Two weeks notice

 There is a song that was popular when I was in high school called “Closing Time.”

  

There is a line in that song that has been running through my head lately.  The line says, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end.”  This sums up well where we are right now.  In two weeks times we will no longer be missionaries.  One week from today we will be leaving the temporary (read two month stretched into a year) home in Tullahoma, TN, and starting a new adventure in Loudonville, Ohio.  

There are so many emotions wrapped up in those three transitions.  There is a Daniel Tiger episode with a song that we have sang often in these days “Sometimes you feel two feelings (or 100) at the same time and that’s ok.”  Joy, Worry, Happiness, Sadness, Greif Grief because of the dreams for the future that will not happen, Hope for the new things God is going to do in and through us, Excitement to invest deeply into a local church community and the surrounding community, Sadness for the communities we are leaving behind.   Excitement due to the fact that for the first time in years our home address, residential address, mailing address, permanent address, shipping address, billing address, and the address on our drivers will all be the SAME (well once we go to the Ohio DMV and do all the necessary paperwork which is less exciting.) J   

This week we will spend the week packing up again.  We will be packing the things we have acquired over the last year as well as the things we brought back with us from South Africa.  Our shipment is still in South Africa waiting for other partial shipments to join it so it can make a full shipment and journey across the ocean.  We have enjoyed finding awesome deals on things on Facebook marketplace.  Joe and Peter have been working on several pallet projects (a Lego Shelf, a planter box and a shoe rack).  Peter calls Saturdays Pancake and Yard Sale day, as most Saturday mornings we are out checking out what the yard/garage sales have to offer.  We have scored several good finds (like snow pants for Peter) and of course Peter has found all sorts of things he can’t live without.  J Thankfully we are able to walk away with nothing if we don’t see anything we don’t really need (some of us do a better job of it than others.)  

This past year has looked nothing like we had planned/envisioned/dreamed/thought it would.  And we have no idea what the next year will look like.  And that’s ok, most of the time.  When it is not ok, we are able to remind ourselves of all the ways God has provided for us and how He has walked with us the entire journey and be grateful for that.  

These next two weeks we also celebrate Joe and Peter’s birthdays.  Joe’s birthday will be the our last Sunday at the Church that has loved us and cared for us during our time here.  And Peter’s birthday will be our first Sunday at our new church.  Since both of the days are going to be full of things other than celebrating Peter and Joe, we are going to celebrate them on different days. J

If you think of it/us in the next few weeks say a prayer for us.  

Pray that we would say our goodbyes well.  That we would be present in the moment we are in and enjoy the time we have with the people where we are.  

Pray that we would begin well in our new place and for the new friendships we will build.  

Pray specifically for Peter, that he would quickly find a friend or two to make this transition easier for him.  (We already know how far of a drive it is from our house to the community pool and community library.  Peter will be asking to go to both before we unload the truck probably.)  

Pray for safe and easy travels and safe and easy moves.  

Pray for peace, grace, patience and strength for Joe and I as we embark on a new journey and shift roles a bit in our ministry and home life.