Fowlers’ Update for January-February 2015Our apologies for this late letter.  Upon re-entry in Italy we got caught up quickly in “must-do -yesterday” things. We are beginning to get our heads above water!Home againAfter a marathon in the States, we arrived home safely in time for New Year’s. The driving went so well that you could almost call it uneventful in some ways. We came home to very cold temperatures, but we are getting used to it.We want to tell you how much we enjoyed the hospitality and especially the loving encouragement. We deeply regret not getting to see some of you. We love and appreciate you too.Good adviceOne of the main purposes for the trip was to get good counsel about the future course of our mission, by talking with men whom we trust and who have the mission at heart. It was heart-warming to counsel with experienced brothers whose love and confidence in us was evident, even to the point of inviting us to transition back to the States to work with them! Thanks, brothers, we needed that.Prayers AnsweredAnother aspect of the trip was to check out Harold’s stamina for doing the mission work. Although Enid drove the car some, he drove over 3550 miles from Detroit to Denver (going the south route). This had a hidden benefit: this route kept us away from the worst of the winter weather!Enid’s healthShe suffered a hearing loss that began on a trip by plane, whose cabin air pressure first caused noticeable discomfort. We stopped at several Emergency Care facilities along the way, but the doctors could not find anything; but the deafness continued. Please pray for her, because it is not just a fastidious nuisance; it affects her work here.   Winter weather and God’s GoodnessOne blessing we must tell you about is that we asked the Lord in prayer to provide us reasonably clear traveling weather for our hastily planned tour. He gave us mostly sunshine and dry pavement all the way! He did it in October, November and December, not only in the States but also as we arrived in Italy clear to our town. Since the local forecast called for high winds, ice and snow conditions in our home area, we dropped the idea of going home by car. We opted for going by train and finished our trip about five blocks from our house. A member of our church came to get us, so we arrived home to a snowy Matelica. Nice ending to this particular blessing, don't you think?By the way, we must remember the kindness of young men who helped us manage our luggage, mainly overhead in cabin on the planes, or getting it on and off the trains. Say, what do angels look like?… Did God send us his agents to make our trip smoother than wrestling everything by ourselves?So the Lord answered our prayers, both yours and ours, by making it possible to visit a number of churches, see most of our family and be home in the States for Christmas. May the Lord grant you a very Happy New Year in the Lord!Harold and Enid