And we're back...

I arrived home safely from Southeast Asia last night. It was an incredible trip, with many experiences that were encouraging and challenging and others that were as terrifying as I have ever had. I will post some pictures, but due to the nature of the trip, I can't post many details or give any names, even of the places we visited. I will be sending a letter with details and more photos to all those who agreed to pray and give toward my expenses. Anyone reading this who wants a copy of that letter can let me know. Meanwhile, enjoy reading a list of some of the things I experienced:

1. Rice, rice, and more rice. Rice at every meal. Rice until well after I was sick of it.
2. Rice noodles with squid for breakfast.
   
3. HOT chilis on and in everything I ate.
   
4. Squatty potties. The less said about them or seen of them, the better.
   
5. Crab pizza at an Italian restaurant overlooking the ocean. Suffering for the Kingdom, let me tell you.
6. Meeting, talking with, and teaching some incredible men and women who really do experience suffering and possible martyrdom for the sake of the Kingdom.
   
7. Terrible homesickness-missing Karen and the kids something awful.
   
8. Opening doors to the Gospel among people who are among the least reached in the world.
9. Seeing God answer prayers, bind Satan, protect us, grant us peace, and meet us in ways I have seldom experienced.
   

What more can I say? It was amazing, powerful, and indescribable. Not even our photos do justice to what we saw and God's work in our lives while we there. For all that, I am both grateful to have gone and seen God at work in others and in me and very glad to be back home.