Summer/Fall Update

Dear Family & Friends,

It is about time for an update from the Derksens.

We left Costa Rica mid June and landed in Kelowna, BC on June 17.  We had our townhouse for sale and it sold within 2 days of us arriving home.  We bought another house in the next couple days and moved at the end of July.  It made for a whirlwind start to the summer.

One of our July highlights was our multi-team regional retreat in Mexico.  We had our teams from Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and from a Caribbean island with us.  It was a great to be together.

August had us home in Kelowna for a bit, in Calgary, in Manitoba with Kilcona Park Alliance and some time with extended family, and then back down in Costa Rica for a conference.  At a family wedding (congrats Caleb & Emily) we had some time with all of our kids.  That is always a special treat for us.

September was the start of the school year for the girls.  They got settled in and then Murray & Michelle headed to Gurumdur, Turkey (about 45 minutes north of the ancient city of Ephesus).  We were there as trainers in training with the Leadership Matters Course (www.leadershipmatters.ws).  It was a long but enriching trip where we were able to invest time and energy into 35 participants from 15 different countries.

Our fall is active but we are thankful to be home in Kelowna for Thanksgiving.  We will be able to see all of our kids and spend time with our families.  This is a once every 5 year chance for us to spend this particular weekend with family and we plan to cherish it.

Thanks for your love and prayers.

Murray & Michelle, Miki & Matty