Countdown to Liberia

It's hard to believe this is the view we will be seeing in just six short weeks. These last few months have been busy and full as we have traveled from church to church and home to home, sharing stories, memories, and good food with old friends and new. It's been a sweet time of fellowship. We have been blessed beyond measure by the generosity of families, churches, and individuals who have hosted us in their homes, fed us, and gone above and beyond to love on us. What a blessing community is. 

This is not the first time we've done this, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but it is one of the most bittersweet things in the life of a missionary. One of the things we value most is our relationships with people, and we are honored to know some good ones! The downside of that is the inevitable goodbyes as we head overseas. In the past this has only been Kenneth and my sadness, our bittersweet thing, but this time we have the added emotions of watching our kids say goodbye to their friends, siblings, and the only home most of them remember. It's just plain tough. 

Despite the goodbyes, despite the tough and the bittersweet, I can't wait. 

I know that sounds strange. If you talked to me two years ago or even one, maybe even six months ago, that might not have been the feeling I was giving off. This decision has not been an easy one for me, and I struggled for a long time with my feelings, willing them to get in line with what I knew God wanted us to do. Sometimes my feelings have this way of doing their own thing, wanting to run off track or lead the way when they don't really have a clue where we're even supposed to be going. Feelings are unreliable when you're looking for truth. And the truth is, this hard and bittersweet is what we're called to right now. It's part of the path that leads to God's plan for us. Because I know that, I'm not trusting my feelings but only what I know to be true.

This is a great adventure, and one we are blessed to be a part of.