52 hours and counting...
Baby has diarrhea, 'the kid' is having listening problems, the wife is excited/terrified and i am having chest pain.
Stress! what stress? I ponder as we enter this huge new phase in our lives individually and collectively as a family, is this actually what i wanted and dreamed? I think so. Yet, like so many other times, all the outside 'stuff' comes crashing in and as we try to keep a perspective and our heads above water we are called to be more than (and different than) we had planned and anticipated.
One thing remains sure and constant. God. The unfathomable, unknowable, yet completely trustworthy God is the same. I do find comfort in this, for although He is scary and continues to be a mystery to me i know He cares and is with us. I am more aware than ever how alone we are and how it is so easy to be isolated and afraid. DON'T go there friends. I know some of you are in rough patches now. My heart is with you R&K, V&M...Stay close. Stay connected. I remember praying the last prayer over Tabitha, begging God to heal her and clearer than anything in my life, He said, 'I don't make mistakes'. Although difficult to fathom and hard to explain, hold dearly to Him. Or as my grandfather choked out to me with tears in his eyes as we said goodbye for probably the last time, "When the chips are down, turn to Jesus, He won't let you down."

For those we leave behind. We will always be with you. Our memories are full of faces and you are what we treasure the most. We will see you again in our dreams, hopefully letters and on he Internet. Stay well all....and if you ever get to southern Africa, throw me an email and i would love to show you why i love it there.

Next time....from Mozambique!