Entering the Countdown

This past weekend my family had a send-off for us as we embark on the biggest adventure of our lives. Now, here we sit, on a plane headed to Philadelphia, where 17 months ago we walked into the offices of World Harvest Mission to begin the process of becoming long-term missionaries in Bundibugyo, Uganda. At the time I never fully understood what God would do in our hearts and our lives over the course of 17 months.. And I never fully understood what he would ask us to give up. 

But I'm here to tell you 

...the journey has been worth the cost. 

It's worth it because the writing of it didn't just begin 17 months ago. It didn't begin 19 months ago when we first visited Bundibugyo. It didn't begin 36 months ago when we first heard about the ministry in Bundibugyo. It didn't begin over 4 years ago when Derek began pursuing graduate studies to become a Physician Assistant so that we could serve overseas one day. It didn't even begin 9 years ago when that man put a simple round ring on my finger & we made a covenant that, while one day the diamond would come off, that simple round band would always remain.  

Nope, it began long before all of these events. 

But God has given us these things as a reminder that He is the Author of all the chapters of our lives, and each one has its purpose of telling the greater story of God's goodness across this world & right here in our midst.

   









 This past Spring & Summer has been a culmination of sorts, a celebration of The Story that God has written across all the seasons of our lives. We've gotten to see many of you, whether on our road trip out West, or on our visits to the South. We have feebly and insufficiently attempted to communicate our love and appreciation for the role you have played in helping us get to this place of being ready to board a plane for Africa. And we've come to the humble realization that none of this is really about us. It is about Jesus Christ making himself great in the hearts of broken and needy people...us, you, and our future family in Bundibgyo, Uganda.

And so here we sit, exactly 2 weeks away from our departure date, headed to Philadelphia to close out our last orders of business, having said a very difficult goodbye to my sister & brother-in-law, knowing that equally difficult ones are right around the corner. I'm trying to absorb the weightiness of all that we are going to miss out on over the next 2-3 years, while reminding myself that Jesus is worth it & will make all things right in the end. While I know this fact deep down, I don't want to deny ourselves the full opportunity to grieve these losses because I know that there is no greater comfort than to be carried through trials in the arms of Jesus Himself. 

Dear friends, thank you for being the arms of Jesus to our family. We feel very well sent, knowing that we are not on this journey alone. We leave a piece of our hearts here with you, and we take a portion of yours with us across the ocean. With the closing of one chapter starts the beginning of another. Thanks for walking these chapters with us.

 This is (real) Life.

[...you know, the kind where someone seems to be having a meltdown all the time...yeah, airports will be real fun]