Greetings all,
Our arrival in Grand Island, Nebraska on Thursday night – it was good to be reunited with our gals!
Yes, I know, the eagles have landed and you didn’t even know they had taken off. Wow, this last month has been a whirlwind for sure with us being very busy right up to our return to the USA! I didn’t have my computer with me while in the tribe so difficult to send out mass emails – thus I will get this one out to you today. We landed safely in Grand Island, Nebraska late Thursday night. American Airlines got our luggage messed up in Dallas so by the time we got that all reported it was really late by the time we got home. I think it was going on 2:00 a.m. before I got to bed. Thankfully, the missed luggage showed up at the airport yesterday so another trip to the airport to pick that up. Now will unpack today.
Your answered prayers for Bella. Yes, she is up and walking not and playing with her friends. She is well on her way to recovery.
Upon our arrival in the provincial capital last month we were busy right away with church, team meetings, and some quick shopping for some food and incidental items we would need for using while in the tribe. We were blessed to have the helicopter in service, so this time were able to fly in on it. It was a super blessing to be reunited with our Wana family once again. We were right way involved in church leadership meetings in the first Wana village – teaching on what it means to be a Shepherd. The second village we were involved in a Pastor and deacon ordination where we also got to meet up with Bella and her parents – see photo above. And then the third village we held our biannual Wana Bible conference which we covered Joshua 11-13. It was then back to the first village where we finished up our leadership meetings on “shepherding” and also attended the annual Easter Youth Camp. It was a blessing to see hundreds of youth present for this conference. I couldn’t help but think back to 45 years ago when there were no believers and such a camp was not yet even in our planning. Praise God for what has happened on this Asia Pacific Island!
Geoff and I then flew out of the tribe this past Monday back to the provincial capital. We found a place to do express laundry as we wanted to get our bedding all washed up before we stored it away in our back packs. Then on Tueday morning it was back out to the airport to catch our plane to Jakarta. We arrived that same evening and then up at 2:00 a.m. on Thursday morning to catch our international flight back to the USA. As is normal we arrived Dallas 2 hours before we left Tokyo. Now we are enjoying the effects of jet lag with the 13 hour time difference 😊
Thank you so much for holding the ropes for us while we gone and keeping us before the Lord. We felt really blessed to be able to make this trip and feel it was a very profitable time. Now lots of things to follow up on. More to come later.
God Bless,
The Casteels
I told Bella that I knew God had something very special in life for her and that someday He would show her what that is. O yes, her T-Shirt – They buy these shirts in the market with English sayings and have no idea what it means 😊 She is a “cool” little girl though.
Ed Casteel
Church Planting Asia Pacific
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