Through culture shock, seeing people die of HIV/AIDS and malaria, poorly run hospitals, starvation, crime, alcoholism, prostitution, drugs, sex trafficking, beggars, racism, lack of jobs, people who don’t know Jesus, and the list goes on. God opened our eyes to a lot this past year while we were in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Aaron and I also had an extremely heart-breaking event in the last couple months. We unexpectedly had a miscarriage at the end of October, the week we got back to the US. We were very excited for this precious child of God and its definately been an emotional few weeks mourning the loss of this little one. We know that God is sovereign and has bigger plans than we can ever imagine.

We also have decided to stay in Louisville for another year to year-and-a-half. We realize that God has put a love in our hearts for South Africa. We want to be in Cape Town long-term and are going to research how to fully immigrate. There is so much opportunity in this beautiful country and also numerous ways to serve the people there.

2009 has been a year of extreme hardships but also of extreme growth. As it says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Even though there is still so much hardship all over the world, God is still good and He is worthy to be praised. I have a new understanding of what it means to long for Heaven and for the day where there will be no pain and suffering when we are joined with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20-21