a long time coming.

God is so good.
I really can't start this any other way. Despite the lack of updates, Stephen and I finished out the summer with the Karen and spent as much time with them as possible. It was such a blessing to see how much they had warmed up to us, so that they began to ask for help and in emergencies. Leaving was much harder than I even imagined, but we have the blessing now of living in the same country still, which is rare for summer missions opportunities. We go back to visit once or twice a month to see everyone and keep up with the relationships we've established.
My work with the Karen this summer has also opened up doors for me in school: I am doing an internship with Partners World this fall, a nongovernmental missions organization on the Thai-Burma border. They are wanting to bring their ministry to America, as well, so I am helping organize ministry to the Karen people across America (over 20,000!). I am mapping where they are in America and connecting them to Americans who can help them get settled. Next semester I will also be doing an independent study and final paper on the Karen, including some primary source interviews from the community in Smyrna.
God has been so good, and there is very little else to say. He has blessed us beyond measure.