Dear Parkside,

It’s been a little over a year since we landed in central Asia. We’ve done this move a few times before to Taiwan and China, and, despite the upsets, I am thankful for the grace and wisdom that come from multiple launches. It’s a little like parenting when the fourth or fifth kid comes along. I’m thankful for freedom from worry and a focus on what’s essential. Worry, unbelief, and grumbling are poor traveling companions for a pilgrim’s progress. As I write these words, we probably still need to decisively ditch these robbers that we find brazenly clinging to us at every turn. Lord, help us to take authority and to come boldly before your throne of grace, like you commanded us to.

Our priority outside of getting settled and caring for our family and teammates has been language learning. As a linguist I’m tempted to go into detail and put most people to sleep by describing how Russian and English are akin. Having been immersed in classical languages along with German, most days I’m thrilled by repeatedly seeing the preservation of our shared Indo-European ancestry made apparent by virtue of Russian’s age and differing isolation. For example, the word “redeem” comes to mind repeatedly when I see many Russian words, like the word meaning “understand” or another word meaning “pay attention.”