“…and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:19

Wow! This has been some more interesting year. Rebekah and I thought that 2022 and 2023 were both huge in terms of life-changing, with first dad and then mum making the transition from this world into eternity; but 2024 has brought changes that are already steering us toward a retirement reality we had not nearly anticipated.

We started the year just a month into Rebekah’s interim pastorate in the town of Tarboro. We dove into the life of the church, got to know the neighborhood and quickly found ourselves absorbed into the beautiful rhythms of daily life in this lovely small town. Not just an exceptional community but one with a strong Presbyterian Church at its heart.

More than simply welcoming, the people generously invited us into their lives with genuine hospitality and love, and it has been impossible not to love them back. After just a few months we realized a calling, not just to honor Rebekah’s contract to the church for a year but to invest ourselves in this community for the next chapter of our lives as “retired” people.

So we are selling our Wake Forest home, renovating an amazing circa 1874 house in Tarboro’s historic district and putting down roots… again. Hopefully we will be moved in before the beginning of February* (it just felt like an asterisk next to a move-in date would be appropriate!).

That’s the narrative, now for the bullet points:

• Rebekah: New pastors do not come along quickly, so HMPC have asked her to extend through the end of May. She continues to shine with God’s light and love and passion, and has been received as a breath of fresh air in Tarboro. Rebekah is excited to see what we can make of this “new” restoration home.
• Derek: Working on a new book, a memoir; helping to facilitate the Tuesday morning Bible Study that is now reaching around thirty men from several local congregations. Grateful to be a vessel through which God continues to graciously pour good news and promise.
• Max: Our huge Golden retriever is now ten and a half. He is an enthusiastic ambassador for our family who is admired both near and far.
• Andrew, Alicia and Mr. T.: The A-Team has moved to Kraków, Poland, where they live downtown in the Old City and teach at the International School. Both are making a positive impact through their work and Mr. T. has grown into a very active, intelligent and curious five-year-old.
• Naomi, Craig, David (13), Beks (11) and Geoffrey (4): Our Florida family moved into a new home in Winter Garden, where our grandchildren continue to grow while their parents watch in amazement! Naomi is doing her best to keep up with all the activity and Craig continues to impress as a Trader Joe’s captain (manager). It looks like Orlando will be their home for the foreseeable future and we look forward to seeing how the family engrafts into their community.

In all things, Rebekah and I continue to experience blessings far beyond what we could hope or imagine. But that is God’s way. We have no idea what is possible and how we can be used until we put our trust in God and follow Jesus, filled and animated by the Holy Spirit.

And this is our message going into 2025 (to finish the thought Paul was sharing with his friends from Ephesus back at the beginning of this post):

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21

Amen! – DEREK & REBEKAH, Christmas 2024

Images that support this letter: Andrew’s family (at a their favorite Ukrainian restaurant), Naomi’s family (on their cruise), the new house (photo credit Edward Roberson), us – both at the front of our church and our soon-to-be home…