August 27, 2008

Friends,

Well, we are back in the States for good.  We arrived in Dayton, Ohio, at the end of June. There are some very good people here who gave us lodging, meals and even transportation. By July 4 we had purchased a car. By the end of July, we had purchased a house in the same area where we had lived three years ago.

Here life is different than it is in Colombia. We miss our friends there, and we also miss the slower pace of life and the simpler existence. When we returned to the States, it was strange to go to the grocery store, discount stores, drug stores and see such a huge selection of just one type of item. We asked ourselves, “Why do we need so many different brands and types of toothpaste or breakfast cereal?” We have spent a lot of time shopping for the things we need to set up our new house. (We had disposed of almost everything when we left the states, except for about six boxes of memorabilia—pictures and books that we stored at our daughter’s house, payback for storing her memorabilia.)

On July 12, we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary and spent four days doing it with our immediate family. That was such a great time to share, have fun, and enjoy the cuisine from the States.

We have been working on a presentation that we hope to be able to give in many settings. Our goal is to inform as many as possible about the problems in Colombia, about the great people there who are also working to make life better for the poor and displaced, and to share with you our wonderful experiences. If you are interested in hosting us, please contact us by email, letter, or phone call. Our contact information is:

1800 Litchfield Avenue
Dayton, OH 45406
(937) 278-3404
ewersjt@yahoo.com

We will be traveling in the east, for those of you in New York State, Pennsylvania, or New Hampshire, during the end of September and early October. If you live in those areas, please contact us soon so we can plan that trip.

Thank you all for hanging in there with us for the three years we were out of the States. We loved getting messages from you during that time and know that you cared and prayed for us.

Love and peace to you all,

John & Paula Ewers

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 273