterm boyfriend Tyler Witt suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away in early November. Tyler was only 35 - a fantastic guy who had a winning smile, kind heart and gentle manner. He was a talented biomedical engineer, flyer, runner and adventurer. He won Sarah's heart and all of ours too. It is a sadness we have felt totally unprepared for. And even as we trust our Good God, we cannot help but consider all that we will miss.
In close, I'll leave you with the lyrics of a song by Pam Thum and Joel Lindsey that has meant a lot to me:
Then close the door behind you
Drop your bags on the floor
You reach for the light
But there's darkness deep inside
And you can't take it anymore
And sometimes living is all you can do
We're barely young and then we're old
Yes, life is hard, but God is good
'Cause you've been strong for so long
And that's not how you feel
You try to pray
But there's nothing left to say
So you just quietly kneel
God will give you His mercy and grace
It was an easy road to travel
He only said that you would never be alone
So when your last thread of hope
Begins to come unraveled
Don't give up, He walks beside you
On this journey home and He knows
We're barely young and then we're old
But every falling tear is always understood
Yes, life is hard, but God is good
