Last Day in the USA!

Dear Reader,

I can’t believe that I’m saying this.  It’s almost too amazing to be true.  Well, here goes…Tomorrow…I’m…that is, tomorrow… (Deep breath)  TOMORROW I’M LEAVING FOR AFRICA!  I can’t believe that it’s getting so close!  I remember six months ago when I left my house in Rialto. —sniff— when I left all of my friends—sniff—and people close to me.  (Sigh)  Oh well.  At least we can Skype. 

Over those past six weeks I’ve stayed in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Maine, New Jersey, and now I’m in Massachusetts getting ready for the big day.  You know, when we make our first flight out tomorrow it won't be straight to where we're living for the next 3 years.  Our first arrival is in Brussels, Belgium, after we take a one-hour flight to New Jersey because that is where you fly out when you are flying to a different country.  Then, once we arrive at 6:00 am in Belgium (1:00 am our time), we fly to Africa at 5:00 am (our time).  We don't know where we're staying then, but then we'll have a 5-7 hour drive to where we'll be staying for the next 3 years.  You know, just your everyday pre-safari trip.

Friends and family members, I miss you SO much!  Please send me letters, e-mails, phone calls, and Skype if you can.  Until, then goodbye!

Your exited friend,

Joshua Newburn

Dear Friends:

As I write this Sunday evening, we fly out tomorrow morning from Boston to begin our adventure.  We have enjoyed several weeks of seeing family and enjoying summer fun in the Midwest and the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast.  We’ve also done some last minute shopping and getting our new laptops ready.  (Hopefully we will have Wi-Fi access in our new home!)

As our departure time has come closer, the realization has hit that we are really doing this.  Three years in a country and culture so different!  What if we don’t like it?  What if we can’t communicate?  We’re up for an adventure, but what if it feels just too different, too hard?  We’re anticipating that the experience will be both exciting and challenging.

This morning at church, as I was experiencing some fear in my gut, I was reminded that in the Gospels Jesus says “Be not afraid!” a total of 366 times.  That’s one for every day of the year, and one more just to be sure!  I am trying to remember that God has called us to this, and He will be faithful to work everything out for the good (Rom 8:28).  We are not in control, but we can trust in the One who is.

Can’t wait to see what’s in store.  Cameroon, ready or not, here we come!

-Pete

Distribution of Resources

We have spent 3 weeks in the Midwest and now are on the East Coast.  We have been enjoying the beach and special time with family.

Our family, along with my brother's family, were in our local 4th of July parade on Cape Code, Massachusetts.  The kids made a little float and we all dressed in red, white and blue.  As we went down the street, we threw candy into the crowd.  At the beginning of the parade, I noticed that the kids in the crowd had huge bags full of candy and that some of the candy still lay on the ground or had even gone into some of the puddles from the rain the night before.  I watched as our supply of candy got smaller and and smaller.  By the end of the parade route, I noticed that the kids along the route had empty candy bags and that none of the parade participants had any candy left to throw into the crowd.

To me the image reminded me of our world.  We have enough resources that everyone could have some if it were distributed differently.  Some parts of the world have so much that is easy to waste what is there, while people in other parts are struggling to have anything.

We have 10 days until we leave for Cameroon.  Our excitement and nerves are rising.  May God give us peace as we go through our final preparations and goodbyes.

-Joy