If all goes smoothly, the Avery family will arrive in Houston, Texas about 2:30 this Sunday afternoon, September 13th. They will quarantine in Houston until the end of the month. Kevin’s parents live there, so they will spend much time with them. We talked to the Averys on Sunday evening, which was Monday morning in China. September 7 was Molly’s 13th birthday. The whole family was recovering from Molly’s birthday sleepover. They are down to the final packing of everything into eight suitcases to bring with them. Everything else they own in Shenyang is being given away. There have been farewell parties, visits with many of the families they have been ministering with, guests from other parts of China, and last-minute work meetings to finish up all the details.
Kevin, Dayna, and the children are scheduled to move to Tulsa around October 1st. The gracious people of Arrow Heights Baptist Church in Broken Arrow are providing their furnished Mission House for them through the end of the year. This will give them time to find a suitable place to live. Their mission efforts will continue as Kevin assumes the management of the mission organization, Serving Humanity in Crisis (SHIC), headquartered here in Tulsa. Kevin will continue his work in Shenyang through Zoom and other virtual platforms, much as he has done since the pandemic began. He is also negotiating the publication and distribution of his Chinese book, Needs to Be Seen, throughout China. Mission and autism centers in other areas of the world seem interested in his book also. The Averys mission efforts to children with disabilities and their families continues, with just a change of address.
On a personal note, I would like to thank you for your prayers and financial support of our daughter and son-in-law, Dayna and Kevin Avery. Your support for these missionary volunteers has enabled them to touch countless lives for the Lord. And the work they have begun will continue far into the future. In addition to safe and smooth travels, you can pray for Kevin’s health and stamina for the journey. The trip will take them about 35 hours, flying on Delta from Shenyang to Shanghai, then on to Seoul Korea, to Detroit, and finally to Houston. They will be wearing their N95 facemasks and distancing from others as much as possible on the planes and in the airports. By the way, they have a family motto: Averys can do hard things, because nothing is impossible with God.
Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Know that God provides. And let’s experience the love and power of God together while apart.
