The end of January found us in Littleton, Colorado for a WorldVenture conference.  We arrived in balmy 70 degree weather and met Mandy's mother at the airport.  It was great to see her and she was an incredible help since she hung out with Oliver while Mandy and I were in meetings.  During this conference we covered issues related to our fundraising and the myriad of details involving transition to life and work in Madagascar.  It was encouraging to gather with couples from around the country who are at the same stage in preparations to move internationally.
 
A highlight for us was spending some time with Jamie and Alissa Shattenberg and their two daughters Isabella and Eliana.  The Shattenbergs are our friends and partners in ministry who will be traveling back to Madagascar with us.  Jamie is the Madagascar director of a reforestation program called Eden Projects and has done some extensive work with the local church.  Alissa is a nurse practitioner who plans to be involved in health care education.  This picture shows us at the Denver aquarium during one of the fleeting moments that we could get all seven of us in one picture frame.