From Michigan we headed to Dallas, thumb Texas. Every couple of years the missionaries from Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia gather together for a retreat. This was especially great for us because it gave us a chance to reunite with language school buddies and our dear friends, the Conaways. We had a week of great teaching, relaxing and just getting to know other missionaries, their struggles and triumphs on the field. There were wonderful speakers for Alex and Maggie, too. We faced a small but significant turning point on this retreat. Alex was no longer with the children, but with the youth. He’s eleven, but entering the 6th grade, and however small, that was a very important transition to him. He found every chance possible to ditch his uncool parents and hang out with the cool teenagers! All in all, though, we left Dallas for Colombia spiritually refreshed and ready to get back to work!
~Tona