Dad and I were never ones to count the years until retirment, but that time crept up on us, and we had to make plans for what we were going to do. We wondered where we would live. Nyack had been our home for many furlough years, but living there and buying a house in that area was much too expensive. We also were not keen on living in a cold climate after our bones had been Africanized over the years!
Dad and I sort of came to the idea of Toccoa at the same time. Actually, we were too busy with finishing the translation to give much thought to our immediate future. But we did need a home. We decided to reserve one of the Nyack furlough apartments, as we had already been asked to go on two tours, both in the north. This would give us the opportunity to have some space to make a decisiomn about a new resting place!
You three girls were all in overseas countries working and you boys and families were living near Atlanta. The areas where you lived were too expensive for our pocket, as far as buying a house. But we had heard that houses in Toccoa were a good price and so we proposed to you kids that maybe we would look there. There was a bit of an outcry, but it wasn't too loud and so we decided to at least look in Toccoa. So in August of '98 - the month before we started our tours - we came down to look over the market. John and Jennie were in Puerto Rico, so Mark told us he would take a day and help us to look.
We had decided there were certain things we wanted in our new home - a living room, dining room, den, fireplace, three bedrooms, two baths, a nice yard. I called Aunt Doris in Toccoa and asked her for a realtor. She recommended a former missionary and we wrote our requirements to her and asked if she could show us some houses in our price range. (We had reserved the amount of money Grandma Pierce had left as a legacy to buy us a home.) We set up a date and the realtor had listed nine homes that she thought we might like. Mark came with us and went from house to house with us, along with our realtor. About the fourth house that we looked at was the one we bought, but not right on the spot. The people were teaching at TFC but moving out west so needed to sell their house. We liked it, but decided to go and look some more. After a couple more houses - one of which was kind of a dump - we decided to come back and look at this one again. And sealed the deal with the people. Needless to say, they were very happy! It took us one morning to find our new home!
The former owners were not moving west until December, and so agreed to rent the house from us until then, as we did not need it until then since we were on missions tours. We moved in the morning they left for the West! So that worked out very well. As you know, we have made some changes, added our sunroom (thanks to Joel for fixing that doorway into the den), and also took the washing machine and dryer out of the kitchen and put it in the small storeroom off the carport. Then we had a nice cabinet made to fill in that space in the kitchen. Later on Jennie (and John too) painted our whole house and then we put in new carpeting and finished off the hardwood floors in the bedrooms. We have already had many happy years here in this home - it is ideal for us.
Before leaving for tour that year, we went down to visit John and Jennie at their little hotel in Puerto Rico. We stayed at the hotel and enjoyed that, as well as the beach nearby. We toured the island with John and Jennie, got to visit Jennie's family there. We enjoyed our little vacation before taking off for tour from New York state. Later on in the winter that year, the hotel did not work out and John and Jennie came back here to stay with us a while. That was a pretty discouraging time for you, John, and we were glad to be here and help bear your burden. Mark and Katy made a home for you with them, and eventually you got settled on your own, and have been doing well ever since.
We loved having opportunities to be with you boys and your families here in Georgia - it was ideal. Little did we know what lay ahead. We did settle nicely in Toccoa, got involved in the church and the community, made many friends here. Enjoyed the fact that so many missionaries furlough here, so we keep in contact with the Alliance world. We got jobs as substitute teachers, which brough in some extra cash. We were on boards and committees in our church, did some teaching at the College, mentored needy students in the school system, and made a life for ourselves.
But soon after we bought our house and moved in that December, we were asked if we would consider going back to the field - to Côte d'Ivoire this time, to run the San Pedro guest house! Surprise, surprise! We consented to go in June and in the meantime fixed up our new home. In the Fall, our long time supporting church gave us a very unexpected gift of ten thousand dollars, which helped us to buy furniture to fill our empty new home! It has always blessed us the way God provides for all of our needs, and often in unexpected ways.
It had been very hard for us to leave Africa after our long life there. We hated leaving our people and the work we were called to do. We had even gotten our citizenship in Burkina Faso and proudly carried our Burkina passports. We wondered how we would fit back into the USA after all those years in Africa! Well, it looked like we were going to have a second chance through this invitation to go to San Pedro, which we gladly agreed to accept. The Strongs had also retired and needed a place to stay so they rented our house for nine months until they found a house to buy themselves. So that took care of our house. At other times our home served as a refuge for two other families for periods of time, plus the year you lived here, Mark and Katy, while you built your new home in Flowery Branch. So God knew all of our needs and we just walked in the way He led us.
We have always felt wealthy beyond imagination - not in money so much, but in friends and especially family, and in God's provision for our every need. We had worked long years in Burkina and were able to leave behind a growing church among the Bobo, plus educational programs for the church and a Bible for our people. Other missionaries continued ministering to the Bobo people. We have maintained strong ties of friendship and love in our Bobo Madare missionary team. Our children are all following the Lord and bless us in so many ways. These are blessings which God has showered on us, and we are most grateful.
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