Set to Jet, by Dana

We finally have our Bolivian work visas in hand and our airplane tickets rebooked.  We are scheduled to fly out of Helena, Montana on Monday, February 25^th, at 7 am.  While our first tickets read January 23^rd, the delay has brought many added blessings, bumps, and the occasional bright spot in the month of waiting.  Here’s a run down of our last month:

·         Host families:  We had rented our house out as of January 1.  So we’ve had two rounds of host families, the Connollys and the Garrisons, plus a quick trip to see the Bays of Kalispell and the grandparents on the ranch in central Montana.  We could not have asked for more cheerful families to show us kindness to us during this somewhat awkward time. (We often found ourselves answering  the same question many times a day... “What!  You’re still here?!?”)

·         School:  We had taken both the kids out of school, and were not able to reenroll Kellton in his former elementary school.  Not wanting our Kindergartener to miss too much school (read Mommy wants to uh, share his inexhaustible questions with the world) we put him in Montana City School.  Then surprise!    He was assigned the Kindergarten teacher he had reading lessons with this summer.  God had a good trick up His sleeve.

·         Home:  We have all learned new things during this season.  For me, the phrase, “heaven is my home” has often come to mind.  Moving out of “our house” (it’s God’s anyways, on loan to us), living in various other peoples’ homes, has made me really long for something a bit more permanent. I have been a broken record hounding the kids to be careful as we try and not glue, paint, sticker others’ homes.    However again and again, God has brought the truth to my mind that this world is not our forever home.

·         Health:  I think our family set a record for length of time with colds, and the number of people we could infect.  We got the Flynns, Connollys, grandma, great grandpa, all jokingly citing us as patient zero.  So slogging through illness has created an increased need in each of us to show a bit more grace and patience.  If only we were as potent to “infect” others with the spirit and love of Christ.

So we still need to pack/acquire/find a few more things, but for the most part, we are ready to leave for Cochabamba, Bolivia.  We hope you’ll follow our updates each step and pray for the upcoming new culture/language/ housing hurdles.  And let us know how we can cheer you on and pray for you as well.