As you read this, Lord willing, I will be on vacation with my family and enjoying some rest and rejuvenation. Whenever I take vacation time, I find myself reflecting on a few things. I'm greatly relieved to be able to step away and rest, and be reminded that all things are in the Lord's hands. Truthfully, every time we even go to sleep it's a reminder that the world is not dependent on our conscious activity. We ultimately are not needed. Only the Lord is. (Some things are even better when we are removed from the equation.) I'm encouraged as I am reminded that the church has many wonderful servants and teachers and volunteers. While I visit a couple other churches, I also get the blessing of seeing other faithful, gospel-proclaiming churches. It's an encouragement to see, in a way I don't often experience, the worship of other expressions of the body of Christ. I'm also reminded of how challenging it can be to both prepare to be gone, and miss some good things while gone! One of the good things I'll miss is the arrival of the Lewis family. Unless I am mistaken, I believe they are the first long-term, international missionaries CBC has sent into the field. They obviously hold a special place in our heart, and will be an encouragement to many to have with us for a few weeks this summer. At some point we'll host an evening and give them some time to share (details will follow - or may have already been communicated - on that). I would encourage you to encourage them and hear from them while they are with us. As they are with us, I think we will all be reminded how good it is to be together, and what we miss when we are apart. And as you do your own vacationing and traveling, I hope you will find some time to reflect on the gift we have in our local fellowship.