Getting Ready to Leave

We have less than a week left here. The end of our time has been spent sorting, packing, cleaning, watching Malachi learn to roll over, saying goodbye to friends, selling and giving away our stuff, and seeking the Father on our future.

Last night Eric accepted a teaching job in Des Moines, so that's where we're headed. It's nice to know, and now we can start looking for a place to live. In some ways I think He let us wait so we wouldn't get distracted from greater things. We actually feel called to go to Louisville, KY so Eric can finish his masters program at a sem there, but it just wasn't coming together. So we decided (after LOTS of thought and PR) to come back to DSM for the year and then seriously plan to move to KY next year. At the same time we're open to the Father leading us in another direction if that's his will.

We're looking forward to... a dishwasher (hopefully??!), a car, mint chocolate, Doritos, caramel rolls, Target, Chipotle, and of course being able to see family and friends and call them at normal hours.

But we're not looking forward to... teaching Malachi to use a car seat, people who've heard it all when it comes to the Father, impatience, and having to drive everywhere.

We know we won't miss... everyone staring at us, people thinking it's fine to poke at Malachi when he's sleeping, all the honking, and crazy traffic.

But we know we'll miss... people who don't complain, special "foreigner" treatment, our soybean milk maker, Taobao, our family of five, small house worship on Sundays, and of course our "family" and friends.

It has been an incredible two years. Full of challenges, but as Eric and I were talking, we know we wouldn't change it. We've learned so much and grown so much. Excited to be back in the US, but sad that we may never again see those that we're leaving behind.

再见！

Nights on the Town

Eric and Mitch's man-date... They had steak for dinner, played video games at the arcade, and then went dancing in the street with the older ladies while wearing tiger hats. They may have gotten more attention than Malachi does.

Andrea and I got dressed up for our night out, went to a Thai restaurant downtown, and then planned to watch some Gilmore Girls. A small baby may have adjusted the plans a little, but we still had fun.