Why A Furlough?

In my last post, I mentioned a that I'll be taking a furlough in 2013.  It's been exciting to see God planning all of this--because it was definitely not what I expected for the first half of 2013.   

The Short Version:
Why a furlough?  Timing.

The Mid-Length Version:
Why a furlough?  Timing.  It would be better for me to go in early 2013 instead of early 2014. 

The Long Version:
Why a furlough?  Timing. :-)  I had a meeting in November with field leadership about going to a tribe with or without another single co-worker.  They shared with me that it was not a requirement that I wait for a co-worker, which meant that I would be able to get into a tribal work much sooner than I originally expected.  That evening when I arrived home, I had an email from a church asking me to be in the U.S. either in 2013 or 2014 for a missions conference.  I prayed about it over the weekend and decided that it would be better to be at the 2013 missions conference.  I sought wise council from friends and other missionaries, and we were all in agreement.  The more I have looked at the plans for the conference and a 5-month furlough in the U.S., the more confident I have been that this is how God is leading.

When I return to Paraguay at the end of July, I'll be able to start making better plans for joining a  tribal work in Paraguay: forming a team, choosing a work, and allocating there.  I'm really excited--not just about visiting all of you in the U.S., but also to get back to Paraguay and "get to work!"