A difficult past few weeks

It's time to blog, or I might explode. Maybe the words I'm about to purge will help alleviate the constant crying I've been doing lately!!

In a month's time, Jonathan and I have had to tell two sets of our best friends goodbye. We've had to tell our awesome church community group goodbye. And I feel heartbroken (but hopeful).

The Richards — Liz and Dave — moved a couple of days after Valentine's Day to Birmingham. I hadn't known them but a year, but we were fast friends. It's nice being friends with people our age who are in the same place in life. Plus, they are just AWESOME ;-) But, I tell myself this is a temporary move, that they may end up nearby when this is all said and done.

The Kotrlas — Keith and Jessica — are leaving Monday for....ETHIOPIA. Yes, you read that right. It's not a matter of being sad that I won't run into them around town — they're moving halfway across the world (and all of this after adopting their precious sons from Ethiopia only a couple of years ago!).

Bitter, party of one???

No, as sad as I've been, their move has disrupted my life in some good ways as well. It's shaken me out of my comfort zone — as these things tend to do — and forced me to take note of my own relationship with Christ. Would I, in my current walk, be willing to do the same....? I don't think so. :-/

Their departure makes me long for the return of Jesus — for a time when there's no longer a need for missionaries to spread the Gospel...for an ending to goodbyes. In the meantime, I'm grateful that my friends are taking news of Jesus to Ethiopia. I can't think of a better family to take the Word to them.

Few can say they understand how it feels to sell their possessions and give to the poor. But my friends can. Few take seriously the command to GO make disciples of all the nations. But my friends do. Keith and Jessica Kotrla are amazing stewards of the resources they've been given. Please join me in praying for my dear friends and supporting them in their missions.

www.steadfastmission.org

I'll leave you with my fave pic of Jessica, the one I will look at when my heart gets to missing her:

Just so there's no confusion, she was demonstrating for me how to use the pregnancy pillow!