Having been in the UK for about a month now Steve and Gerdine Stanley and family are settling into their third home in four months. Whenever a member of our family talks about home, they always need to ask, “Which home do you mean?” Despite the challenges of living in Kovol, overall, that is where they feel the most comfortable. For Steve, that is where his work and purpose are. Gerdine knows the house there inside and out, knowing the place for everything. Oscar thinks of his friends Louis and Timon and the daily spontaneous play. Alice and Millie think of the teddies left behind to “look after their room”. However, there are good experiences, opportunities and memories in each place. In many ways, they are blessed multiple times over; with multiple homes, friends all over and good experiences in several places. The flip side is excitement at the new combines with grief at missing something from another home.
Life is settling into a more predictable routine. They are excited to be able to sign the kids up for activities. Swimming lessons are a weekly fixture as they try and get in the practice that is not possible when they are living in Kovol. Oscar has started football training each week as well. Their children don’t have the opportunity to go to any group activities in Kovol. Being part of a class with other children is something Steve and Gerdine are keen for them to experience.
They had been really looking to regularly attending their local church and being part of the community. The reality has been more difficult as they have been visiting so many different churches, giving reports about the work in Kovol. Again, there is the blessing of meeting so many people, but also the challenge of ending up less rooted. Through it all, they have been experiencing God’s care and provision for them. Life is always busy.
There is some good news from Kovol. Recently their co-workers Philip and Natalie had a language evaluation, and both scored ‘Capable High’. That means both have achieved the level needed to start work on Bible translation and lesson preparation. Once Philip completes some discourse papers, it will be the official end of their full-time language study!
As a team they are looking forward to in the future being able to share the Gospel in the Kovol language for the first time.