Busy and Waiting

It's busy these days. Our team leaders (Stephen and Kirsten McKenzie) leave for Chad on the 14th of October. Does it seem far away? Not to us. We will be "losing" great friends our favorite little kids, and God-chosen leaders. Besides that, the large (20ft) container that is currently in Waxhaw, NC, will be closed and locked on October 1st, and be loaded on a ship headed for Cameroon. There it will be loaded onto a truck which will drive to N'Djamena, the capital of Chad. There, it will be put on another truck and will make the long drive from west to east accross Chad, and be met by the McKenzies in Abeche, sometime in December or January. It will contain everything that we think we will need to set up our house in Chad once we get there. Of course, we won't be there really soon, but it is easier and cheaper to ship everyone's stuff together.

So my parents are busy organizing our boxes in CA to be shipped to Waxhaw in the next couple of weeks. Sound like a lot of work? It is! Over the phone, skype and email, we are meticulously going through our "Chad boxes" to make sure we have enough dental floss for 4 years, and not too many books, but enough to not get bored. Meanwhile, here in France, while California is sleeping, I am currently looking at a list like this for this afternoon:

1) Contact friend in Abeche to see if 13x9 baking dish will fit in Chadian ovens (if so, tell mom to include, if not, buy 8x8 pans, and take out any cookware from the boxes that is over 12")

2) Call DHL to arrange pick-up of 12 trunks from parents house.

3) Update Blog (decided to do this one first!)

4) Order meat-grinder, non-electric waffle iron, and toilet from Amish website

5) Order large water-filter and solar-powered refrigerator

6) Translate next chaper in "Beginning in Grace" into French

7) Call about missing medical insurance claims

What kind of job have I gotten myself into!? Well, I always told my mom and dad growing up that I didn't want to sit at a desk in an office all day for my job. (now, that's not looking so bad!). But on my good days, I sit back and think how lucky I am for such an exciting life. Sometimes it looks a little more exciting on paper, I think: move to France (ooh, la, la!), go on African safaris (look at that lion!), and live next to mud huts with solar power and hand-crank meat-griders. Nevertheless, it is an adventure. It's just that adventures are just that: adventerous." You don't know what to expect, it's new and different at every turn. Maybe not the way I envisioned "not sitting at a desk everyday," but a good alternative. I get to meet people from all over the world, see places that some will never see in there life, I get to do great things for God and live with passionate committed Christian colleagues. It really is a blessing. Maybe not unlike a "diamond in the rough;" a great treasure, but often times unrecognized or hidden.

Of course, sometimes I'm glad the days are so busy. It makes it easier to wait. Have you ever had to wait for something that you wanted more than anything in the world? For me, right now, that is to have a little baby, alive, to hold in my arms. The last time I wanted something this badly, it was to have my husband to hold in my arms. That took about five years, but he was well worth the wait! We hope we don't have to wait that long for a little brother or sister for Ella, but we will see. For now, we just wait, as patiently as possible, to see what God will do. Ella's due date is fast approaching. It's hard to believe that in 20 days would have been when our little angel may have come into the world.

Rob goes to NC the first week of September for one of his good friend's weddings, and will get to see his family as well. I'm not quite ready to be traveling yet, kind of become a home-body, but Margit and I will be going to Valence one day while he's gone to visit our friend. That will be the furthest I've ventured out of Chambery since Ella. Well, off to finish my list!