return

We are anticipating our flight out on Tuesday, August 13. However, we have a few prayer requests before that can happen. We have waited five days here in Massachusetts while the alternator on our car has been worked on. We bought the car in Florida the beginning of July, trading our beloved camper. I just had to have AC to make the summer (getting soft). The dealer who sold us the car wanted the camper very badly for his 4 kids and has told us the interesting changes he has made to it (Painted black and told his kids to go decorate it, etc.) It meant a great deal to us that someone who could appreciate our camper got it. The Dodge Caravan that he sold us had a rebuilt motor, which is one of the reasons we agreed. It has worked fine for traveling around Florida, then up to SC, PA, and finally to MA, a long trip. However 5 days ago the alternator went out. This would not be a problem except the mechanic said that whoever had been working on the car had "used a hammer rather than a wrench", and things are requiring special brackets etc. We thought it would be a one day fix. Not so. The first bracket that was ordered was broken. By the time the second bracket was here, the mechanic was in the hospital with MRSA. (MRSA? Really?) Towed to another mechanic. We are waiting to hear from him today and hope to take off about noon. We have things to do in PA and SC enroute to China. That is our first prayer request.

The second request is that things settle in Hong Kong, certainly for humanitarian reasons, but also personal. Although our flight does not go through HK, if things continue downhill there, we are worried about being allowed back into the country. We are being advised by our organization that our university has issued directives such as no students in our apartments, no social media with students, etc. These were only gently understood before. I feel an urgent need to return ASAP, and just hunker down and be salt and light as we are led. That is our second prayer request.