What a blessing Matthew and Anna are! Yet we have so many other reasons for which to thank God for the Mike and Becky and their ministry among us. Our first associate pastor and wife have been such a blessing to us. Neither we nor they will ever be the same.

We enjoyed a time of fellowship together over dinner in the fellowship hall at 5:30 PM, Saturday April 14. The fellowship team led us well. We shared our appreciation to the Lord for the ministry of the Christs. Some shared through tears. Others brought laughter. Rhonda sang. We all prayed.

This was our last official event with Mike and Becky. Pastor Mike will spend two months finishing his thesis for his second graduate degree. Then he and Becky will have stateside cross cultural training. Following that they leave for Central Asia for one to two years of language training with the International Mission Board. Our volunteer missions teams work successfully through translators. But career missionaries know that personally sharing and explaining the gospel in someone’s heart language has distinct advantages.

When we called Mike to pastor here, we knew he would it was only until the time came for him to leave to be a career missionary. We are thankful for God’s calling on this family, but with sadness to no longer have them around, gather to send them off to their new field of service.