Thoughts on Leaving

Monday morning we awoke like any other Monday morning. Yet this wasn't any other Monday morning; this was our last Monday morning in America for a very long time. As we lie with our heads on our pillows, trying to shake the cloud that comes with waking after not-enough-sleep, these thoughts came:

•  Pastor Barry gave us a great send-off last night. We're really going to miss Crossroads Christian Church.
•  We're only going to wake up in this bed one more time.

Our nephew, Johnathon Michael. He
soars through the air! His Aunt Jean
freaks out.
• We are such different people now than when we came to America in 2003.
• Packing is weird. It makes you realize how useless so many of the "I've-got-to-have-this" things really are. And there are some things you just can't pack ahead of time: the sheets you're sleeping on, your tooth brush, and the set of clothess that has to be dirty because, well, there's always one set of clothes that's not washed because you were wearing it!
• After Tuesday night we won't get to play with our nephew for a really long time. He's two years old now. His uncle Mike is obviously his hero--no one can throw him up in the air as high as Uncle Mike can. The baby's so young and fun and innocent and wanting to learn. The funny thing is, in a sense, that makes him our hero, too.

Our weekly Bible study group; friends
who help make what we do possible.
• With living in America, going to school, working, and waiting for the next assignment from God (it was in November of 2004 that it became very clear that God did in fact want us back in the Philippines), we realized time is a funny thing; it can move very fast and very slow all at once.
• We couldn't have gotten this far without our friends.
• We've been in California for nearly two years now, and have only eaten at In-and-Out once. What's wrong with us?
• It's almost time to go. It will be so hard to leave behind the people and the church that has brought us this far. But, that's what they all purposed to do, and really, they aren't truly being left behind; they're going with us in our hearts.

So, it's almost time for us to leave. What an amazing time these last 21 months in America have been. Thank you for your part in them. God bless you all. We'll write more from the Philippines.