On the Move- April 19

Greetings from the green fields of Pennsylvania! Um YES, much has happened since my last blog post.

As many of you may know, my husband and I had tentative plans to spend a summer “sabbatical” in the United States, arriving in May after our last surgical team of the spring. We were so grateful that Monchy had received his Visa which would enable him to travel with me. Little did we know that we would need it a bit sooner than expected! In late March we received news of a family medical situation in Pennsylvania which changed our plans from departure in May to “the sooner the better”. After fast discussions and planning with Joe and Shannon and the Solid Rock crew, we packed up and flew home on April 6th to be with my family. And here we are! Wide eyed and transitioning….

How does everything feel? Everything feels a bit crazy and overwhelming. Seeing the United States through Monchy’s eyes is definitely different. Car heaters, dish washers, hot water everywhere, huge open spaces, enormous houses, Ollie’s, Costco, mega-churches, multiple expensive cars, and Amish buggies are mind-blowing for him (and sometimes for me too!). And yet we feel so surrounded by loving family and friends during this transitional time. We are trying to take things VERY slowly (to the best of our ability) to soak into this time here. We spent the first 10 days with my parents in Lancaster and now we are tucked away in a sweet lil apartment on the Bare farm in Chester County. My sweet husband can wake up to cows mooing, turkeys gobbling, and a wide open green meadow and pond in front of him.

In the last few days, I have found the 2016 VelvetAshes Retreat to be a very comforting reminder of leaving fear behind in order to get closer to God. The theme of our retreat this year was Leaving Fear and it could not have been more directed towards me. I like to be a planner…and the last month of our lives has been really UNPLANNED. Family health issues, anxiety, travel, immigration lines, husband adjustments, culture shock….. I have been afraid of what I cannot control. I’ve been journalling and processing through the Retreat on fear and although I can say that this is an ongoing struggle for me, I had peace this morning. I read this verse this morning in a book, “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs: the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion”.

The verse spoke to me in several ways but the first was through the word pilgrimage. Is my heart set on pilgrimage? Wikipedia says that pilgrimage is a journey or search of spiritual significance. Do I really have my heart set on a search for spiritual significance, figuring out, learning, KNOWING MORE about God? This was a great challenge to me. The other was the phrase “they go from strength to strength”. I cannot look around here without seeing all of the “strengths” that have been provided to Monch and I, from church softball practices to job opportunities for Monch, this amazing apartment, the rides, vehicles, meals, hugs and words of encouragement. In the midst of potentially nervous times at the outpatient surgery center and the doctor’s office, God provided familiar faces from my nursing career here in Lancaster which really eased our concerns and made us feel at home. I feel like I am going from “strength to strength” .

In regards to the family health situation, things are stable at this time. We continue to wait for some pathology results, but I know that my family would say that they have really felt the power of prayer. I am so grateful for all of your support, your prayers, your encouragement. I am going to continue serving with Solid Rock in team communication and planning, which I’m greatly looking forward to. It feels good to stay connected to my wonderful San Juan community too, even if it’s from far away for right now.  Annnnndddd I know many folks are wondering if Monch and I are going to hit the road and do some visiting. We aren’t going to make any plans until we know exactly what will be happening with the family health scenario. So stay tuned and please continue to pray for all of us!