getting ready

After an incredibly long day yesterday--leaving Delaware at 10 am and arriving in Columbus, Ohio at 11:30 pm--we were wiped!  We stopped halfway through and visited my mom's parents...both of whom the girls absolutely adore.  We had a great visit with them, when the girls let us get a word in edgewise :)

As we loaded back into the car around bedtime to finish our trip, Great-Grandma was saying good-bye to Lily when Lily looked at Great-Grandma and I and said, "Mom, who IS she?  I mean, in our family?"

"She's MY mommy's mommy," I told Lily.

Lily was thinking, thinking, then said, "But YOUR Mommy is in heaven."

"Yep," I said.

"Sooooo," Lily said slowly, then pointing at Great-Grandma.  "Is SHE still living?"

The look on Great-Grandma's face as she patted her arms and said, "Why yes, I think I am" was PRICELESS.  Only a four-year old.  Trying to figure it all out :)

We had a GREAT time with Matt's family and with so many of our adopted family in Delaware, New Jersey and PA.  We're incredibly grateful.

I never would have thought we could have seen so many people, been so many places and spoken so many times in 2 weeks...all the while having great quality time with family and friends!

This afternoon Greg and Cathie, our dear friends from Haiti who played a huge part in God giving me His heart for Haiti, drove to dad's house to meet with us for a few hours...always such a blessing to be with these wise, loving and unconditional people.  There are people in each of our lives who have a reputation for speaking TRUTH into our circumstances and hearts, and Papa G and Mama C have had that heritage in my life for 12 years now.

Praise the Lord for those people who ask the hard questions, listen deeply, and give us the hard--but undeniably true--truths.

Our time state-side is wrapping up!  Matt heads to Florida the end of this week to be the keynote speaker at Niceville UMC's annual missions conference.  After traveling so much this summer, we weren't sure the girls and I could swing one more thing, but I hate that we're going to miss it!  The schedule is on their site, and if you live near Niceville, Florida, Matt would LOVE to see you!  He'll be out, making more family :)

He then heads straight from Florida to Indiana for EBS Board meetings, and then will swing through Ohio to get us girls and our bags and head back to Haiti, August 6th!

Lily, as much fun as she's been having, has been incredibly homesick and asking left and right how many days there are left until we head home.  As is true 365 days a year for us, we are missing friends and family, and after so much traveling and speaking, we've got to admit we're looking forward to being in our own beds and in the same place...even if life in Haiti is still a good match for our crazy-short-term life in North America!

Thank you for all your continued prayers as Matt pours out in Niceville and in Greenwood and as we prepare in so many ways to return home!