Nearly five years ago, we moved to the United Kingdom to work alongside evangelical churches in the valleys of South Wales. Wherever we find ourselves, we have always made it a point to settle into a place with a long-term commitment; and I have truly felt at home in the UK, hoping to gain permanent residency (for which we are eligible in May 2009) and dual citizenship a year later. But two critical issues have arisen over the past year that cannot be ignored any longer and they both center on our stateside family: one of our daughters and my father who just celebrated his seventy-seventh birthday.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8, ESV). This is not some obscure passage buried within an Old Testament prophecy. It is clear, precise, practical, and stated with apostolic authority, so I take these words seriously. We have often been challenged to reevaluate our priorities in the light of Scripture and this passage has come to mind again and again amidst the struggles of the past year.

Our daughter left her husband nine months ago and she’s finding it extremely difficult to make it alone with three precious children under the age of six. She separated herself from his abusive behavior twice before, but he always managed to convince her that he had changed and that things would be different. And things would be different…for about six to nine months. It’s been a nightmare watching their marriage slowly come apart over the past five years, but the divorce papers have now been served and the marriage is finally over. Thankfully, when she could no longer afford to rent her own place, someone offered them a bedroom in their small apartment, and when she had to give up her car, another family loaned her a spare vehicle until they needed it back a few weeks ago. She has a good job in retail management, but the hours are long and unpredictable. Her ex-husband helps with the children, but his actions demonstrate a real lack of love and concern for their welfare.

My father was living in a retirement community until he fell and broke his hip two months ago. It was such a bad break that doctors could only offer a complete hip replacement: a high-risk procedure for someone with his medical history. All of us expected the worst, but he made it through the operation and is now undergoing rehabilitation in a skilled care facility. We don’t expect him to ever walk again. One of my three sisters lives in the same city, so she has been single-handedly coping with those long hours in the ER and even more in the surgical waiting area, handling his financial affairs, and making daily contact with him and the medical staff.

So we have decided to move back to the United States to help in more practical ways: to help our grandchildren grow and thrive and cope with the absence of a father, and to do whatever it takes to help my own father in these twilight years and demonstrate my appreciation for his investment in my life.

The logistics of moving back are overwhelming right now. We have no jobs (and no prospects for immediate employment), no home, no furniture, no appliances, and no health insurance. There’s also the question of “Where should we live?” We have two daughters in the southern states, but living nine hours apart; my dad lives mid-way between them; and my wife’s family live in the midwest.

Please pray for us. We really need a handful of miracles to make this transition without going bankrupt or insane or both. It’s not going to be easy, so your prayers would be greatly appreciated. At this moment, just two weeks since our decision, we have no idea how God is going to provide the things we need, but we are confident that we can trust Him completely. His grace is sufficient!