Counting

Exactly one week from now I will be walking around Singapore.  One week ago I was sitting on my grandparents' sun porch with my entire family.  And that seems like yesterday.  Doing that math, tomorrow I will be in Singapore.

In four days I will be sitting up, unable to sleep, trying to remember what I am forgetting.  Since my plane will be leaving in twelve hours.  

In a day and a half I will be at church, saying goodbye to that family.  They have been my family for seventeen years.  I will stand in front of the church, and they will pray for me.  And... I will cry.  That's a given.  

One suitcase down, two to go.  My room is a disaster as I try to sort through my life, box it up for storage, and pack the little that I can take with me.  I'm at fifty pounds for my first bag... and am crossing my fingers for the other two!

The number of trips to the store are more than I can count.  Some days the past couple weeks, I feel like all I did was shop, for sheets, and towels, and shampoo, and tweezers, and teaching supplies, and cotton clothes.  What can I buy in Indonesia?  What should I bring?  What is worth my precious suitcase space (and weight!)? Questions questions questions! Praise God for friends who are already there and are willing to answer my 2349207 questions.  

Sunday I will say goodbye to Sam, my youth pastor, who is moving to Florida.  While some are mad at him for leaving, and some can't shed another tear, I am excited for him.  He is moving to Florida to teach.  How can I be mad at that?  I'm moving too! But I think, Sam (and Beth and the kids) won't be around next summer when I'm home.  After seven years with him, he won't be at the church any more.  

 I wish I could hurt next to them.  I wish I could attend Sam's farewell party.  I wish I could spend more time with them.  But what I can do will do much more than any of that.  I will pray.  I will be walking around Singapore, setting up my apartment, organizing my classroom.  I will be praying.  Praying for my family... all of them... my parents, sister, and the entire church body.