Next Monday...It's around the corner!

Since our wedding we have been "suitcase people". For the last two months we can really identify with the saying "home is where you lay your head"....we have stayed in 9 different places! One of the most refreshing places we have stayed was our 8th stop - the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA where we were this past weekend.
Realizing all of the changes we are going through, Stephanie's parents sent us to a Family Life Weekend to Remember conference in Hershey. We knew it was going to be a great experience from the time we got out of the car. Since Hershey is where the Hershey Chocolate Factory is, we could literally smell the sweet time in the air!
At the conference we learned a lot about the new roles and life we have found ourselves in and really gained some tools to strengthen our marriage. We realize for our ministry to be effective we first need to have a strong marriage. During the time we were especially excited about the HomeBuilders studies the organization puts out. HomeBuilders is material for a small group Bible study that focuses on building your marriage. We have realized how much we have to learn and how much we benefited from what we learned this weekend and we would love to learn along with a few other couples in Brazil. We purchased some material and are praying about beginning a HomeBuilders small group in Brazil eventually.
Of course our weekend in Hershey would not be complete without a tour/ride through Hershey's Chocolate World and we did not pass up the opportunity!

Now we are back in NJ at our 9th and final stop in this journey -Stephanie's parents' house. Stephanie's family is away for the week in Arizona so other than Christa and Joseph (Stephanie's siblings) we are on our own :)

The day after they left town a snowstorm came through. It was funny because for Jeyson, growing up in South America, snow is still very fun for him. When he found out he was going to have to help with snow removal, he got so excited he did the whole thing himself! Christa and Stephanie were happy to stay warm inside and get things done!

This week we have been facing our massive to do list that must be accomplished before we leave for Brazil next Monday. (Wow I can't believe I just said that - it is almost here!!) We have been busy with everything from getting health records to meeting with our pastor to setting up finances. If anyone reading this has ever moved out of the country you understand how overwhelming this can be! We are so excited that the final document that Stephanie needs to bring with her to get her permanent visa came through. She will go to Brazil on a tourist visa and once we are there she will apply for her permanent visa. Hopefully she has everything she needs for the process to go smoothly in Brazil, but keep praying about this since there are always new hoops to jump through. We have also started to say our good byes to many friends and family and even to pack - two very big jobs!

Meanwhile on Sunday we are headed to southern Jersey to Lavallette. When Jeyson was in Brazil he met a pastor from New Jersey who was visiting the area. Jeyson started chatting with him and he invited us to share at his church, which we did in November. They have invited us again to speak on Sunday so we are headed there again. After that we are on the homestretch for Brazil!