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If you live in Charlottesville, join us on Tuesday nights at the Downtown Prayer Room (DPR) to Pray for All Nations from 7:30 to 9 PM. (The DPR is located opposite the police headquarters on Market Street.)

By Dr. Bill Bray

For us, it’s only a “Bon Voyage!” party here in Georgia—not “goodbye Columbus!” Ivy and I have grown to love the rich diversity of people we’ve discovered here. We have come to appreciate southern culture in general and the vibrant Atlanta metroplex in particular.

We’re finding that many dynamic Sunbelt Christians in Georgia are committed to Christ’s mission globally. Compelled by his love, they are eagerly entering the new age of global partnering that is changing the face of missions today.

So, when we decided to throw a party on the eve of our departure, it wasn’t to shake the proverbial dust off our feet and move on to the next assignment. In fact, we’ve never felt more regrets or sorrow in having to leave a place of ministry in our 25 years of marriage.

We thank God for the beautiful home base we’ve enjoyed and all the exciting things He has done while we’ve worked here—miracles in Africa, Haiti, India, the Muslim world and the Philippines. We give Him all the glory!

However, it is obviously time to move on. For economic reasons, we have to consolidate our offices and housing for awhile in Virginia, but hopefully this is only a strategic retreat. We pray that God will bring us back often—both to visit and work here in Georgia.

The Atlantic area is a great international city, an excellent base from which to address chronic spiritual challenges both in the USA and abroad—big challenges like the Christian school movement, Islamic Jihad, the global orphans crisis, partnering with indigenous church-planters and the re-evangelization of Europe.

While it is especially sad to bid farewell to our colleagues in Columbus, we have made many new friends here both military and civilian. Prayer Partners have joined the Bray Family Team and local churches and businessmen have been generous in supporting our overseas missions. As we move into eternity, we are leaving a bit of our heart here and we are taking a bit of their hearts with us.

I believe we are going to have links from here—not only with native missionaries overseas but with great local works of God in Columbus like Calvary Ministries, the ad hoc “church and missionary alliance” which is forming in Uptown, God Bless Ft. Benning, Mission Columbus, One Columbus, and Peace on Purpose. This is an active community reaching both the world and their neighbors for Christ.

God bless Georgia and her people.