We didn't know...

We were contacted by Ron Washer - the director of Africa Missions for ABWE.  He was going to be at a medical conference in Louisville, KY.  He offered to drive to Evansville, but since he just returned from Africa and France we thought that we would just drive and meet him there.  Our family is usually up for a road trip anyway.  I was super excited to find a Thai Smile restaurant since I LOVE the one in Muncie.  It wasn't what I was hoping for, but it was still Thai food.  We got to Louisville a little early to visit the American Printing Press for the Blind.  Nora has now changed her desired future profession from "Mommy" to "work at the blind place".  It was cool, and I was amazed at how wonderfully behaved my kids were.  We ended up on a "special" tour because of the people in our group and my kids were amazing!  I need to remember that during those times when they are not amazing.  I am blessed.

What we didn't know.  We didn't know what our hearts really felt about staying in the States even longer.  Ron said that he wanted to encourage us.  We didn't realize that we needed encouraging until we started talking about it.  We hadn't.  Talked about it, that is.  It was a discussion that we'd had months earlier - if we reach training in November, Praise God.  If we didn't we would move to Tennessee.  The deadline came and went and we never discussed it.  We talked about it some on the drive home from Kentucky.  But not much.  It's kind of painful.  And I'm the kind of person that just needs to know why.  Ask my parents.  I'm okay with things (although maybe not happy about it all) if I just can understand the why...it's the same in nursing, in administration.  All the jobs I've worked.  I'm okay with how things are done if you can just tell me why and I can try to make sense of it.

The problem is, when you're following God by faith there isn't always an answer to why.  It just is.  It was great to meet with Ron.  Our spirits were encouraged and we really wished that we had more time to talk to him or other missionaries...but then that's hard sometimes, too.

In the meantime life continues and God has given me 3 beautiful and sometimes amazingly well behaved children.  And, I am thankful to minister to their hearts.  I long for them to truly understand God in ways far beyond what I will ever understand Him.