Hanging With Our New Tribe

Over the course of the last 5 months, Tricia and I have been through a variety of emotions. We have been slowly letting go of many different things and have been feeling quite alone at times...not because there is no one around, there are plenty of wonderful and loving people around us. The problem is that there are few people around who understand what we are feeling, who have felt these things and know what it is to go through leaving the country, family and friends and the whole range of missionary emotions.

Well, this week has already been a gift of grace! We are spending the week in the presence of other missions families from around the world. They know what we are feeling. They can put our feelings into words. They see it. They get it. They even know what may be down the road still and are helping prepare us. This is so life-giving to be here. One day in and I am already enriched beyond what I expected. And Davis is even getting to hang out all week with TCK's (third culture kids). So cool!

We are running with our new tribe for the first time and it feels good.

(This week is Eastern Mennonite Missions Oasis week. By the way, we have been THOROUGHLY impressed with EMM as an organization thus far.)