transition

It is Saturday and it is so strange to be thinking we are having a group come in about 4 days.  Mexico's summer season of groups has finished and so mentally I find it crazy that they are done and we are still prepping for another group.  We have had a nanny for the last four weeks and she leaves Monday and the other staff family who has joined us for the summer leaves Tuesday....  Yet, John and I and the kids and the 6 interns that are left will be here until the middle of August, the 14th to be exact.

I have gotten used to the community here and it will be a challenge to revert back to how it was on May 31st.  I am learning that life here in Nigeria is consistent in its challenges.  You just know things are going to break down, or buying food and cooking it will take longer.  Or that there will be mistakes in your food order if you do choose to go out to eat because they are not understanding what you are thinking.  Those things have become a way of life.  I am still learning however that ministry is inconsistent with groups, interns and relationships with our ministry areas.  I am trying to learn how to function with consistency and inconsistency at the same time.  I guess that is what makes it inconsistent, huh?

John and I have learned lessons along the way this summer about relationship-building here in Nigeria.  I would like to share with you those, but at the moment, I do not want to consider this summer finished or complete yet.  I want to stay in the game, run the race, compete as to win the prize, etc... and love those around me here and now.... so my moment of reflecting over the summer will need to be postponed for another day.  

Please join our family in prayer as we want to minister to this group from Cincinnati and give them everything the Lord wants us to give.  We will be moving into the ministry house on Tuesday when the other family leaves.  So, we will be living out of suitcases for a week and a half.  Also pray with us as our kids start school on August 5th.  I think all three are excited about starting back but a little apprehensive at the same time about friendships mostly.  Anyway, these next three weeks will show themselves to be full of transition.  I am not always good in transition, I am awkward and weird with people.  Let's be honest, anyone who has been with me during any type of transition day knows this about me and hopefully loves me anyway.  Please pray (I know I keep saying this) because I don't want to miss out on what God has even if I am awkward and in the middle of transition. I wonder if He might minister more during transition because nothing circumstancially is familiar that I can "depend" on.  Maybe that is why my life has been full of transition. I grew up moving a lot as a child and John and I have always been around transition in life and ministry and family....maybe it is so we don't become comfortable?  anyway, I am getting long winded.  

See you later...

Hehe, guess what John is doing in the other room???  He is purging "junk" to throw it away.  He does this a lot and it makes me giggle because we honestly don't have much here, yet he still likes the idea of throwing things away, there is something cleansing in it for him, I think.  Anyway, I am off to join him in removing unnecessary items in our lives and going on to live more freely.