Final Goodbyes

 

Wednesday night, the youth group threw our teenagers a sweet going away party and sweetened it with some Blue Bell ice cream.  I'm so glad Blue Bell returned to our area before we left the country!

 

 

The youth minister shared from Acts 1:8 and challenged the group to be willing to consider going to the "uttermost parts".  He also focused on the image of the beautiful feet that bring God's good news to people.  I wondered what he would have thought if he had ever seen our feet in the village.

 

 

I'm so grateful for the friends our kids have made while we've been back in our passport country.

 

Some of the those friendships span generations.  Sweet Abby is the daughter of a dear friend of mine who grew up in church and choir and orchestra alongside my sister and me.

 

 And Macy is the daughter of another friend from long ago.  (Both girls look so much like their beautiful mamas that sometimes I have trouble calling them by their own names!)

 

 

In between packing and cleaning and all those last minute things like returning books to the library, we've been saying goodbye to places like Stoby's.

 

 

We also dropped by to visit with my Gran and to hug her neck one more time.

 

 

And today before we pulled out of the driveway, I walked around our yard and said goodbye to the broccoli that I think might actually make it.  My daffodils are swelling and getting ready to bloom a wee bit early, so I said goodbye to them as well.  We'll have hundreds of bulbs blooming in the next few months.

 

One last stop to say goodbye to Nahna and Papa, and then we were on the road to return the vehicle to the precious Conard family.  God has been so gracious to give us the strength and energy and mental stamina and encouragement we needed to pack up and return to the Solomon Islands!