Don’t know how to share

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I’m not really sure how to share everything that has happened this past week.

I’ve wanted to write sooner, but my thoughts have been jumbled and I haven’t known quite how to start….or continue….or end…a post.

Our first few days of June began with a wonderful visit from dear friends (our missions pastor and his wife). They encouraged and inspired us. They shared such incredible insight that I was left wishing they had been able to visit us two years ago as we began this journey!

Here we are (Kathy and I) displaying the newly organized library. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to everyone who contributed. We have some amazing books and ALL in Spanish! For anyone who is in ministry in a location where there is limited access to books, here is a great idea that I wish I could have implemented since day 1:

Invite caregivers with young children to a training about the importance of reading to your children. For those who can’t read, take out picture books and explain how they can make up stories to their children based on the pictures. For those that complete the training, bless them with a few children’s books. 

After a few days with Kathy and Ed we brought them back to the US for them to fly home and we drove up to visit my grandparents for a few days. I always love spending time with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We all do.

While we were driving up to visit them, though, we learned that the girls left. This was much sooner than we expected and was very difficult to process since we weren’t there to say goodbye.

And so we have been processing this loss, but it can be challenging when it feels like life just keeps going and there isn’t much acknowledgement that these very special people have left.

Things continue, however, and there is much joy found in…

• hearing the stories of individuals who come here in groups to serve
• observing the excitement as our little 3 year old anticipates a pre-school lesson (have I introduced one of our newer additions? I’ll need to check and make a formal introduction soon)
• learning that the mom of those two little boys we pick up for church has checked herself into a rehabilitation center
• holding a sweet baby boy and seeing how much care is being taken to welcome him and his brother here at Mount of Olives
• celebrating David’s 11th birthday with him
• enjoying the quinceanera to celebrate three of our kiddos here

It is hard to accept that we have only about a month left here in this place that has been home for the past two years.

Please pray for all of our hearts as we prepare to leave. When we left Virginia to come here, God blessed us with such special times with family and friends before we took off. I pray that our time here will also end with meaningful moments and purposeful goodbyes.

—Kaari