It's Just the Beginning...

Over the past six weeks here, we have experienced lots of adventures, met many friends, depended on the kindness of others, made mistakes, had struggles, learned how to love deeper and realized that coming here is not the final destination, rather it's just the beginning of a journey of learning. As we are humbled by this process, we want to "become" in all aspects of life in order to reach others.

All three of us have started learning the language at a very basic level. Jadynn is already doing really well! It's fun to watch how she listens and repeats words that she is taught. She is not afraid to speak or make mistakes and learns very quickly this way. After a short period of orientation to our new home, we began formal language lessons.

A tutor comes to our home and teaches us both at the same time, so we are once again classmates! Both of us really enjoy this part of the journey, and we are eager each day to learn more words and more about the culture so that we can become a part of the community where we live.

Here are some of the people who make up our new community...


Local ladies who make or grow their own food- offering some to us!


Many different ethnic backgrounds


These little scooters are fun to ride


Sometimes we want to hold on so tight!


Sharing a bowl of spicy noodles...



Going out for a meal is something friends do often to enjoy one another's company. These are a few of our friends who teach English at the local university, and they have been very welcoming to our family in this new city.



Hosting a large meal at your home is common too, at least among the college students we know, and the girls all like to gather in the kitchen and cook together!



The local outdoor market is where you can daily buy meat, eggs, rice, spices, tofu, vegetables and fruits. Items here are fresh and need to be cooked soon after you take them home, and then you can come again the next day for more fresh food!



If you want to pick out your own meal, you can point and choose from a selection like this one, and then have it cooked for you.



Or you can stop by the side of the street and have a quick meal on a stick!



In the midst of new surroundings, our roles now as students, and Jadynn learning to adjust and succeed in a different country, we have asked our Provider to help us make time for our family and marriage.

Here is a nearby swimming pool, where we enjoy time together!



A performance at the local college with lots of "dancing princesses" (Jadynn's words)



Daddy and daughter having a laugh together at a nearby park...



Climbing the jungle gym with local friends



Our friends have watched Jadynn for us nearly once a week so we can have a "date night"



We are thankful for the many new friends that we have met. It's amazing how each person, young or old has contributed to teaching us about their country, which has become our new home. However, the language is always a barrier, since many know only limited English. We look forward to growing in our knowledge of the language/culture and going deeper with each of them.

Thank you for lifting us up, we are so happy to be able to be on this journey with you. As we look forward to each new chapter please let us know how we can lift you up!

All Our Love,
Jonathan, Robynn and Jadynn

Arrival in Asia

Greetings from the other side of the world! We arrived safely in our new country almost two weeks ago, and are excited to share more of the journey. As you can imagine, saying good bye was not easy. There were many precious days filled with sweet memories that will carry us through until we are together again. Thank you to our many friends and family who made meals, helped us pack, watched Jadynn, ran errands and lifted us up during our departure. The word "team" came up over and over again and we really felt that we are all on the same team, thanks for getting us here feeling that we truly are all in this together.

Moving day, it felt like any other day except for having to take more than just a few suitcases with us. Here is Jadynn all ready for the trip, notice she does not have her shoes on yet...


Here we are leaving from ATL, with just a little help to get all our luggage on board!

We boarded the plane and got ready for the great adventure as a family...


Guess who was the first to fall asleep?



When our little angel did wake up she made friends on the plane and gave her parents time to rest...



After more than 30 hours of travel we made it to our final destination.



Robynn made some friends too, she loves the babies!



Here is the courtyard outside our apartment.



When we arrived it was empty and after a few nights on the floor, we felt it was time to go and get some furniture. Here are some local friends who helped us...




Our new city, we love it here!



In the evenings, many people gather in what is like a town square to exercise or dance, or just to unwind after a long day of work. As we get settled, we are reminded that so many of these people are looking for answers and we want to be available to share with them as we make friends. Remember them and us as you think of our country and its people.




All our love,
Jonathan, Robynn and Jadynn

The time has come...

Saying good bye is never easy, yet with excitement and anticipation we are announcing our departure for Asia. These next 2 weeks of packing and preparing for our life overseas are going to be very busy. Thank you so much for all your thoughts! His timing in all of this is perfect, we have been here for some major family events and have enjoyed being involved in the lives of our friends and local family.

Here are some of the highlights of the last few months, as we have been eagerly awaiting the go ahead from our friends in our new country to join them.

A visit from Grammi in February



Breakfast at Jadynn's favorite restuarant



One of our conferences in March



Uncle Rick spends time with us and babysitting Jadynn as often as he can



Daddy gets kisses on Easter



We are looking forward to the next season of our lives and settling in to our new home. We are so thankful for each of you and your love and compassion toward us. Thanks for remembering us as we move, and we can't wait to send you our first update from our new country.

All our love,
Jonathan, Robynn and Jadynn

Almost there...

Happy New Year! We are excited to share our lives with you in these final days before we move overseas. Last month we celebrated many special events, Jadynn's 2nd birthday, Jonathan turned 29 and then we celebrated the son's birthday on Christmas. This is the year that we move to Asia. It's amazing to think that in a few months we will be heading on a plane for 15 hours or more to a place that will be our new home for many years to come. As we make these preparations we want to include you in the process.

All of our belongings are now neatly packed away in several large tupperware containers in Jonathan's parents' basement in Atlanta. Each container is numbered with a list of its contents on our computer, should we need anything. We plan on bringing no more than 5 or 6 suitcases with us. Most everything we will need to set up our home will be available in the country. Things that we can't find that we need to bring include anything that we want to read in our own language, children's books, games, etc. Items for our own growth in our walk. Shoes in big sizes (we both have large feet!) Ha! Bug spray, mosquito nets, medicine for those new bugs that will be in our system. Our computers and other programs that will assist us in language learning and documentation as we will be studying language and culture for the first 3 years that we are in the country.

Jonathan's birthday Christmas Eve 2009

Jonathan has been working very hard to lead us as a family. He is working on the paperwork process most every day and making progress getting all our documents in order. We continue to look to the father to build our support team and each day we are working toward that goal. Our desire is to continue developing our marriage and work each day on our own growth looking to him for our encouragement.



Robynn is prepraring our family for a big move making sure that everyone has the right clothes, important items for homeschooling (since Jadynn will be 5 before we return), communicating with the team in Asia, and keeping our team here at home updated on our progress. She spends a lot of time sorting and making lists, all a part of the process and things that she likes to do!



Jadynn is having a great time! Although the moving and traveling during this time has been hard in many ways for her parents- Jadynn loves the opportunity to see her many family members and friends in a lot of the areas where we have been lately. She is even starting to remember which people are in which city or state. We really have been given an amazing young lady, always ready to make a new friend or reunite with an old one. Each day we learn so much from her, and we are very proud.



There she is! Ready to go! Don't worry she will have her own seat on the plane- no need to jump in the suitcase! Ha! Thank you for thinking about us as we continue our final preparations. We are depending on him who is faithful to sustain us and bring all things together for our departure in these next few months.

All our love,
Jonathan, Robynn and Jadynn

In Between

The sun is setting, time is growing short in this place. One night to get away, baby is sleeping soundly. A walk to share about the future, our hearts, His leading. Then, she looks excitedly in his eyes as if to say, "Are you ready for this adventure?"



As we lay our plans in His fully capable hands, we find ourselves in between a lot. We live in between two States right now, not sure where to call home, except that every place we are is our home. In between us is our lovely daughter, who wants both of our attention and will stop at nothing to know that we are thinking of her and aware of her needs. Our emotions are sometimes in between, filled with joy and wonder at the adventure before us, but also thoughts about specifics and those that we are going to miss. Excited to meet our new neighbors, make friends and join a work that is so rewarding, knowing that the change will be difficult, from different sounds to ways to get around. Will we have a car? A bike? Perhaps a bus? Or do people mostly walk?



Knowing that we have the full support and love of our families gives us strength. How could we have ever known how important and encouraging our parents would be in our lives as we become adults, and embark on a journey that will take us so far from home. Even now as we are parents ourselves, its hard to imagine the impact we have on our child and how much she will need our love, support and guidance. Right now in between, we are thankful for the precious times that we are able to spend together, birthdays, the holidays, and recently a funeral as Jonathan's grandfather went to glory.

G-pa and Grammi with Jonathan, Robynn and Jadynn

Ma K and Papa holding Jadynn

Each day we continue to walk in the light of what he has shown us and are one step closer to the goal. You are so important to us as you remember us during this time when we are truly in between. We know that many of you may be feeling the same way right now, as each one of us will continue to face challenges and ever changing circumstances in this life. How wonderful it is to know that we know the one who will never change, who is the same yesterday, today and forever. In Him we take comfort and find our contentment.



Jadynn and I enjoyed a morning on the swings. She loves swings. Sometimes she will lay on her belly and run directly into the swing letting the force carry her forward and backward. Other times she wants to swing, on her "bum bum," our creative word for her bottom. But every now and then she wants Mommy to swing with her. I count this as a great privilege especially as she is growing up and becoming more and more independent. Nearly 2 years old now, my daughter looks up at me at times and wants me to enter her world and play with her on the swing.

How much more do I want to be like her, to look up and invite my father above to sit next to me and enter "my" world. He must know how I feel, as a mother, when I sense the great privilege of the invitation from my sweet daughter. I know he smiles and instantly takes the opportunity to enjoy the swing with me!

All our love,
Jonathan, Robynn and Jadynn

Welcome to the Team!

Dear family and friends, we are excited to announce that we are now officially accepted to the team in Asia! It has been a long road to get to this point, and we are so thankful for your support throughout the process. You are a part of our team! It is a privilege to serve with you. Together, we are on the journey of changing lives and bringing hope to those with none.

These past few months we have met with many who have lived or served in Asia and we have heard over and over that the need is still great there, with millions of ethnic people living in areas where there is no opportunity to hear the good news or read the word.

We are looking forward to open doors in the area:



This season has brought a lot of change in our lives, transition is a new theme in our family. However, we know that our father has been faithful in taking care of us and providing for us. Our time in Atlanta with our family has been a joy. It has been crazy with our parents, our brother and his wife and two girls, our sister, and us with our little one--all living under one roof for a month and a half! We could have had our own reality TV series!

Here we are enjoying a picnic together, along with my sister's fiance and Robynn's brother:



Jadynn has enjoyed playing with her newest cousin, Kylie:



Robynn's brother came to visit us and we celebrated his birthday (ladies, he's an available bachelor):



Jadynn has been great as we have been traveling between Atlanta and Florida to visit many partners in our work. She loves to meet people and is always so friendly. She keeps us busy and we like to take her to the park so she can release all her energy :) Here she is having fun on the swings:




All our love,
Jonathan, Robynn, and Jadynn