I LOVED YOU AT HELLO

It is Friday morning, 17 January at 7:45 Swazi time and my heart is about to break.  Over the past few days we have had to say good-bye to so many wonderful people with a question of whether we will ever see each other again.  How does one go years without seeing family – ones that have stolen our hearts?

We are leaving this amazing country in just a few hours.  I can’t imagine waking up every morning without the crowing of roosters, chirping of birds, monkeys scurrying on our rooftop and the beauty of flowers, trees and sky in front of us.  That doesn’t even include looking forward to embracing the people that I love……knowing that our day would include sharing the gospel that I love with people that I love……..knowing I would see the smiles and greetings of the most beautiful creations of our Heavenly Father.

THANK YOU Swazi’s for an incredible journey of the past two years. 

I loved you at HELLO.

One of the songs we composed for a party we had on Saturday sung to “Popcorn Popping”. 

We stepped into Swaziland

And what did we find?

Smiling people that are loving and kind.

The Lord has given us a perfect fit.

You and us we made a marvelous hit!

We could take a planeful with all of you

Back to America – I think that’s what we’ll do.

It isn’t really so……but it is our wish.

I guess we’ll settle with memories that we’ll cherish!  ( you really have to stretch that last line to fit)

TORPEDO SPEED

Our time on mission is passing at “torpedo speed”!  I have decided that time on mission does not pass normally.  The first few months of mission seem to last twice as long as normal time as we adapt and start to figure out what the Lord wants us to do.  The middle of a mission starts picking up speed as we start to implement the things that we desire to accomplish and get to really know and understand the people that surround us.  And the last few months fly by at torpedo speed.  As someone as said, “At first, you measure mission time in months, then in weeks, then eventually in days, because it disappears faster and faster as time goes on.”   I can’t remember any time in my life when days have come and gone so quickly. There are moments when I want time to stop, but my family and friends in America call me back. 

It seems surreal that we will be leaving Swaziland in ten days.  It is really, really hard to think about leaving the people and country we have learned to love kakhulu.  You know, it was hard to say good-bye as we left our family and friends back home to come on mission, but we always knew that we would be back.  But as we leave all the wonderful people of Swaziland, we know that we may not be returning.  This is much more difficult than I ever imagined!  Our bodies may be flying back to America, but a large portion of our hearts will be staying here in Swaziland.  We could not begin to leave all our new friends that we have grown to love here, if we didn’t know our family is waiting for us across the ocean. 

When we leave this magical kingdom, we will be taking with us so many wonderful friendships and amazing memories.  They will be part of us wherever we go.    I cannot begin to express our love for those we will be leaving behind and our appreciation for the privilege of serving a mission.  We do look forward to the time when we will meet again……….that is my greatest desire.

 

God be with you, dear friends, until we meet again.

DON’T CRY BECAUSE IT’S OVER…..SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED

This has become my new motto……..the holiday season has been quite difficult for us wishing our Swazi family a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and good-bye.  I am continually reminding myself that I can’t cry because it is over……but I need to SMILE that the Lord gave us the opportunity to spend the most amazing two years in this part of his vineyard with His chosen children. 

 

It has been busy.  Consequently, I have not taken the time to do my blog.  I will finish it when we get home. 

Happy New Year to you all…….it has been the most wondrous 2012 and 2013 and we hope the Lord has a plan for us in 2014!