Hi

My name’s Curt.
Nice to meet you.
I used to have this blog that I wrote. And then I stopped. I stopped for about 20 days to be exact. I must apologize because once my fiancée Paola arrived to the states the schedule just got crazy and I rarely had time to check email or blog.

But my trip home is done and I am back in La Paz. And on the 31st of this month Paola and I will be getting married so these next two weeks should prove to be busy as well. But I don’t have a jam-packed agenda like I did when I was back home so I am hopeful of more frequent blog posts. And I promise an online album of all of the great photos we snapped during our US tour.

My five week visit to the states was a truly wonderful blessing. And there is just no way to list every possible blessing and experience here because there was just so many. But seeing my family and friends was awesome and a great energy boost for me. And the opportunity to share with people back home in person what God did this past year in my life was nothing short of a privilege and honor.

I was pretty burned out when I got on that plane and headed back home and although I can’t say that I sit here in La Paz well rested, I can say that I sit here in La Paz reminded of why I am here in the first place, reminded of why God called me here. And I have a re-energized call to serve His kingdom more this year.

The trip home did that. Seeing you did that.

And the cool thing about this new year is that I will not be alone in the calling. God has provided me with a helper. He is giving me a wife. A missionary partner in this journey. Someone who is daily helping me become a better man of God. Separate people can do great things for God but when God decides to bring two people together I really believe that the primary reason is so that these two people can do MORE for Him together than separate. That’s what I love about Paola.

Paola’s visit to my world was a success. I feel like she got along great with my family and friends. As Elvis said you just can’t help falling in love with her. Her spirit and her smile are powerful and I am so glad that she had the chance to meet my family and friends back home. Thanks to each and every one of you who met her, loved on her and made her feel so welcome and blessed to be there.

We are excited. We get married in 16 days. And then we get to work. This year should be interesting. We will definitely be investing time in building our relationship this year but we are also eager to serve the Lord in everything that we do. We both have a heart for kids and after the wedding festivities are over we are going to start searching and visiting as many childrens’ homes and orphanages as possible to see if God calls us to focus on a particular one.

I will continue my work with the Anglican churches and the Red Viva Network here in La Paz but with the realization that I can't say "yes" to everything this year or it could very well be my last year as a missionary. Pao and I don’t know exactly how God will use us in 2009 (who does?) but what we do know is that both our hearts break for orphans, abandoned and abused kids who have no role model of Christ in their life. And following that frustration together will be where we start.