Back on the Band Wagon in our Final Days...

So somehow I fell off the blogging band wagon the second our feet hit the US in April.  This was not intentional but our summer here was so full of busyness, fun, and excitement all mixed together with a lot of CRAZY!  :)  I'm so thankful for our friends and family who entered into that world with us.  I'm excited to do some summer recap posts and reflect on all the memories we made but first, some thoughts as we prepare to head back to Ghana...

It's Sunday morning, the bright morning sun is reflecting off the Colorado mountains, the house full of sleeping cousins will explode any minute with the activities of little bodies, we are about to begin our last full day in the States.  Tomorrow evening (Sept 23) we will be boarding a plane to our new home.  Years of planning and preparation, shopping and packing, excitement and grief have gone into this moment.  We've boarded this plane to Ghana before, but this time its different...this time our tickets have no return portion...this time everything we own is on a boat on its way over to meet us...this time goodbyes won't just be "see you in a couple months"...this time its REALLY happening.  Its crazy the mixture of emotions one has in these moments, how excitement and grief can take residence in the same space in one's heart both being felt equally at the same time...how one second I can feel the excitement of all God is doing and the next the tears are flooding as I watch my little nephew and realize I may never see him as a 4 year old or I hug my grandma for what may be the last time.  So much of this journey feels like exactly what we are supposed to be doing and so much feels like the most unnatural thing ever.  At training, the kids were taught this emotional conglomeration is called a paradox, or "a pair-of-ducks".  To help them remember that this paradox of feelings is ok, they were each given a pair of stuffed yellow ducks.  One duck was their "Yeah" duck that they decorated with smiles and lace and bows.  The other duck was their "Yuck" duck that they decorated with wounds and bandages and peg legs.  As our hearts grieve and we head into our final goodbyes, a friend reminded me yesterday, "Jesus is worthy."  Today I cling to that...He is SO worthy.

        This picture represents to me all of God's grace in our lives.  God started us on this journey years ago and our first question to Him was "But Lord, we can't do this alone.  WHO will go with us?"  These amazing people are HIS answer.  We are beyond THANKFUL for them and in awe of how God has answered our years of praying for a team.  We LOVE you Vytrak Family and we'll see you "on the other side!"