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Furlough is when you recharge from any drainage from the field,
visit your family and friends, report to your supporting churches to thank them, raise additional support by trying to schedule
new ones, attend any retreats or seminars from your missions agency, help your left behind teens get settled for their new
life in the States, and then make preparations to reunite with your heart that was left behind on the mission field.
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What's Here: Originally it was my plan to post
my Furlough Schedule along with some highlights of the churches I visit on this page. But again, I was getting
close to my 20 Meg limit on this free site so I constructed another free site, totally reserved for our furlough. So
go ahead a vist my new Furlough Site for the lastest news. And here, well I guess I'll find some furlough stuff to put
here as things sort of accumulate when you travel!
About
Furlough: Furlough is both fun yet exhausting. I'll probably live in my Sending Church's missionary apartment, but will need to unpack my things from storage, check in with
my local bank, purchase a needed vehicle and buy some clothes and groceries, make a audio-visual presentation and display,
get a cell phone and directory, call and send out letters, drive long distances, preach ideally in three services per week,
get my son Joshua set up in the States (we'll be leaving him behind), while praying for my church back here. During
my travels, I have been treated to really nice hotels and lavish restaurant meals, and have also slept in peoples
homes, fully furnished missionay apartments, Sunday School rooms, in my car, and once in a storage room, eating instant oatmeal,
canned beans, cup-of-noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! But while I am simple and don't mind the humble
accommodations, a good missionary will be thankful for any place he can stay and any meal he
can eat, and I have ALWAYS gained weight on furlough! God and His people, have always took good care of me on furlough,
just as it happens on the field.
The Good Stuff: It's
nice fellowshipping with my pastor friends again, meeting those who have been supporting and praying for me,
being treated like I'm someone special, discovering how things have changed since I've been away, finding great deals on items
I can use on the field, but most of all, being given an opportunity to share how good God has been to us while we served Him
in the Philippines!
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