In Case You Didn't Know . . . .

You may have noticed a lull in our communication recently. There's actually a good reason for this. Within about a month after arriving in California, we did a 180, went back to Guam for three weeks, and began a mad-cap adventure packing up our whole household to be shipped to Santa Barbara (besides trying to deal with two cats and two cars). That's right, after four years of incredible ministry living in Guam, we have now made the transition back stateside for a new adventure. Eric just began work on the staff of Community Covenant Church in Goleta, CA. It seems long ago and far away now, but before we left for Guam in 2007, Eric was serving as a regular pastor at a regular California church when the invitation came to begin a seminary at Pacific Islands University (PIU). After her initial reluctance, Karyn grew to welcome the challenge, and we signed on to a three-to-five year contract to work among Micronesians in Guam. The irony is that while Eric feels satisfied with the fulfilment of his obligation, Karyn feels like her work is on a roll. Thankfully, in an unprecedented move, the Evangelical Covenant Church granted Karyn permission to continue her work from 6000 miles away, our new home in Santa Barbara. So, while Eric strolls next door to his new office, Karyn parks in a chair at the parsonage and takes every advantage of the marvels of modern technology. Via Skype, phone, the Internet, and Continental Airlines, Karyn pursues her work as mentor, teacher, and counselor to students and staff at PIU. Of course, it's going to be a lot easier when our 20-foot long cargo container arrives with all of our earthly belongings! Stay tuned as within the next day or two we share more about the changes. For now, enjoy a few pictures from our crazy summer.


Inside the Cavernous Container





Mo, student with a servant's heart







"I get by with a little help from friends."





Shutting the door at last!