To recap:

It’s been nearly a year since we boarded the plane in Uganda, assuming we were headed home on furlough. We planned to head back to Uganda at the end of February, and jump back into the life we loved there. But those plans took a hard left two months into our furlough, as circumstances changed and it became obvious that we could not return.

We have spent the last several months healing from the whiplash. Early on, there were days when we weren’t sure which way was up, and the hurt and grief was suffocating, perhaps for some of us more than others. Honestly, I’m not even sure we realized we were grieving for quite some time. But as they say, “time heals all (most!) wounds”, and gradually, the sting lessened and we were able to come up for air. We have actively fought against allowing bitterness and resentment to settle in our hearts, and it feels like we’re finally on the winning side of that battle.

These past several months have brought so much change to our lives. We closed out our life in Uganda, moved into a new house, traded vehicles, successfully interviewed and landed a first job for a teenager, crammed school into 6 months, passed two tests for learners permits, graduated one to a driver’s license, started 1st grade, joined the swim team and started diving, started soccer, and pastored a small church part-time. Of course, that doesn’t include reintegrating into American culture amidst coronamadness and mask-craziness.

Oh, and next week we’re getting a dog.

So…

As if all of that isn’t enough change, the Sinklers are at it again with more craziness on the horizon. Shocking, right? This time, we’re packing up and heading to Colorado! In just over two weeks’ time, we’ll be loading the Uhaul and moving back to NoCo. We’ll be just outside the Windsor area…which is the area my parents were living a year ago!

When we moved back to Dickinson, I’m not sure we thought we’d be here forever, but we sure didn’t anticipate such a short time. Of course, we also didn’t anticipate the collapse of the oil industry or the way coronavirus would rip through the economy. Somewhere in the middle of the craziness, a business opportunity was presented to us, but we kind of blew it off. As the uncertainty in the oilfield continued, we began to explore this option with more seriousness.

We continued praying over it, asking for clear direction from the Lord, and seeking wise counsel. As He has done so many times before, God paved the way and gave us one confirmation after the other.

And so we’ll go.

When we get to Colorado, Jarid will dive right into business with some of our dearest friends. Incidentally, these friends (Bobby and Courtney Williams) are the ones that bought my parents’ house in Windsor! Over the past few years, God has been weaving our families together, and we’ve mulled over ways that we may eventually be able to do ministry together. While this opportunity isn’t ministry, it will likely lay the foundation for that in the future.

As with many areas around the country, the rental market has exploded. Along with rental properties come property management companies. And along with properties, comes maintenance. Bobby and Jarid will run a property maintenance company, with most of the business coming directly from a growing property management company in the Northern Colorado region. Of course, there are many more details than I can put here, but that’s the gist of it.

We are thankful that, despite uprooting again, we will be heading toward built-in friends/family who are like-minded believers. In addition, we have extended church family from my parents’ church in Fort Collins, and we’ll be more centrally located between family, and we’ll be closer to a larger airport.

Obviously, this is a huge change, and we will be leaving behind a church family like none other. For sure, that is the hardest part. Our EBC family has loved us so well, and I already have to choke back the sobs thinking about saying goodbye…again.

We are very thankful for Jarid’s current company. They have been so generous and patient, and were very instrumental in allowing us to integrate back into life in the States. Even as Jarid has informed them of our move, they have been very supportive and given their blessing.

I have much more I could and want to share about how God has been working in our hearts and lives as we have processed through this decision, but that’s for another day.