Time Away

We loaded the van yesterday and headed north for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you know us really well, you know that we travel like gypsies. We I am the classic "I will grab this one-last-thing just-in-case" packer! Early in our marriage this baffled Thom. I packed as if we were either never going to return or be stranded in a corn field in Ohio. Now, 15 years later, he quietly packs the van with the skill of a professional mover.  (Thanks, sweetheart!)

Yesterday, he came in the door laughing and called me out to the van. Already packed (without my '"last minute" bags), he reminded me this is without the child(ren) we are waiting for! At this point, we have one row per child. It makes us smile and try to imagine the future God has planned for our family.

On the road, we enjoyed family time. Admittedly, adoption paperwork and thinking about fundraising has taken a lot of time and focus lately. Katie let me join her on the back row and we played games on her ITouch and then the old-fashioned "ABC" travel game. Because we were stopping half-way for the night, we stopped and ate in a restaurant (vs. the quick kid friendly meals). When we got to the hotel, we quickly changed and went swimming. This is one of our kids' favorite travel treats!

Today we drive the rest of the way to Grandma's house. We are looking forward to a few days of being with Thom's family!  Special treats are seeing cousins and aunts the kids haven't seen in over a year.  The kids are disappointed snow is not in the forecast this year. Of course, we packed our snow gear-- just in case!

Tears, Luggage, and Anticipation

"Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6



I am thankful to have read the above verses when I opened my Jesus Calling devotional book this morning. I have experienced a lot of different emotions today as I said good-bye to my children and husband. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't realize how difficult it would be to walk through airport security and to my gate without them. I am to thankful to know God hears our prayers and cares about the concerns of our hearts. I know I can trust Him to be with each of us as we are apart! 

I am happy to say that the luggage passed the weight limit (50 lbs. each) at the airport! Thom did a great job of helping me pack the luggage and Katie had fun helping. We rearranged bags until the weight was distributed between the 2 large duffel bags. The backpack with my belongings is 22 lbs and I managed to cram it under the seat in front of me on the flight to DC.

Tonight I am at a hotel in DC with most of my teammates. I had dinner with a group going from Birmingham, AL, and spent some time talking with our team leaders. It was fun to finally meet others on the team and start getting to know each other. Tomorrow we head to the airport by 9:00. Our plane leaves at 12:00 (EST), which will be 7:00 pm Uganda time. Our flight will be 12 hours to Ethiopia and another 2 hours to Uganda. I am hoping for some good sleep!

I look forward to finally being in Uganda after so many months of preparations. I cannot wait to see what the Lord has prepared for us to do and learn. I am praying that throughout this experience that the Lord will  help me stay focused on Him and to place my trust in Him.



"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

(This verse was also in my devotional today. Always thankful for God's Word and His promises!)

Switching Gears

Our children have been out of school since May 24th and my last day at work until August was the 31st of May. Though our pace has not slowed, I am thankful for a mental shift from work, more emotional energy to focus on other things, and more time to spend with the kids.

So far we have spent very few days at home and many on the road. Helena (our van) has been outfitted with new parts for her air conditioner, new shoes (tires), and a new fuse for cruise control. She has faithfully carried us to Knoxville and Ohio and we are thankful for more time with her!

Thom and I enjoyed time with Katie and 6 other 5th grade students at Destination Imagination Globals in Knoxville at the end of May. Our four days were packed with activities and competition. The kids finished 19th in their age/category and competed against teams from the States, Turkey, Mexico, and China. They had a blast!

A few days later we travelled to Cleveland to visit Thom's mom, sister, and brother-in-law. We had a great time with them and enjoyed an Indians baseball game. David had a blast! 

After a few days home, Katie, David and I headed over to SC to see my parents while Thom has travelled to Arizona for a meeting. We have enjoyed spending time with them swimming and having wonderful, lazy days!

I went out for breakfast one morning with my dad and mom and I got to do one of our favorite things-shop! Yesterday our focus was pants for my trip to Uganda. We ventured to Goodwill and I was thankful to find the type I was looking for-convertible with nylon material that will air dry well. God is so faithful in His provisions! I was so thankful to find just the kind I need in my size (and on the $1 rack!!)

I am looking forward to Monday when Katie and I will go with our church to Centri-Kid camp in KY. Though my role as chaperone will be busy, I am praying that God will use this time to continue to prepare me for Uganda. I cannot believe we will be there in 40 days!! After reading the travel blogs and Facebook posts of others on mission to Uganda in the past week, God has reminded me of the need to prepare my heart with Scripture. I fully anticipate this mission trip being more difficult than I can imagine and know in the hard times my greatest comfort and strength will be His Word hidden in my heart!

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the salvation. In that day you will say: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted." Isaiah 12:2-4

(from Jesus' Calling devotion for today)