Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Oceans by Hillsong United

This song has resonated with me for the past several years, from when we arrived in the DR and now as we transition back to the United States.  This past month has been challenging.  We have been living at the guesthouse as the interim guesthouse administrators for a little over 6 months, and in February I had learned how to set healthy boundaries for myself….in this last month those boundaries have been out the door as I have found myself pushing harder and harder to distract myself from the thoughts and emotions of leaving.  Time physically changes us, but our experiences form who we are and change us internally.  Before I started typing this up this morning, I spent a while looking through all of the pictures that I have taken since we arrived….wow, so many memories.

Here we are when we arrived.  Braegan was dedicated at Central Church in October 2013 (sorry for the blurry picture).  We committed her life to the Lord and prayed for the community she is surrounded with as she grows.  We have been loved and supported by the San Juan community in more ways than we can express or could have even imagined.

This past Sunday was a very similar experience as we were prayed over at Central Church as we follow God’s call to Arizona to be a light in a new community.

Last night we were surprised after dinner when we arrived at the guesthouse to a farewell time of encouragement and commissioning.  There were 4 SRI board members present, the entire translating staff, and a youth team from Pine Hills Church in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  It was humbling as they went around the room and shared memories with us and how our family has impacted them.

I have spent the last several Father’s Days with my dad, because his trips are annually scheduled during this week.  I can honestly say that the ministries that are occurring in San Juan and the surrounding areas would not be what they are today, if he had not made his first trip here 40 years ago at the age of 16.  Thank you dad for following God’s whisper to the unknown of San Juan de la Maguana and going back to share your heart with Jim and Dorine Smith.

This photo was taken at the REVOLUTION groundbreaking in November 2014.  This is 4 generations of our family’s ministry in San Juan.

I think what I look forward to the most is how God will continue to use this time to shape who we are and how we approach life in the future….especially with Braegan.  She identifies herself as Dominican just like all of her little friends.  Today is her 2nd to last day of school.

Ways you can be praying for us:

-Final days in San Juan as we prepare to leave San Juan on Monday and fly to Phoenix on Tuesday.

-Finalizing my Arizona teaching certification.

-When reality hits…not sure when that’ll be.

-Our family as we acclimate into American culture….this is probably the scariest part for me.

If you are interested in staying in touch, my personal e-mail address is kmbuche@gmail.com.

And thank you sincerely for your prayers, encouragement, and love throughout the last 3 years.  We couldn’t have done this without you!