happy new year

Dear family and friends, 

Happy New Year! We've only been in Brazil for 13 days, but our time has been power-packed with delicious food, time with old and new friends, summer heat, language learning and fails, walking, more walking, and now saying good-bye again (Braden leaves tomorrow to start his new semester at Wofford). 😢 

We are so thankful for you all. You all have faithfully stood beside us this past year and supported us as we followed God's call. Thank you for all your messages and prayers as we look ahead to the new year. Specifically, we are so excited to have connected with the pastor and his family. Please pray for our upcoming meetings and that we could come alongside in full support for the church's vision for the new year. Also, pray for us as we continue to get settled, specifically that we could find a car and finish setting up our apartment.

Many of the pictures above are from a trip that Mom and Dad gave us for Christmas. We got to spend 3 days at a hotel on a previous ostrich farm! All the food was included and we got to enjoy the pool and play a little pickleball. Everett got to ride horses and milk a cow. It was a great distraction from missing family over the holiday. 

We'd love to hear from you. Hope you have a Happy New Year!

Jeff, Amy, Braden, Simon, Lucy, and Everett 

p.s. Braden's passport was a wild ride. I'll try to summarize: After turning in the passport and waiting the allotted time, we knew we would be cutting it close if it didn't arrive soon. Instead we heard back that Braden's pictures were no good. He rushed off and took new ones and mailed them in. After waiting a week or so more, we checked in; the pictures still hadn't arrived! Amy suggested that Braden contact his professor, former U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy, to see if he could help. Amazingly, he responded the same day saying he was forwarding on the request. Tim Scott's office contacted Braden and asked that he send a new set of pictures directly to them. Braden rushed off, took 4 sets of pictures to make sure they worked, and sent them off. Later we learned that the pictures had not arrived in time. This was the day before the trip. On top of that, a winter snow storm was blowing in, so any mail was unlikely to make it. Instead they made Braden an appointment in Atlanta for the next day, the day of the trip! And we were flying out of Birmingham! So, Braden and Amy's mom drove over and stayed the night in Atlanta with new pictures in tow. Thankfully, this part went off without a hitch and Braden made it to the airport in time to make the flight. Thank you for your prayers! What an amazing journey! Only later did I learn that Gowdy's newest book is titled, Doesn't Hurt to Ask! 😁 How much better is it to remember that God invites us to ask Him!