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Goodbye Newcastle Australia, Hello Central, PA!

If you had suggested last year that we would be transitioning into ministry in the USA in 2013, we would not have believed you! All of our ministries were going well, we were feeling quite settled and comfortable in our little part of Australia and we had always believed that we would retire in this part of the world. But as we began our 15^^ year of ministry in Australia, w^. both felt the Lord telling

us it might be time to move onto another ministry opp^tunity. We began praying

about it, and after cautiously moving forward, we feltpe Lord leading us to a new
ministry in the USA. Through much more prayer and family discussion, it became

very obvious that the Lord was opening the doors for us^to move to a ministry
opportunity in central Pennsylvania. After 19 years of service overseas, Tim was
hired as the senior minister of the Watermarke church in Bellefonte, PA.

In what seemed like a whirlwind, we packed up, sold our house, had our dog

adopted, and said our goodbyes at a farewell party just in time to go to Sydney and board the plane (with many unmentioned details in between ). We leave behind
many close friends and co-workers. The members of the Northlakes Christian church made us a beautiful quilt to take with us to remember them (We will be showing this off for years to come!]. We are very excited about what lay ahead for us as a family on this side of the world.

There will be some adjusting to do and there are quite a few unknowns, but we know there will be many open doors for ministry and possibilities for the girls here. We hope it will be a great experience for all of us.
In July, we will be traveling as a family to Mission Training International in Colorado Springs, CO to participate in the Debriefing and Renewal [DAR] program for returning missionaries. We are excited to attend a program designed to help longterm missionaries adjust to life back in the USA.
We cannot fully express our love and gratitude to each of you who have supported us over the years. Many of you have housed us, fed us, and entertained us on our furloughs. Many of you have visited us in Australia and have helped us in our ministries at church, camps, retreats, conferences, and much more. Many of you have prayed for us, encouraged us, and given financially to help continue the Lord's work Down Under. We have seen the Lord provide through His people time and time again, and are always amazed by His provision.

Many of you have already expressed your interest in continuing your support for missions work in Australia. We would be happy to talk to you about the many opportunities to do so, including supporting other families working in Australia and/or continuing to support Australian Christian Mission for development funds and future visits by our family. If you would like to explore the possibilities, please contact us at ozvates@gmail.com. We have very special memories and a very special place in our hearts for each of you. Thank you so very much! Please continue to pray for us as we begin this new phase in our ministry life. If you are ever in Central PA, you have an open invitation to come see us! Please feel free to email us as well. We would love to hear from you!
Thank you and God bless!
In His Grace,

Tim, Dawn, Lauren, Leah & Anna Yates