thankful

Can you believe what a happy, chubby miracle baby Christie has become?  Such a joy.  

And nobody Sofie loves better...

I'm not gonna lie...these few days without Matt have been rough.  

After two full days of continual diarrhea and some vomitting for Lily, she is finally feeling better this morning, and no sooner did she say so that Sofie threw up all over the living room.  Sigh.

Nonetheless, there has been lots of laughter and special moments all the same, and when Matt is gone I always find myself counting up extra blessings I don't normally notice:

How dear Micheline and Gertha are, and how much their friendship and help means to me...

How thoughtful Junior and Haylie and Noel are, popping in to play baby with the girls 30 minutes before dinner guests come or going to church with us to help me...

How much Matt takes care of, at home and at the Seminary and in our community...  like, makes me COFFEE in the morning, handles the 23 visitors who seem to come to EBS each day for various reasons, helps visiting professors with translations, translators with visiting professors, students with family issues, staff with staff issues, tours visiting groups, leads team devotions, takes the girls to visit the goats...the list goes on and on!

What a good leader Matt is.  I don't want to brag, but I am truly thankful for all of the giftings and passions God has put into Matt to equip him to be where he is doing what he does.  It's not until he's gone that I can see so clearly how much his passion, humor, energy, discipline, ability to talk to anyone about anything, listening, empathy, readiness to share the Gospel and patience make our family and team and EBS a better place for His glory.  

His time in Avon Park has been GREAT (more when he returns) and we are all glad he'll be back today, Lord willing.  

Our current visiting professors are wrapping up their classes this week, residential courses begin next week, and four more visitors join us in the next 4 days to help finish building the apartment for Ryan and Cheyenne coming on the 17th and one more visitor to do a conference on the 13th and 14th.

One visitor left yesterday saying that he never knew being a missionary meant so many things, like "washing so many chaps underwear."  

Alas :)

What does it mean for you today?