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MK Decisions: Go or Stay? Second Chapter




To go or to stay?  In first installment of MK Decisions {Here's the link:  To GO or STAY? }, I talked about how it was important to me to make sure my TCK/MK boys know that living and working in Brazil is just as valid as the USA.  It was always our intentional intention to see to it that our boys did not value one culture more than the other in our bi-cultural home.  Granted, I was born American.  My Portuguese is okay, but I don't really fit in well in my surroundings on many levels.  Good intentions or not - there is no perfection in intentions.  But, my goals were positive and well meaning.

In August of 2014 our oldest was faced with an interesting dilemma.  It was time for his family to go back to Brazil, but his furloughing parents had decided to extend their time in the States.  We had tickets for August.  He had a free ticket in hand to go back to Brazil which he had originally planned to do when we all came in December of 2013.  What to do - GO?  Or STAY?

He decided to go...


He went back to our home.  All by himself.  
Well, there were friends and the dogs!
It wasn't all easy. 
 There were lots of learning moments and growing times.



William worked for a missionary uncle and helped in our church congregation - preaching some, teaching, working with youth and with evangelism.  And he fed the dogs!  And his mother worried....


In December of 2014 my husband and I returned to Brazil with just our youngest son while our middle boy stayed in the States in a boarding school.  {Another story, someday, maybe.}
We were together again with William.  Father and son worked together in the church and son started thinking about going and staying all over again.


As William started to think about furthering his studies, he began to re-think and re-consider where the best place to go might just be.  In May of 2015 he went back to the States after much prayer.  We miss him a lot and miss all his hard work with the church.

He is an intern at our furloughing church where he has become a member.  They are taking good care of him.  He is living in a basement apartment of a church member.  He has lots of support.  He has a great part time job.   He decided to start his studies at a local community college where he began classes in August.  Yeah, he has a great girlfriend as well.  She was waiting for him during the eight months he was in Brazil.

He doesn't know about the future.  I imagine there will be more Coming and Going.  It's just another chapter in his life and it's all good.  

Would you pray for him as he studies, works and ministers in his new spot for now.

Thanks!

Make sure if you are the parent of a missionary kid that you do not value one culture over another.  Make sure that you allow freedom when it comes to deciding to stay or go.  
Make sure you place emphasis on decisions made with prayer and in God's will, not your own.

But He knoweth the way that I take; 
when He hath tried me, 
I shall come forth as gold.
Job 23:10
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Location: Sobradinho - BA, Brazil

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