It is hard to believe three years have passed since we shared our decision to leave PNG and return to Idaho to be close to family. Life looks very different these days, but we wouldn’t change a thing. We continue to be amazed at how God brought us home and made it possible for us to be here for our parents and children.
These three years have also been a time of healing. We came home carrying the weight of responsibility and the ache of years spent far from family. God has patiently walked with us, giving us room to rest, process, and lay those burdens before Him. Along the way, He has brought us to a place of peace and renewed our capacity to love and serve others. We are grateful for His tender care and for the strength and joy He continues to daily restore.
We still live in the back two bedrooms of our home in Caldwell, Idaho, sharing the house and kitchen with Connie’s parents. It isn’t quite what we imagined for this season in our lives, but we are grateful to provide a home for them after they have spent their lives serving the Lord. Todd’s parents live just over a mile away, and our exercise walks often include a stop to visit on their front porch. Being here to help with doctor appointments and everyday life is a blessing. We are especially thankful that all four parents are currently in good health!
Todd has been serving as Chief Pilot for Owyhee Air Research, located at the opposite end of the runway from MAF US headquarters in Nampa, Idaho, where flying assignments have included spending much of December and into January in Deadhorse, on Alaska’s North Slope, flying polar bear surveys! OAR uses infrared scanners and other specialized cameras to collect wildlife data for various organizations across the US and Canada, as well as mapping fires during the summer fire season from May – Nov, where Todd flies a King Air B350. He is now transitioning to also flying Medical Evacuation flights for Turbo Air/Air St. Luke’s bringing a more consistent schedule and an opportunity to use his flying experience to help save lives.
Connie also works for OAR as the Designated Employer Representative, overseeing the company’s drug and alcohol testing program—doing her part to help keep our skies safe. During fire season, she arranges hotel accommodations for the fire crews every single night and handlesthe follow-up. It is amazing how much time that can take! Alongside that, she works as an independent contractor supporting Keri Smith, Executive Director of Growing Together. With a little paid time and many volunteer hours, she helps with efforts to preserve agricultural land in our community. And to help people understand the importance of Agriculture on the local economy and the global reach of local seed crops.
We miss having people around our dinner table several nights a week, even though it was often a last-minute request over the VHF radio on Todd’s way home with a car load of pilots who got stuck in Hagen overnight due to weather. Sharing our home means that kind of hospitality is not possible at this time, though we have enjoyed hosting a few family gatherings in the backyard during the warmer summer months.
But God continues to give us opportunities to come alongside others. Todd’s bright idea to raise chickens earlier this year has become a way to bless our neighbors with fresh eggs! He has also mowed the difficult parts of neighbors’ lawns, trimmed bushes, and helped sort out sprinkler problems. We are finding that opportunities to minister are abundant when we live with our eyes open to the needs around us.
We could not have pictured all of this three years ago, but we are grateful for God’s leading and for the opportunities He gives us to care for our parents, love our neighbors, and serve through our work.
Thank you for your love, prayers, and friendship through the years. You remain a treasured part of our lives, and we would love to hear how you are doing!
