Family

As we continue to move forward towards living in Uganda one of the obvious facts of missionary life is beginning to sink in. Moving to Uganda means leaving behind family and friends. Maybe it was getting a tentative date of May 1, 2010 to be over in Uganda which made this sink in for me. I don't know. But it saddens me to realize we will be leaving behind everyone we love. Kelly and I have been so blessed to have our parents and siblings (almost all of them) a mere 15 minutes away from us. Blessed to have parents who watched our boys for us just about anytime we asked- and sometimes we were asked to share them! That won't be the case in Uganda.

In that sad thought though I am beginning to see how God is going to provide for us over in Uganda. As we spent a week at WGM headquarters God showed me that He was assembling a new family for us. Albeit no one will ever come close to taking the place of our real family, and I don't want them to, God is already surrounding us with people to love us and encourage us. One of the coolest things was to meet the Ferg family when we reached headquarters. The Fergs live in Atco NJ (a mere 20 minutes from Clayton) and are good friends with Bill and Amy Ashe who we know through Delanco. The Fergs will also be going to Uganda and will be ministering side by side with Kelly and I. Only God would arrange for that to happen! Also on our team are Jamie Friedrich and Pam Wilson. Both girls are associated with Asbury where Kelly graduated. Pam was the "baby whisperer" during our week at headquarters and withing moments of holding Seth one night he was asleep in her arms. Jamie is the one you can talk about serious things with and then go out and make snow angels because you have been cooped up inside all day. Of course, Kelly's brother Scott and wife Meg (and baby Tim) will be in Uganda as well (albeit a 9 hour drive away). So God is already surrounding us with awesome people who will be our family while in Uganda. We will also be with plenty of other missionaries who I'm sure will be just what our family needs.

As we continue on this journey I thank God for already helping to ease the pain of leaving friends and family behind. It will be hard and tears will shed but God is still in control and will provide for us all no matter where we are on this globe.

- Josh

Our Uganda Family!