Ending Where is All Began

This past week we were blessed enough to enjoy a family vacation with Kent's family as a Christmas gift from Kent's mom. When we found out in December that we would be going to the UP of Michigan we had no idea what that looked like but we thought it would be an adventure, just like anything is with a 6 and 4 year old.

Well, Grace made sure the vacation started with adventure by dropping a 13lb bowling ball on her hand the Friday before we left. Her two fingers were smashed so hard that we had to go to the ER. Turns out she fractured them as well as smashing them and bursting one open. We left with instructions to NOT get them wet!! Great instructions as we head out for vacation.

So one of the amazing things about this vacation was being able to visit with so many of our friends along the way. On our way to the UP we stopped in Jackson, MI to say our last good-bye to the Godsey's. We will miss these crazy cats. 

 

Katie was able to barrow this van for the morning so that we could visit for just one hour. We're so thankful for the people that help us in small ways that allows us to do small things, that have a lasting value.

We randomly stopped to see the Nelson's so Kent could say good-bye. We're so thankful for the encouragement and teaching these two gave us during our time at NTBI and in our Green Letters group. So glad that they were willing to follow God's call for their lives even though it wasn't at 21, or even 32, for them.

So we finally made it to the UP. The first day we went to the beach and, yes.... Grace got her bandage wet. Thanks to Aunt Ashleigh we got it changed with a lot of screaming and some freaking out. Let's just say we didn't go swimming any more during the week.

We had fun all week but it was very tiring!!

The Children's Museum was awesome...

 The time with my husband was sweet...

And the memories were priceless!

 

We're so grateful that Kent's mom made this possible for us. 

We're quickly figuring out that as missionaries you make the most of every traveling trip that you take. So not only did we see friends on the way to the UP, we also met with people on the way home. We stayed in Jackson two extra nights so we could meet my sister who lives in Kalamzoo, our teacher and friends Butch and Pat, our MI church friends Jason and Michelle and then finish our visit with attending our MI church on Sunday.  

 

We stayed in guest house apt. 4 at NTBI. That's where our journey into missions with NTM started. We stayed in that same apartment when we visited with the McCormick's.  

 

 

 

Here we are two years later and moving onto our next phase of training. We leave Bluffton in 3.5 weeks. We have 4 partnership development nights left, one weekend getaway with my siblings, a talk at church, a birthday party for Grady, meeting with friends, a cousin day, and lots of memories to make in those last weeks.

 

Each day we get a little bit more excited, nervous, ready, and uncertain of what lies ahead for us. Some of our friends had something unexpected come up this past week as we're waiting to head to the MTC. They said "God's got this." That pretty much sums it up and where it has to rest as we wait for yet another transition in our lives.