Just over 5 years ago, our family of three visited Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Palm Sunday. We had just purchased a house in Centerville, and we were in process of cleaning, painting, and wallpapering before the moving van would arrive with our furniture and boxes. About halfway through the service, Cathy leaned over to me and said, "I think this is where we should join."

I looked at her with astonishment and replied, "These things take time. This is only the second congregation we have visited. We really want to be certain we choose what is best for us." During the week after our visit, Cathy received calls from no fewer than three individuals who thanked us for visiting and wanted to know if we had any questions about GSLC. Tee Johnston helped us meet some couples in the same age group with young children. The following week was Easter Sunday. We enjoyed the breakfast and had met new people. The air was simply full of excitement. About halfway through the service, I leaned over to Cathy and said, "Yes, this is where we will join."

The past few weeks have also been very exciting for us. There have been special worship services celebrating Pentecost, Trinity, and the Commissioning of Lutheran Missionaries. We enjoyed a special meal to give us a warm sending. We are up to our eyeballs in boxes, paperwork, and preparation. We now have three children, all are now older than Sarah was when we moved here. The difference now is that we know most of you, and I would presume that most of you know us.

The excitement that is in the air now is about Global Missions. Wow, Good Shepherd is sending missionaries to Tanzania! I trust that Good Shepherd will maintain that enthusiasm. I trust that our home congregation will venture forth into waters that may have previously looked a little too deep. I hope and pray that we will have a partnership that will touch each and every one of you in a way similar to the way we were touched by the mission element of our church.

By the time you read this, we will have spent our week in Orlando. We will have put the finishing touches on our packing, and will be spending the first week of July in Fort Wayne with Cathy's parents. I will be sharing a brief message about our mission work at Messiah Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne on July 1. Messiah is home to Cathy's parents, and is where we met. We will be in Illinois for our orientation/training from July 8 - 29. Assuming that my work visa is approved, we plan to leave for Tanzania during the first full week of August. Next month's update will provide some insight on our training and orientation, and what we anticipate in our first month in Tanzania.

Thank you to all who have taken the time to send a card, or email. We truly appreciate your support and prayers. Thank you for the wonderful pot-luck, and for the warm fellowship that provided. Thank you to everyone for our generous monetary gift. We used the money to purchase a camera (non-digital) and some luggage. Your generosity is evident in your tangible and spiritual gifts that you shared with our family not only in the last several weeks, but also over the past five years. Our family is richly blessed to have Good Shepherd as our home congregation.

I must share with you that the attitude in the congregation seems to be changing. The tone has shifted from, "We don't want to see you go," to "When are you going to get there so we can learn more about Tanzania?" It seems that you are now all aware that you are not "losing" the Smith family. Rather, we will be serving in a different capacity, as your missionaries. Thank you for support as we answer our new call.

Finally, I thank you for your prayers for our family. We will need them as we face challenges and uncertainties over the next several months. Pray not only for us, but also for those whom we will be serving. In my work, I will not only be serving the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, but also the fourteen "northern" churches and mission societies in the United States and Europe. The Lutheran Church in Tanzania is vibrant and growing, but not without the support of its partners.

Please keep in touch. It will be some time before we will be in our permanent residence, so e-mail is about the only way to communicate with us for the short term. Please drop us a note at missionaries@goodshepherdkettering.com.

Peace, Dan, Cathy, Sarah, Emily, and Grace

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