Holiday Highlights

Howard and Esther Long (Jim's parents) are en route to JFK Airport as I type.  Their visit was much anticipated, very much appreciated and way too short!  Some highlights from their time with us:  treating Esther to a cream bath, which is a hair moisturizing, scalp massage.  I asked her how she enjoyed it, and she responded "that was awful...I kept praying she wouldn't go near my temples again!"  Her scalp had sore spots for days and we all laughed about it for days!  We showed them around the church and took them to our favorite mall for groceries.  Howard got a chance to preach in morning chapel and to share about his Truck Stop Ministry.
The Second week of their visit, we set out for Bali!  Just making our flight and enduring a harrowing nighttime car ride through the mountain pass to the north shores of Bali, added to the now growing thought that I might be an agent of torture!  When we awoke at Lilin Lovina Beach Resort, we felt it had all been worth it.  I mention the resort by name, because I want everyone to go vacation there.  It was marvelous!  The view of the ocean from our villa was beautiful and the breakfasts served every morning on our verandah were simply scrumptious.  We were pampered in every way for three days.
Now, in case you were thinking that I would never purposely torture my in-laws, you would be wrong.  On George's birthday, I "porpoisely" took us all on the adventure of a lifetime...we went dolphin watching!  Seriously, I didn't realize that the boat was about a foot wide with planks resting (not nailed in) over the top of it with bamboo outriggers to keep us from tipping over in the waves.  An hour out, putting along with a strained motor, and we were joined with the other dolphin watchers that early morning.  I prayed the entire time for safety, long-suffering and that we would actually see some dolphins!!  And then it happened, the other boats had gone on a chase the other direction and we sat by ourselves as the sea grew calm.  You guessed it... a school of dolphins surfaced and one did a flip on his tail - a birthday flip for George!  We watched and wondered as these gentle, playful creatures of the ocean enjoyed their morning frolic.  I tried to get pictures, but realized that I should put the camera away and enjoy the moment. (I was also scared that I would drop my camera into the water or that Della would slip off my lap into the deep blue as I was trying to capture our experience on film.)  Here are my two best pictures:

We arrived back on shore safe and sound, but with shaky legs and sore behinds!  Later that day we saw a waterspout and a gorgeous lightning show over the ocean that night...very cool.  Our trip ended and we flew back to Jakarta and the dreaded traffic.
Christmas preparations ensued and soon Christmas Eve was upon us.  We attended a service with five thousand people and Dr. Tong honored Howard by inviting him to give the Benediction.  Midnight was heralded in around our Christmas Tree together with new friends singing "Joy to the World!"  What memories for our first Christmas in Indonesia.
The holiday week ended with a couple of day trips to the mountains of Bogor to visit a fruit farm, botanical garden, safari and a beautiful villa.
The kids cried as Grandma and Pop Pop left for the airport, but I soon distracted them with watching fireworks out our window.  We live on the 22nd floor and have the most amazing view of Jakarta.  Fireworks are not illegal here and so everyone sets them off...all night long.  Not the little sparklers, but huge, beautiful rockets.  I stood alone at the window at 11:55pm and for the next five minutes beheld the most amazing sight.  Flashes of color sprayed across the sky above the city dazzling the mind and eye.  2013 was here and I was thankful that I got to spend it perched at my window in Jakarta.
May your 2013 be blessed with Love and Light!

A Christmas Card for You!

Countdown to Christmas

First artificial tree and Anna just decided that it doesn't seem like Christmas because the house doesn't have that pine tree smell. 
The stockings are hung over the bathroom door with care.  Questions abound about how Santa is going to get in to fill the stockings! 
Started Advent Scripture Chain and the kids are remembering the chocolate filled calendars they used to open each day as they anticipated the 25th.
Loved looking at Christmas lights around Millbrook.  Hoping that the glow of the city lights of Jakarta will manage to be an acceptable substitute.
Made my first batch of cookies for our Annual Christmas Eve Cookies and Punch.  Anna will not let this tradition die!

In the midst of missing our fireplace, snow, pets, loved ones, etc... I found a moment of true focus on the season.  Thanks to the internet, I was singing along to "Here With Us"
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah!  Heaven's Love reaching down to save the world.  Son of God, Servant King, here with us."  I had a blessed moment of peace and joy.  And as I was choking back tears of thankfulness, with a heart overflowing, Anna tapped me on the shoulder.  I looked up to see Della singing away with her eyes closed, head swaying and her face tipped to heaven.
 Christ is more than a tradition.  He is our Christmas, our Hope of Eternity, our all.  The trappings of Christmas are fun and special and sweet, but nothing to remember in light of His Birth, Death and Resurrection!

I'm back...blogging that is!

Wow! I can't believe it has been over a month since I last blogged.  That could mean a number of things. 1.  I''m just lazy  2.  nothing has happened  3.  we are getting settled and life is getting busier

While some may vote for #1, I'm going with #3.  We have been on the go and busy, which is a good thing!
Jim spends most of his time prepping for Bible Studies, fellowships and sermons as well as attending meetings and enjoying face time with students and parishioners.
This week we became a home school family!  Our first couple of days went well and I look forward to discovering new things with the kids as we continue.  If you home school, please send me your advice!
A friend just got back from the states and brought us lots of "essentials" like microwave popcorn and canned pumpkin (pie for Thanksgiving!)
We are also grateful to "the twins" for taking us on an overnight excursion to the mountainous cities of Bandung and Bogor.  It was fun to see new places and the kids got a chance to swim.
Our apartment is finished, but we are still not moved in.  We need to have internet and water delivery set up and to make sure the elevators and security are in place.  I decided to go ahead with some purchases before we move in.  I bought everyone a set of towels and I purchased a crock-pot!!  Yesterday we enjoyed corn chowder after the kids carved pumpkins.  We then roasted the pumpkin seeds and it smelled like home.  We considered turning the air conditioner to near freezing temps to complete the scene, but didn't want to put a chill on our bowls of soup!
We attended a night of Mozart presented by the Aula Simfonia Jakarta with Dr. Tong conducting and met the solo flutist on the elevator.  She is from Taiwan and was amazing!  Still hard to imagine that we don't have to leave the church premises to enjoy this type of world class production.

We are praying for those that are facing Hurricane Sandy and will follow everything as best we can on the internet.  We miss you all and love hearing from you!

tourist attraction

We had a super fun weekend!  It started when we went to the airport to pick up our friend, The Rev. Dr. Tan from New York by way of Singapore.  We waited and waited, but Dr. Tan was no where to be found.  As it turns out, a driver with a sign that read "Mr. Tan, Singapore" took him in his car and drove off.  Dr. Tan decided that he should give Jim a call to let him know he was en route only to make the shocking discovery that he was being driven to some other destination.  The driver than got a call from the other Mr. Tan who was looking for his ride.  Thankfully we had Silvia with us and she was able to talk to the driver in Bahasa Indonesian and straighten everything out.  The driver returned Dr. Tan to us and we all had a great laugh at the mix up!

 We took Dr. Tan to the colonial Dutch tourist spot in the city to visit some museums and the famous Cafe Batavia.  The museum was interesting with a lot of beautiful, intricately carved teak furniture from the era.  However, about every 15 minutes, we were stopped by school kids needing to interview English speakers and take pictures with them.  I thought getting to talk to these kids was even more enriching than the artifacts from the museum.  The courtyard was full of entertainment, food vendors and trinkets sellers.  My favorite was the improvised carnival ride shown below.  There were actually little ones sitting in the baskets going for a ride.  My kids wanted a turn, but I thought the better of it.  We ended up buying them some bubbles to take home and play with.

We were able to tour our apartment again and it looks like it is almost ready.  The only thing left to install is the kitchen.  We are going to have lots of room for visitors!!!  Hint Hint
On Sunday, we were invited for lunch and a swim at our friends townhouse.  The kids just had a blast and it was so relaxing.  We loved being outside for a change.  The sun is hot hot hot when it breaks through the smog, but if you find the shade, you can usually catch a nice breeze and it is quite pleasant.  I was treated to a delicious grapefruit green iced tea.  My new favorite!  I have been craving citrus and that really hit the spot. 

shopping spree!

One of the parishioners from the Mandarin congregation invited me to her wholesale clothing store today.  I was escorted by a couple from our group and we had a great time!  This store was not at the typical American type mall that I'm used to shopping at here.  Imagine one of those inside antique malls but times 1000 with stalls selling everything from purses and clothing to watches and jewelry, toys and linens...everything under the sun!  We were treated to a very generous take of tops and pants and skirts.  So very kind of this woman.
At the mall, I remind you not the modern mall we all know and love, I came in contact with my first "squat toilet."  After getting instructions from my friend, I managed the situation - indeed very thankful I had worn a skirt and had a couple of tissues in my purse.
We stopped by a store to pick up a few groceries and my friend noticed that I was purchasing two bottles of fabric softener.  She pointed out that I might want some detergent and I was confused.  I hadn't realized that for a month now, I had been washing our clothes in fabric softener!  No wonder they smelled so good. 
Our first piece of mail arrived today addressed to Mary!  Molly Olsen from Millbrook sent a sweet card to her hoping that she was feeling better.  What a wonderful surprise!  It looks like the card took about two weeks to get here.  Pretty quick, I think.
Jim is feeling better.  Thank you for the prayers.  Jim's friend and colleague, Pastor Tan, will be visiting this weekend.  We look forward to a familiar face and to seeing some new sights with him.  Anna loved her Batik making class that she took after school today and George got his Tae Kwon Do uniform.  Please pray for Anna.  While she has made a friend or two, she mostly feels lonely during the day and overwhelmed by the unfamiliar.  The speed of the math class has her a little lost as well.  She brought home her first test in Indonesian with only one mistake.  I asked her when she studied for that and she said she just learned it in class.  Hopefully this means she has an aptitude for languages.
If you hadn't heard, (or maybe you don't want to hear) I have been sleeping with a pair of panties over my head to keep the mosquitoes from biting me during the night.  Last night, Della joined my in bed and said "oh, you have underwear on your head."  She jumped up and said "I'll be right back!"  She came back in with her own pair of panties and put them over her head and snuggled right up next to me.  A moment I will not soon forget!

Long time no write

Trying to find a moment to write down some of my thoughts and experiences.  With Della climbing all over me, it is not easy!  Some errors to correct from my previous blog:  the kids go to STB-ACS International School, the fruit we enjoyed has a different name than I thought (but I can't remember the correct name) and we applied for our Kitas (not Kitsas.)  Speaking of Kitas, what a time getting those.  We had to be driven to the government office, even though it is across the street.  Nobody spoke English and the workers were rather grumpy.  At the end of the application process, the government official pushed four tokens across the table to me.  I thought they were souveniers for the kids.  He motioned to three boxes a couple of feet away and I realized that we were supposed to rate the service we had been given.  I quickly encouraged the children to drop the tokens into the box with the smiley face on it to ensure that we would indeed get our kitas!
Anna and George started school and have been tired from the long days and commute, but otherwise adjusting well.  They are each making friends and Anna's new friends met Mary and Della today and fussed over them and carried them around.  An American teacher introduced himself.  He is from Texas but has lived in Indonesia for 16 years.  He married here and has boys in each of the kid's grades.  Everyone has been very friendly and it seems they even have a Friday morning Bible Study at the school for Mom's.  I really hope I can work that one in.
Indonesia is the land of fried chicken!!!  Thankfully that is one of our favorites.  We have had KFC, Kenny Rogers, traditional Indonesian, A&W and Japanese.  Jim's favorite is A&W, which I did not get to try.  My favorite was from a Japanese restaurant.  It was juicy, crispy and de-boned!  Yeah!  Fried chicken makes up the bulk of every fast food menu, along with a scoop of rice.  I have to say, when you order fries, they are always good too!
We are going to open up a bank account tomorrow.  I hope it is not too complicated!  We are excited to have dinner tomorrow night with a parishoner from Queens.  She was in the states for a couple of years and lives back in Jakarta now.  How cool is that?
I was introduced to a grocery store that sells Dr. Pepper!  I saw many Westerners shopping there and found lots of products from home.  When we move into our apartment and I have a full kitchen, I will be stocking up!!
Jim surprised me yesterday with a bouquet of beautiful purple roses for our Anniversary.  Very sweet.  Unfortunately, he is still not feeling great (tummy trouble.)  Hopefully the end is in sight and it does seem that he has lost a few pounds!
As far as ministry goes, we have been meeting a lot of people and Jim has been spending time with the seminary students.  Lots of meetings to see how things run and to get to know everybody.  People are always dropping of groceries or gifts or checking in to see how we are doing.  It really makes it much easier to adjust to a new country/culture.  Time to get kids to bed...I'll post again soon!  Love to everyone!!

The fog has lifted!

...no, I don't mean the smog over Jakarta!  The last couple of days, I was so tired, I could hardly function. It may have been the lack of caffeine and sugar from my once daily Dr. Pepper.  They have Pepsi, Coke, Sprite and Orange Fanta so I'm not going to miss out on soda altogether.  Anyway, today I was able to grab a Starbucks while grocery shopping at the mall and found the energy to scrub the bathrooms!  I really feel much better and the fact that we found Krispy Kreme donuts didn't hurt any either.  You can pretty much get anything you need here, it is just a matter of being able to get a ride.  The church has a car that we can use to get the kids to and from school and then we will share it with others, but we don't have a driver yet.  We borrowed a driver today and were able to get groceries, etc...  The grocery stores are part of these huge malls and you can push your grocery cart through the mall with you.  Very nice.  We brought Anna and George to their school today for entrance testing.  The school is beautiful and I think they will adjust well.  They both were remembering Millbrook today and all their friends back home.  It looks like they might get to start class next week and we will hope to have a driver by then.  If you want to see pictures of the school, you can look up ACS-IBS International School in Jakarta.  Shout out to my Thirty-One extra large carry all bag!  I use it to do laundry and grocery shopping and also to lug beach towels and snacks.  Loving it!  We are all getting a little testy around the apartment.  The space is small and the kids are over the "fun" of all sleeping in the same bed.  They bought us a toaster today, so that will be a nice change of pace.  The mosquitoes have been attacking while we sleep and I have bright red dots all over my face.  If it doesn't improve in our permanent apartment, I think I will get netting for my bed.  Last night we were treated to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, conducted by Dr. Tong.  Amazing!  When the full choir joined in with the four soloists and the orchestra was at its peak...oh it just resonated to the core of my being!  The kids made it through the concert without a peep and it was over two hours!  Ok, so Della was asleep for most of it, but my prayers were answered!  Dr. Tong is 72 and conducted brilliantly.  I don't know the man well, but I have seen that he is supernaturally gifted and has energy that could only come from above.  He dropped in for an unexpected visit after the concert and the kids were so happy to see him.  He is like a Grandpa to them already!  He left early this morning for a week long crusade to one of Indonesia's many islands.  A very sweet lady dropped off some native fruit for us today.  I think it is called Jampur Air.  The are about the size of a golf ball and shaped like a bell.  You peel the brown skin off and eat the segments inside.  Very crunchy and sort of sweet and kind of reminds Jim of a large chestnut.  The days are dry and the sun rises at 6am and sets at 6pm.  The sun usually doesn't get super hot as it is filtered by the smog.  Probably a good thing or we would be scorched.  Sunday's service and sermon went well and we look forward to seeing how God is going to use us here.  We met a couple from Brooklyn that now live in Bandung, a couple of hours away from Jakarta.  They have started a classical school there and we would like to try and visit sometime if we can.  I'm learning bits and pieces of Indonesian like "chair" is "kursi" and "kamar mandi" is bathroom!  Some words like "cup" are the same as in English.  Go figure!  We are off to the government offices tomorrow to get some more paperwork taken care of.  I think we are getting something called a "kitsas" which I think gives us residence opportunities like opening up a bank account, paying local prices at tourist attractions and so forth.  After our outing, I'll get started on some more laundry.  The washer is just down the hall and you hang everything to dry in a big room with a fan.  The clothes dry in a day which is great as I can usually hang two loads per day.  Anyway, I should get to bed now.  I miss everyone so much and wish I could show you everything that I'm seeing and have you experiencing it here with me.  That would be just perfect.  Love to all and prayers, too!

One week today

It is hard to believe that our first week here is over.  We have seen so much and met so many new friends!  It is Saturday morning and Jim is attending the 6:30am Chapel service for the seminary.  I guess Saturdays won't be for sleeping in!  He will then attend a meeting with Dr. Tong and many in ministry here at 8:30am.  Tomorrow, Jim will preach for the first time and we will attend the Jakarta Symphony's performance of Beethoven's Ninth.  Anna and George interview for school on Monday and will start soon after.  Hopefully, with each passing day, we will feel more and more at home.  Time to clean and do laundry and get dressed for the day.  I almost just hit the delete button thinking who is going to want to read this....but "maaf" (sorry) I will write something more interesting later.

On a trip to the mall

stories as promised

So I am up and it is 2:45am Jakarta time and Mary is sitting next to me in the dark.  I'll tell you the memorable stories leading up to our departure.
Jim decided he needed to finish his last can of fish that he had been saving instead of eating the breakfast his mom had prepared for us.  I had just put on my outfit that would have to last me through the long trip.  Della decided that she wanted a bite of fish.  As Jim reached over me with the fork, all the oily, smelly fish dropped onto my sweater and into my lap!  If you know me, you know I was not a happy camper!  Now I had to strip down and get my clothes washed and dried in one hour.  I was not going to smell like fish the entire flight!  I decided that I would look back and laugh some day.

On the car ride to Queens, Anna was expressing that she was a little scared of going on the plane.

 Della reached over and took Anna's hand and said "Don't be scared, Anna, I'll take care of you."  It was the most precious thing ever.

Yesterday, we were treated to Kidzania at the mall in Jakarta.  You buy a ticket to go into this mini town where the kids dress up like doctors, scientists, hairdressers, etc.... and are given a job to complete and get paid pretend cash.  The parents watch through the windows and I was able to have great conversations with two different families.  Many people are curious about Mary's hair and if we are in town for holiday.  One family is headed to Houston next week on a business trip!  It was great fun, but Jim ended up carrying Della for three hours as she slept on his shoulder!  We got home and the kids went straight to bed, too tired to even eat dinner.  They want to go back and try some more jobs next time.  Grocery shopping today and safari tomorrow.  We are enjoying our "honeymoon" week.  Pretty soon...work work and more work!  Trying to post pictures.

Safe and Sound

George and Anna could hardly contain themselves as we touched down in Jakarta.  What we had been talking about and preparing for was finally a reality.  I also think they were delirious on three hours of sleep.  Anna's excitement wore off as she decided that Jakarta wasn't like she had imagined.  A couple of tears and then sleep came.  The kids are all still sleeping and hopefully will for another six hours.  I awoke to someone crying and I raced into the kids room.  Everyone was still asleep and yet this constant, high-pitched chant/cry persisted.  I went to the window and was reminded that today is the start of the muslim ramadam holiday.  The mosques are in full swing loud speaker mode and fireworks are going off all night...a very pretty sight.  Tempting to wake the kids, but no.
Thank you for all the prayers!  Our flights went well and the kids were awesome.  The church is a glorious sight here, quite breathtaking in it's enormity.  I haven't explored inside, yet.  We are in temporary student housing for a couple of weeks.  I'll post pictures when I get a chance.  I actually haven't taken any yet.  Where are my picture taking neighbors from Millbrook when you need them?! I need to eat, so I close.  I have some great stories to share about our last 12 hours before leaving the states, but I'll do that next time.  Just wanted to let everyone know that we are fine and the people here are so nice and helpful.  Love to you all!

Finishing Touches

Spending today organizing and reorganizing all the luggage.  The ultimate goal is to fit as many of Jim's books into the suitcases as possible.  I have high hopes!  Looking forward to the dinner Mom is preparing for us - a roast and the best sweet summer corn in the world.  I think both are hard to come by in Indonesia.  The kids are getting excited and I'm worrying about what I might forget to do or bring.
On my drive to PA yesterday, the radio played "Give me Jesus" and it really ministered to me.  The line "you can have all this world...just give me Jesus" helped me put everything in perspective.  All the stuff we have been donating, packing, moving, etc...isn't important.  I'll survive where we live and how we live as long as I have Jesus!
30 hours left in the states...it's the final countdown!!  Please pray  :-)

Grateful

Thank you to everyone for all the encouragement and support.  The gifts and prayers have given us the ability to start on this exciting new journey.  We are also thankful to have received the information we needed to be able to secure our visas!  Jim and I will take the train to NYC tomorrow morning and apply at the Indonesian Consulate.  Please continue to pray that we would not run into any obstacles and that we can get back to the house quickly to continue packing and cleaning.  If all goes well, we will pick up the visas on our way to the airport on Thursday.  How is that for a close call?  Today is our last Sunday in Millbrook and there will be lots of hugs and tears as we say goodbye to our dear brothers and sisters at Lyall Church.  Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Wide awake and dreaming

5:00 am and thoughts are racing through my head!  This is it ... Less than a week and Jakarta becomes our new home. This must be a dream, because my reality is not close to prepared for this. My house is not empty or clean, we haven't said our goodbyes to Licorice and Brownie and to top it all off, we have to somehow get to the Indonesian Embassy and secure our visas. I guess I'm hitting the panic button and praying that it somehow works out.  In the end, it always does, just not as I've imagined. I really wanted Jim to have a few days to rest before the trip and instead we will be rushing right up to the end. The 25 hour flight will have to be his down time :)
Time for me to rest in the knowledge that the Lord holds me in the palm of His hand and is intimately involved in the details of my life!  Praise be to the Great I AM!!

Purging and Packing

The U-Haul made it to Jim's parents house in PA and our home is.....still not empty!!!  How can this be?  I really do love this purging.  It seems so freeing, but it is quite a process for which there seems no end in sight.  My mom and step dad arrived today to help with the kids and the house.  Yeah!!

We are so thankful that Licorice is going to be adopted by an awesome family from Poughkeepsie.  They have a little girl that fell in love with him and he was very well behaved during his "meet and greet."  Thank you to our neighbor, Kim, for finding this perfect family for "Lucky Licky Long."

Two weeks and counting......

A Home for Licorice

Three weeks and counting!!  We just got back from a very relaxing vacation in NH and I am now ready to tackle this house.  So much to pack, sort, toss, donate, etc....  I know it will all get done, somehow.  What I don't have control over is finding a good home for Licorice.  We have been praying that God would send the right family for him and with three weeks left, I'm getting a little nervous.  God always answers our prayers, so I have no doubt Licorice will have a home before we go.  If you would like to help spread the word, here are the stats on Licorice:
2 1/2 yrs. old
1/2 standard poodle/ 1/2 german shepherd - he does not shed!!!!!
Neutered and trained
loves kids
Licorice is a hero - saved Anna's rabbit in a rainstorm!

Thank you for your help!

Love, Nanci

Dear Family and Friends,

This past Easter, Jim was honored to accompany the Reverend Dr. Stephen Tong  (the “ Billy Graham of the East”) on an evangelistic crusade across Borneo.  Five Gospel rallies were held and over 10,000 Indonesians came forward to surrender their lives to Christ!  Needless to say, Jim was overwhelmed and humbled by this experience.

God placed it on Dr. Tong’s heart to invite our family to join his ministry in Jakarta, Indonesia.  After much prayer, Jim has accepted the call to become the seminary chaplain and English pastor of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Jakarta.  We are grateful that God is allowing us to be a part of this revival in a country with the largest Muslim population in the world! 

With the blessing of our current church in Millbrook, NY, we leave for Jakarta on August 16^th.  We are in the process of selling/giving away our belongings and trying to get all the paperwork and vaccinations taken care of.  This is all happening so quickly, that we will not be able to see all of our family and friends before we depart.  This saddens us, but we are thankful for technology that will enable us to stay in touch, perhaps more than we do currently! J    If you ever had the desire to travel to Southeast Asia, here is your chance!  We offer free room and board and lots of hugs from the kids!  We hope many of you will visit.

To stay connected, I will be blogging at  www.Long4Him.blogspot.com  and posting on facebook as well as sending out emails.  Please email me at nancireneelong@gmail.com if you would like to be on our list.  If you have a Smartphone and download the  Viber  app (as I have), all calls and texts are free.   I will do my best to keep you updated on our family and our ministry in Jakarta.  Send us your updates and prayer requests, too!

Please pray now for the following:

·         Packing and preparing for departure (so much to do – so little time)

·          Smooth transition for Anna, George, Mary and Della (saying goodbye to possessions, people and pets)

·         Safe and stress- free flight (I can’t imagine a 25hr. flight with four little ones being stress-free, but I’m going to ask anyway J)

·         Trusting God’s provision (we do not have a western-style contract, which on a positive note, ensures our security is found only in the Lord)

·         Transitioning of ministry in our current church in Millbrook (difficult for Jim to leave his post)

·          Dr. Tong’s ministry as the summer revival just saw 60,000 put their faith in Christ. (They have never seen such a tremendous harvest!)

We are incredibly blessed to have wonderful family and friends!  We look forward to continuing our relationships, even from such a long distance.  “"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Eph. 3:20-21).

Love,

 The Long Family

                Jim, Nanci, Anna, George, Mary and Della

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