The Battle on the Homefront

When we first announced our intention to move to sell most of our possessions and move to the Middle East, a lot of people reacted with awe and wonder. Comments like, "I could never do that." or "You guys are so brave." were fairly frequent. Hearing stuff like that made us feel special, like there was something about us that was different, more adventurous than typical folk. I don't know that that's exactly true. Sure, we were up for the change and willing to go, but so much of us being able to come out here has been made possible by an incredible support system that seems to spread throughout North America. I know that in trying to thank everyone I'm going to miss people, but it would be ungrateful of me to not try at least.

It's impossible to tie up all the loose ends before leaving a place. In fact the strands of our lives were so loose and tangled that the efforts to tie them up only made things worse. We left Nova Scotia without having sold our house and car, not an ideal situation, granted, but the fact that my father and step mother have been so willing to take care of that for us makes it so that the biggest concerns are the least worrisome. Of all of the anxiety I've experienced since coming over here, not once have I stressed out over the home or car. We're also grateful for the support the Kirchners and Pillings have offered by helping to finish little repairs and take care of the yard work.

Friends like the Glanfields and Pinsents were great supporters of our move even though they weren't particularly happy about us leaving. And each person who expressed disappointment at our departure helped us feel like we were known and loved. I think one of the worst feelings a person can have when leaving a place is to feel that they haven't made a difference. It was a real comfort to hear that we would be missed and to feel like we really mattered to people.

My mother and step father made room in their storage area which helped by not forcing us to get rid of everything, but what helped even more was their resolve to submit their mission papers without waiting for everything to be in order. We're grateful for their example.

You can read about our trip across the US in earlier posts. So much of that trip was preparatory for this experience. On that trek we learned how to live with less, deal with one another in confined spaces and navigate new environments on a daily basis. That trip also helped give us the emotional resolve to take the leap by allowing us to visit with friends and family that we hadn't seen in much too long. We didn't get to see everyone we wanted, but the visits were what we needed.

From a logistical standpoint, friends like Michael Armour and Shawn Rider really helped navigate some of the finer points of bureaucracy. My brother was able to provide sound counsel on travel and my sister has volunteered to act as a shipping point for unattainable necessities. And then there are the prayers we know and can feel that are being offered on our behalf. Those prayers are being answered daily in very real and tangible ways. No doubt, I've missed people, but that doesn't lessen our gratitude or our love.

And because I'm a total geek, and in keeping with the whole "it takes a village" vibe of this post, I have to end with one of the coolest propaganda posters I've seen in a long time.