July 29, 2005
The grass is a little greener, the sky a little bluer, and the smiles on my children’s faces linger on my mind long after the first good morning kiss.
I cannot think of many things more meaningful or rewarding than serving God in this WEI ministry. The scope of this powerful mission ministry is truly international. It requires me to travel long distances which is a blessing, and at the same time a great sacrifice. I thoroughly enjoy traveling, and I thoroughly miss my family every second I’m away from them.
I was in central London on the morning of July 7, after an overnight layover on my way home from the start of our 4 short-term missions in Romania. Two steps into the subway that morning, I suddenly had a strong impulse to buy a new shirt for my long travel home. My remaining clean shirt was old and wrinkled. I backed out and shopped for 30 minutes. When I returned to the subway, all chaos had ensued. After one bus, one taxi, and a lot of running between, I finally made it to Heathrow and through security just before boarding. It was surreal watching new reports at the airport in Chicago later that evening and knowing just hours earlier, I was in the middle of all that chaos.
As it turned out, the deadliest explosion occurred on the very line that I was to take to Heathrow that morning. According to the time of the explosion, I would likely have been on the train had I not impulsively decided to buy a new shirt for my trip home.
At the time of this writing, four Romanian missions and the work in Albania are going exceptionally well. The many faithful Christians involved in the success of these efforts are too numerous to mention. Over 60 Americans have traveled to Eastern Europe as WEI teachers and have sacrificed greatly to share the Good News and their faith with hundreds of students. To all these teachers, we thank you with all our hearts for partnering with us in WEI. Most importantly, we thank you for your dedication, commitment, love, and sacrifice for our Lord. May God bless you and keep you safe in the shelter of his arms. –Tom & Angie
