America was wonderful.
It had been three years since we were last home, three years that held some of our toughest challenges to date. Resting in the arms of our loving families and our anchor of a church was thirst-quenching for our whole family.
It was a whirlwind of a trip. We traveled all around America, and it was drenched in blessings down to the tiniest details, with mercies along the way as we traveled with a jet-lagged two-year-old and a very homesick six-year-old. The Lord blew our minds with opportunities to meet new people in a genuine way and to reunite with friends and family who have loved us through this insane journey. He gave our family the core memories we had longed for. Harlow got to ride a horse! She also learned how to swim (thank you, Miranda!).
Our church went above and beyond to welcome us back into the fold. They invited us to home groups and Bible studies, took us out for soul-healing coffee dates, and genuinely wanted to know us more. Our families broke their backs to make sure we were as comfortable as humanly possible. Our daughters had the time of their lives thanks to family who scooped us up and poured as much love as they could into us.
I know this is all very fluffy language, but we are still gushing over how good God has been to us. Of course, there were major growing pains too: complicated emotional breakdowns from culture shock and warfare, and a very fun yet "expressive" two-year-old who hated her seat belt. Ha! But hard does not equal bad. The Lord had His hand on us the whole time, as we have seen Him do time and time again. We just want to thank everyone for loving us so well.
Now we are back in Cambodia and have hit the ground running. Harlow had her kindergarten graduation four days after we returned, and this past week she started first grade. Haven is back to her normal silly self, and we are working on building a new routine to replace the survival-mode routine we left with.
We came back to Cambodia as eager as ever to jump right back into ministry. Five days after arriving home, Curtis was able to visit the jungle church to co-host a team with Mordegai. At the service, Curtis confidently encouraged the Christians there, reminding them that Christ's family in America is eagerly praying over them. That message struck a chord with many, encouraging them to keep persevering.
The kids at Children of Hope (COH) have already started the new school year. One girl recently took the grueling two-day twelfth-grade exam, so now we patiently and anxiously wait for her results. It has been a great reunion for us, slipping back into our normal routine like we never left.
We can't wait to get out to see the Svay Rieng pastors in the village. They have been diligently serving their churches and communities, not to mention caring for the cow ministry and everything that goes into that job. We are continually encouraged by the great men of faith in that province. They long to see their culture change out there, and they are doing their absolute utmost to carry out God's calling in their lives.
Please continue to pray for our family's health and for the Lord to strengthen all the ministries we are involved in. This season, we hope and pray that God will continue to grow what He has already established and even blow our minds with ministry opportunities we have not seen before.
We are so grateful for all the hospitality we received while stateside, and we are thankful for the friendships forged and strengthened while we were there. Please reach out if you have any questions or prayer requests! We are honored to serve alongside you.
God bless,
Curtis and Bre Johnson
