A New and Re-newed Mission Family

I am sure you have all heard of the “Space-Time Continuum.” Well, as most parents of young families can attest, there also exists a scientifically demonstrable theory called the “Space-Time Diminuum.” Without boring you with all the technical details of this profound subject, it will suffice to explain it as a special phenomenon that occurs when children are added to a household. Both space in the house and the amount of time that an hour lasts in that house diminish proportionally to the number of progeny accumulated within it.

While our own brood has only just now grown to include three children, the “Space-Time Diminuum Phenomenon” is running its course in our family. Time has passed too quickly to calculate, and the Browns find themselves at a loss as to where to begin updating our friends with all the events, changes, challenges, and blessings we have encountered over our two-year stay in the U.S.A.. I constantly see opportunities to blog about the miracles and revelations (both large and small) that the Lord generously bestows upon our family, and yet I have repeatedly hesitated to begin writing about them because I first want to give you the background – the context of God’s action in our lives.

And so, in order to not miss another occasion for giving Him the glory, I have resolved to bring everyone up to speed with a concise synopsis of the events that have shaped our state-side experience. For now, I will stick to the bare-bones events themselves, and as the weeks and months go by I will revisit these topics to expound upon them, fleshing out the bare bones with the spiritual elements that made them truly significant. My hope is that what God has done for us will, in turn, bless you. So, on to the nitty gritty:

· Andrea had braces put on her teeth in April 2009 in order to prepare for the ultimate goal of upper and lower jaw surgery to correct a structural problem that would cause more serious complications later in life.

· Kevin accepted a position as a bilingual Personal Banker with Chase bank in Lafayette, LA to support the family and to provide much-needed medical insurance for the surgery.

· The Browns took up residency at Big Woods Mission base in Abbeville, LA in order to live in community with other missionaries during their time in the states. This enabled us to stay connected with mission life, to help in the training and formation of new missionaries, and to participate in local and sometimes national ministry.

· Andrea and Kevin suffered the agony of two more miscarriages during their time at Big Woods, bringing the number of children awaiting us in Heaven to 6. Andrea consulted with a wonderful, mission-hearted, prolife, NFP-only OB/GYN in Lafayette to try to get to the root of the miscarriages.

· God sent a rainbow after this storm, blessing us with an unexpected and healthy pregnancy. Thérèse Regina was born to us on All Saints Day of 2010, and has been a smiling, chubby bundle of joy for us all.

· When Thérèse was 6 weeks old, Andrea finally underwent the long-awaited jaw surgery. It was no small ordeal with a nursing infant, but with Kevin’s heroic assistance and a lot of help from Andrea’s mom, she made it through the surgery, recovery, and 8-week liquid diet.

· Kevin has made two trips to South America in the last 6 months. He helped to staff two separate mission trips to the Amazon jungle of Ecuador, and also made an intense discernment trip to Peru. In Peru he visited three prospective mission sites for our family, and we are planning a family retreat to pray and discuss where the Lord is calling us to go.

Whew – well, that is it in a nutshell! We ask for your prayers as we prepare to begin a new season in our life of missions. Keep checking back to hear about our family’s “goings-on,” and most importantly, keep us in your daily prayers.

With our love and prayers,

Kevin, Andrea, Maria, Anthony, and Thérèse Brown