Come on, everyone. We’re ready to go!” After everyone helped us pack sixteen bins and eight personal items into one minivan, it was time for the five Sligers to load up into the other minivan. The day of our departure had finally come! We were on our way to Chicago O’Hare International Airport to begin our two-day trip to PNG. It was hard to believe that two and a half years of planning was finally becoming a reality.

We had an unbelievable send off! While we ran around, packing and dealing with last-minute things, our amazing friends packed a minivan with our bins and bags, washed our dishes, fed us lunch, kept us laughing, and cheered us on until we finally left an hour and a half later than we had planned. It was a good thing we had scheduled some extra time!

As I sit here at the AFM transit house in Port Moresby, reflecting on our departure, I feel overwhelmed. We have seen God’s care in so many ways. We discovered on our way to the airport that little Verity also needed a negative COVID-19 test. Not only did God help us find the clinic in the airport basement, but we received the negative result in just enough time to board the plane. God also answered a friend’s prayer that each of our bags would arrive safely, and a small (but important to Midori) answered prayer that we would not have to run through the airport to our gates. Each one was a token of God’s love.

Soon, after acclimating a bit and shopping for four months worth of supplies, we will take the last, and in some ways, the longest leg of our trip—out to the bush and Gogodala land! We are eager to meet our new family there and begin our new lives with them. Despite the challenges we know are ahead, we can rest, knowing that God will continue to take care of us as we go.

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