Thank you so much for praying! We knew you were, even before we got home and read the many encouraging emails that said you were, because God’s hand, as always, was clearly apparent.
Our first flight they changed at check-in so Connie had an aisle seat. Within minutes of getting on the plane she found someone directly across from the row from the guys who was very willing to switch seats. In Tokyo with less than two hours between flights we had to remind ourselves that God can do anything - and he did. They gave us the middle section, so we could all sit together. It was wonderful.
The boys were able to stretch out and sleep between us. We both struggled with the lack of sleep, but each of us had a time when we were so exhausted we were afraid we were going to be sick. Each time God allowed us to get about 1 1/2 hours sleep, enough to enable us to keep going. He provided exactly what He knew we needed. The boys colds were not a big factor (other than going through a lot of tissues Added blessings: The boys were wonderful, real troopers, no fussing, crying or anything. When the stewardesses on a US based airline are telling you how well behaved your children are, you know they’ve been good. They were able to play at a play area in Tokyo and get enough energy burnt off that they went to sleep within seconds of settling down on the plane. In Chicago our flight time was pushed back giving us a five hour layover. It just about did Birch and I in, but the boys had slept the last few hours on the plane. We found a huge play area at O’Hare and they just ran the whole time. It gave us a chance to get some real food in us, which we desperately needed as well. Besides the benefit of it making the layover fun for the boys rather than agony and giving them a chance to stretch their legs, it also meant they burned off enough energy that they went to sleep easily when we got home. Sarah and “Aunty” Barb were waiting for us in Grand Rapids. We loaded up our stuff and were home by 10 PM. The boys were overjoyed to be home. They were in bed by 10:30 and we were in bed by 11:00. We fully expected them to be up around 4 AM - usual jetlag pattern, but we woke up at 8 AM - it was so wonderful to sleep in our bed. Warren didn’t get up until almost 9 and we woke Rowan up at 10!!!!!! Staci who helps us so much was here first thing this morning and is spending the next two days with us so she can play with the boys when they are up and we want to sleep - another huge blessing.
Thank you again for praying. As always, God went before us every step of the way and we know that His blessing was a direct result of your prayers. We plan to spend the next week and a half doing as little as possible. It is just wonderful to be home.
In His Love and Grace,
the Champeons
Birch and Rowan, walking back from the ruins in Imphal The Tarao, hard at work on their primer Connie, teaching her class how to teach others to read 
). We’d wait until they were ready to go to sleep and then give them cold medicine which helped a lot with their colds and had the added benefit of helping them sleep through the noise and commotion on the plane. 