Editor’s Note:This post was written in the very earliest days of what would become the Simplicity Church Network. It reflects the process of letting go of old models, listening to Jesus, and learning to follow the Spirit into a new way of being the Church. I arrived in Wichita on the 20th of May. The next day Rodney and his family, plus another man I had met in April came and helped me unload. Over the next week I spent time getting the house set up. What a joy it was to once again be in a home of our own. Each day I unpacked boxes and left everything so Carol could simply decide where to put it when she arrived. Carol and the kids arrived on May 27th, my 42nd birthday. They had a surprise for me when they arrived. They had picked up Christopher my oldest son from the airport in Dallas. Christopher had just completed his schooling with the Navy and had some leave time built up. He decided to surprise me for my birthday…what a great surprise it was. On Sunday I introduced my family to the family at 4CI and over the next few days we spent a great deal of time with my parents settling into our home. My dad was always the project enthusiast I knew him to be. He brought fence repair supplies, air conditioning filters, a futon for Collin and many other items. He and Collin also began working on several projects including a portable solar battery charger and an electric car made out of PVC pipe affectionately known as “Tweety Bird.” Caitlyn spent her days at the local pool and participated in synchronized swimming. Our house became grand central station as we began to renew old friendships. Over the first several weeks we had the opportunity to reconnect with some of our closest friends and we began to see the opportunities God was laying out before us. I also began a mentoring relationship with Ryan, a young man I had known in Dodge City when he was just a boy. Ryan and I agreed to journey through life together and met weekly during the summer months. Over the summer we spent time with my parents each week and throughout the week, my dad would show up with bundles of “supplies” under his arm. We also spent time praying about our ministry here in Wichita. We plugged into a home Bible study in our neighborhood and continued to attend 4CI on Sundays. In August the Lord prompted us to begin a home group with 4CI and to make 4CI our church home. I looked forward to this group starting, as I was yearning to teach again. During the latter part of summer I found myself being prompted to pray through the possibility of returning to my overseas work in both Africa and India. I contacted my partnering pastors in those regions and tentative dates were set for the winter and spring of 2013. As we drew close to the beginning of the school year we prayed for direction for our kids. Caitlyn had asked to be home schooled, but Collin wanted to attend public school so he could try out for football. Ultimately, both kids would get their wish, Collin began attending North high and Caitlyn enrolled in the Andover e-Cademy. Carol was able to bring her job from Corpus Christi with her and she also took on another job a day and half per week to provide some additional income. When school started we found ourselves busy with football practices and weekly games. Our group unfortunately only lasted a few weeks and then disbanded. My dad was thrilled getting to watch his grandson play football and he recorded every game (even though Collin only played about 4-5 minutes each game). Around the start of school, something else took place. Rodney contacted me about another local church planter, named Scott Parks who had a heart for Uganda. This church planter had been to Uganda before, but his contacts had fallen through. Rodney put us in contact with one another. Scott and I began meeting and quickly found a kindred spirit. I told him that I was planning on returning to the region in early January and invited him to go. Scott not only agreed, but offered to cover my airfare as well. Within a few weeks our team grew as we added Nathanael Parks, a college student who is looking to spend a year in West Africa doing mission work. The three of us will be returning traveling to Kenya and Uganda January 2-21, 2013 where we will be working alongside my partner pastor Apostle Adams. As we entered into October football season ended and it was time to celebrate the kids birthdays and get Collin’s learner’s permit. Caitlyn turned 11 on the 11th and Collin turned 15 on the 29th. The week before Collin’s birthday, I felt the Lord calling me to a day of prayer. During that time the Lord spoke to me extensively about a changing of season in my life and an elevating of my work. The weekend of Collin’s birthday, my aunt also came to visit. We celebrated their birthdays with my parents, little did I know that Collin’s birthday would be the last time I would talk to my dad or see him alive. On Wednesday October 31, 2 days after Collin’s birthday, my dad had gone down to the county Emergency Operations Center that morning to do his weekly volunteer work. Caitlyn had finished her school work early, so she went over to their house to spend time with my mom around 1:30. About 2:15, I heard a frantic knock at the front door and I opened it to find Caitlyn visibly shaken and out of breath. She told me that grandpa had collapsed and that mom couldn’t get him to respond. I jumped in the car with Caitlyn and arrived at their