good-byes, rock stars & days off

First it was Amy who left...Monday concluded her one year term serving in our clinic here! She has been SUCH a good friend and been a part of so many of our evenings and weekends and I am already missing her terribly. Our cat loves her, and so do Matt and I!

Then Saturday our doctor is leaving, having completed his three year term here!



Then my dad left this morning :( I am SO glad he was able to come, and we had SUCH a good time. I am trying to dwell on those two facts and not on the fact that now he is gone, but it was awfully hard to come back to an empty house after having such a great week with him. Monday he worked on the new seminary project again, and Tuesday he worked on about 10 errands I had for him at the house AND taught me how to drive stick shift! He must be a good teacher, because I drove all the way down the road, filled up the tank and all the way back without problem.

Well, without problem until we arrived at the front gate of our compound. There is a slight hill coming into the compound, which I never really noticed before yesterday. I pulled up the hill, Jacob opened the gate, the 20 or 30 "regulars" who congregate around the gate stood watching, and I stalled. And stalled. And stalled. And finally got so flustered that, much to everyone's amusement, dad and I had to switch places. Watching a foreign, pregnant WOMAN drive was amusing enough, but watching her NOT be able to drive was even more interesting!

I'll have to keep working :)

Matt is finishing up his days in Jackson, Mississippi and continues to have such a good time. They are participating in a special lecture series this week on Holiness, and he's gotten to hear from some great speakers, who are, in Matt's Bible and Theology world, equivalent to rock stars and famous actors. He's also gotten some great one on one time with several of them, switched from a Masters of the Arts to a Masters in Divinity with an Honors in research (doesn't that sound fun?) and gotten to go to Target. TWICE.

Tonight he's playing in the worship band for a final lecture, tomorrow participates in a large debate, has a farewell banquet, and Friday will start his trek back home, and not a minute too soon...I am READY to have him back, as is everyone else, who after the one week mark, started asking "Is Met Matt coming back?"

Four-year-old Alanna has promised, whether Matt or Amy or Dr. Gavin or Dad are here or not, that she will take care of me and the baby anytime she "has a day off."