Long Overdue Update

This update is long past due. Following our trip in November much has happened. I felt overwhelmed each time I thought about getting this blog up to date. So I will give some brief updates on several topics.

First, last year we experienced the pain of a miscarriage. As many know and have known, we are eagerly awaiting baby Emily who has May 22 as her expected due date. Her two older siblings were both later than their due date, so we think Emily may run a little late too. We also had an ultrasound recently that gave us a great view of Emily.

Also, many know that my mom passed away in late February. I was able to get to Iowa in about 24 hours. I spent about 2 weeks there. I was privileged to conduct her service myself. Many thanks to the folks at First Pentecostal Assembly of God in Ottumwa, Iowa for hosting a luncheon following the service. Even more thanks to all who helped me clean out mom’s home (special thanks to Steve, Brenda, Shawn, Teresa, Will and little Will, and my father & many others.) All in all, the trip was pleasant and I enjoyed seeing family. A second trip is necessary to finish her business with the bank. That trip will be on April 10th and my son will accompany me. During that trip I will join mom’s siblings in picking out a marble marker and inter her cremains in a family plot in Missouri.

A unexpected joy while in Iowa was spending time with my father and brother. We spent some good time visiting and catching up.

Dad and the boys

Again thanks to everyone for the prayers.

Safe at Home

We are safely in Nenana.

Our flight left Portland about 9:15 p.m. Pacific time. We arrived in Anchorage a little after midnight AK time. We got our bags and headed off to our car and tried to decide whether to stay in Anchorage for the night or head home. There were some reports of bad weather that could move in and so we headed for Nenana. Either I heard wrong or the weather reports were wrong. Bad weather was already covering a pretty big stretch of the highway. We left Anchorage at 1:30 a.m. and arrived in Nenana at 10 a.m. Our 6 hour drive became a little more than 8 hours.

We got home and promptly reacquainted ourselves with our beds. After a heavy sleep we were up and around as the kids wanted to go to the Halloween carnival. During this time, Ethan complained of a blister on the bottom of his foot. As he had new shoes, we thought little of it. After the carnival, that blister was not alone. Ethan had chickenpox.

Aerin was off with friends doing a sleep over. Unbeknown to us, she was developing blisters too. Both kids have been immunized and the outbreaks seem mild. However, Dad has never had chickenpox. We are waiting prayerfully, asking God to protect Dad from his own outbreak.

Throughout Saturday we had been reconnecting with folks and it was good to be home and spending time with friends again. Speaking of time with friends, Rebecca and I enjoyed a bonfire party at the Adams’ home Saturday night. Lots of good food (and some to bring home) as well as the warmth of the fire.

The kids are out of school for a while longer. I will be back at AWANA today leading games. Life in Nenana is so good. Once again, thanks to everyone for praying for our safety. The Lord delivered us back to our home in Nenana. Please join with us now in prayer for the kids and for Dad – concerning the chicken pox.

Here Am I Lord

Homeward Bound

The Troxels are starting the trip that takes us home! We will be on a plane this evening and arrive early morning into Anchorage. We will grab some sleep and then hit the road and get to our hometown by Friday evening.

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Prayer Update:

I asked for prayer for a lady fighting cancer. She passed away last Thursday. Please pray for her husband and children and the rest of the family and friends. My fondest memory of this great lady is her smile. She had a smile that lit her entire face and the face of everyone around her. Her joy and love for life, her family and everyone around her was always evident. Join my family in praying for her family.

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Travel Update:

We thoroughly enjoyed the time worshiping with the brethren at Clover Valley Community Church. The morning service included a wonderful testimony of one of the members. I was particularly moved by how the love of the folks at the church had made such an impact on his life. For the main service, I was able to share a few minutes of the ministry in Nenana and how blessed we are to live there. The message was an excellent handling of the passage in John concerning Jesus’ teaching of the vine and branches.

Monday morning, Ethan and I traveled with our district representatives to the conference location. Rebecca and Aerin came later with fellow Village Missionaries. The conference was in Ocean Park, Washington at the Sunset View Resort. The resort was wonderful and is a Christian organization eager to host Christian conferences.

The time in conference was blessed. The opening session was by Bill Wayland. Bill shared the role of suffering as God grows us into the image of Christ and for ministering to one another. Fellow missionaries, Bob and Ruth Silver, conducted several sessions. Bob focused on the challenges of pastors and the Scriptural truths that apply to them. Ruth took her experiences in Christian counseling and shared how pastoral families can work toward emotional health and stay healthy. She also passed along several tools to aid pastors in the spiritual care of God’s people.

Also during this time, Brian Wechsler, gave us a financial and state of ministry report for VM. While VM has been presented with several financial challenges in the past 2 years, God’s sovereign care is evident. For every challenge, God has lavished grace and glorified his name by providing for the needs of the mission and the missionaries. I am very thankful for the godly leadership within VM.

Following the conference, we got a ride into Portland with Butch and Jennifer Hallenbeck who serve in Glenwood, Washington. We checked into the Mark Spencer Hotel in the downtown area. That evening, we went to Powell’s Bookstore just a few blocks away. Fortunately they offer inexpensive shipping to anywhere in the U.S.

Today, we spent the day relaxing and with the kids doing the last of their homework. We will be taking a cab to the airport at 6:30 p.m. Oregon time. By midnight AK time we will be in Anchorage. We are very homesick and eager to arrive home to Nenana by Friday evening.

Thanks to everyone who has been with us through prayer. Continue praying for our safe travel home. We feel very rested and eager to get back to life and ministry at home.

Big Foot & Redwoods

Our time with the Hayeks in Willow Creek was a blast. But before I add anymore, let me request some prayer for a dear family. The mom in this family is battling cancer. Her name is Carole. Please be praying for a miracluous healing. Also, pray for strength and comfort for mom, dad, and all the kids. This family has been dear to me for years and the son is a very good friend to me. The whole family has been a blessing to me and I pray for God’s special blessing for them in this time.

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Our trip to Willow Creek and the fun we had with our friends was very restful. They fed us the best of food and loaned us a car after our roadblock in Redding. Our time there included a trip to the Redwoods. We were able to do some hiking and we were awed by the size of these trees. We also got to drive through a redwood tree.

We also got to go to the Bigfoot Museum in Willow Creek. After the museum, we spotted a Schwann’s truck, something you don’t see in Alaska. We bought some boxes of ice cream to share with our friends.

We left Willow Creek on Friday evening. Jeremy and the two eldest boys came along. We went hamster shopping with the eldest son. Then we all went to In & Out Burger. We were told that this was a must do in experiencing Californian culture. Finally we checked into a hotel.

We left this morning early to catch our 3 a.m. train to Kelso, Washington. We will arrive by 5:15 p.m. to be met by fellow Village Missionaries, the Gustafsons. We will be worshiping with them on Sunday morning at Clover Valley Community Church. After this we will catch a ride with our friends the Hargroves to the conference.

We continue to be rested and refreshed. We also have enjoyed wonderful weather and safety in all our travels. We praise the Lord for this and pray (and ask you to join us in prayer) for continued safety all the way back home to Nenana. We should be in our own home by October 29th.