Dear praying friends,

Thanks for praying for us last week! Shortly after we sent out the prayer update, Elissa started feeling better. She still feels a little worn out, and her stomach is not back at 100%, but we were able to travel.

As we concluded the LIFE conference, we wrapped up the last of our official speaking and serving responsibilities during our Home Ministry Assignment. I think I underestimated the emotional impact of entering into this liminal space - a time where we are now needing to focus again on leaving and arriving, goodbyes and helloes, putting stuff from here back into storage and going back to Berlin to unpack boxes we stored in our apartment, changing relationships and hopes of relationships in the US for relationships and hopes of relationships in Berlin, leaving one continent where we have family to go to another continent where we have family.

Being in a liminal space is hard, because there is so much transition - physical, emotional, relational, familial, things in ministry, everything changes, and we are reminded again of our nature as aliens and strangers. I know that this is a theme for all of us as Christians, but as sojourners who bounce between lands, there are times we feel this sense of exile more acutely. The coming 6 weeks will be some of those times for us and for our family as we once again feel the weight of our calling.

So - that might sound like we regret what we are doing, and that is certainly not the case! We are excited to return to Berlin, to reengage with people, and to continue to be obedient to the call God has given us. But it is not always easy. There is a weight - and I am grateful for people like you who help us hold up under the load by carrying some of it in prayer.

Here are some specific requests:

1. Keep praying for housing for the Damons! We have a landlord who seems to be working with us - but we have yet to see a draft of the rental contract.
2. Keep praying for the visa situation. Our visas in Berlin have officially expired, and I feel like I sent them the necessary notification - even though I never received confirmation from them. As a trial, I am applying for visas through the German consulate in Chicago - maybe that can be an option for our interns and residents down the road?
3. Joshua has his journeyman's test next week. Can you please pray?
4. We are excited about having all of our family together at the beginning of August! We are headed to Nashville (where Johannah lives). Please pray for safe travel - us in a car and the boys in a plane.
5. Pray for all of the liminal space things that need to take place in the coming weeks.

Thanks for your prayers,

mike