Going Postal

Today, Nate and I mailed our 3 most awkward and heavy boxes we are shipping to Guam and besides our golf clubs I think we have actually shipped all the boxes we will need to.  (However, somehow there always seem to be more boxes appear that need shipping.)   I have totally lost count on how many boxes we have shipped but if I had to guess I would think it would be in the high 40's.  I am so tired of packing and shipping boxes!  And I say little prayers for whomever is receiving the boxes on Guam because they must be absolutely, positively sick of picking them up!

We got to know the post office employees more than most people might.  This was especially so in Anderson.  However, our most meaningful interaction was our last day in Anderson while we were shipping boxes out before leaving town a few weeks ago.  We went to the main branch (which is not our normal branch we visit) in hopes of getting two people working on the register so when we come through the line we don't back people up behind us forever.  Because, let me tell you when people see us coming with large boxes 5-6 at a time no one gets excited. 

Unfortunately, they just went down to one employee at the registers shortly after we arrived and by the time we got to the window there was already a good sized line formed behind us.  So Nate and our friend, Tyler dropped the boxes off for me at the window and felt it was in their best interest to not hover around the counter and went outside to wait.  

I was face to face with a seasoned postal employee I've encountered a few other times, and had absolutely no issues with but remembered him to be slower in processing mail and can come across pretty gruff at times.  But I was determined to make this as pleasant as possible for him knowing he might be feeling stress of the line behind me.  So as we made some small talk he got curious what we were shipping and why so much.  And I explained we were moving to Guam for a pastoring position for my husband.  

This gave him pause, as it normally does for most people either for good or bad.  He looked over to Nate and our friend who were now hovering in the doorway at the edge of the post office and asked if the tall one was my husband which I confirmed.  Then he looked at my over his glasses and said to me "Will you do me a favor?" and I anxiously wondered where this was going, but said sure.  

Then he pulled out an iPhone from his pocket, opened up his notes app, and slid it over the counter to me.  

"Will you write you and your husbands names down and that you are ministering in Guam?  I would like to pray for you and I would like to put you on the prayer list at our church."

So I did just that, stating we would appreciate all the prayers.  As I was typing in our names I was wondering if this guy was taking a risk of reprimand from any superiors if he was overheard etc.  But I was really appreciative and genuinely touched that this gruff sounding man was a brother in Christ and wanted to pray for us!

He then shared he went to Mexico on his first mission trip with his church this past year and it was one of the most meaningful things he had ever done in his life.  

I was quite honored that he chose to share with me and that he took such a personal interest in who we were and were we were going.  

As I paid for all the shipping costs, I gathered all my receipts and we said our goodbye's.  I looked at the long line behind me and thought it miraculous that no one had a meltdown while they waited and thanked everyone for their patience as I made me way to meet up with Nate and tell him about my last half hour.

Birthday surprise...

This past weekend it was Leslie's birthday on the 15th. On Saturday the 14th we had a celebration at her mom's house with a variety of family members. On Sunday we had a relaxing day and went out for supper at a local Rochester pizza joint called Mikey's. However, today was the grand birthday finale.
I should back up a bit and mention tht Leslie and I talked about what we should do for her birthday as we drove up to Rochester after our last goodbyes in Anderson. We thought about how we didn't need more stuff to ship to Guam and we had become accustomed to living with little as we traveled through Europe. We also don't have jobs right now so cost needed to be factored in and as a result Leslie decided she wanted a pedicure. I thought that was a great idea, then he added a stipulation...her gift would be that I would get one with her.
I had never done that, or thought of doing that before. But for my wife's birthday I thought I'd be willing to suffer through it. Well I'm happy to say there wasn't much suffering. ;) I drew the line at nail polish & no matter how much Leslie insisted that clear coat was good for making my toenails healthy and strong, I maintained my stance.
It takes a bit for a guy to swallow his pride just having a pedicure at all, because there is no gauge of manliness that includes the item "pedicure". Getting my toes painted just was too far over the line for me.
Overall, I can admit it was a positive and relaxing experience that may even result in a future pedicure at some point. I couldn't really argue with the massage chair, or the leg/foot massage that was SOOO relaxing.
Happy Birthday Leslie...thanks for including me in your gift!

Funny story

Ok, the reason we have two similar posts at nearly the same time is because we were in different rooms writing at the same time without letting each other know! At least we are unified in our thoughts. ;)

Fast Forward....

Apologies for dropping the ball on the second half of our European trip.  We were too tired and busy for adding the blog to the to do list.
Here is the short version of what happened.

We picked up the rental car as we left Paris and drove up the coast staying in Dieppe, Amsterdam, and then worked our way into Denmark and Sweden before driving south through Germany, crossing back into Austria (staying near Saltzburg this time) and then we spent our last few days in Davos, Switzerland.  It was amazing and exhausting.  We especially loved our time in Sweden and Switzerland for that reason because they were great breaks from the city and much more laid back.

Now we have been back for a week.
We stayed with good friends Jon and Holly in Anderson and were able to connect with other friends and continue to ship boxes to Guam.  Now we are in Phase 2 and are in my hometown and look forward to visiting with family and friends in the area.

This is certainly the difficult time of our summer, there are still fun times and great moments but they are often tempered with tears and sadness.  Certainly processing through such a large life change takes lots of energy and we are thankful to have more chances for rest in my hometown.

Keep praying during this time of transition.
Thanks.

Summer of transition

Well I dropped the ball in filling in details from the rest of the trip. Things got busier and I got tireder and that's that. However, I'm not going to neglect posting because of guilt over it. For awhile I thought, "I'll go back and fill the gaps in, finishing off the details if the trip." That's way too much to fill in on this blog because I don't even know who follows us in this. If we haven't seen you since returning from Europe and won't see you in the next month and you want to know about the trip, leave a comment or send a note and we can fill you in.

Anyway, we spent the last week in Anderson living with our friends, Jon and Holly Lambert. It was great to be able to catch up with them and experience their hospitality. It allowed us to ship the last 22 boxes to Guam and to say some last 'goodbyes' to a few of the magnificent people we've come to love in the area.
It was tough to be "home" in Anderson, but to not have our home. Leslie had moved us out of the apartment before we met in Europe so that we wouldn't have to pay rent and utilities for a glorified storage unit. This week provided us with some joyful/tearful opportunities to reflect on many of the people and things that we will miss greatly as we leave this part of the country. A deep sense of gratitude and thankfulness over how blessed we have been is the healthy byproduct of the grief over moving away.
We are now in Rochester, IN for a few weeks to spend time with Leslie's family and various friends before heading up to Canada around the 28th. If you are in the area and happen to read this, drop us a line and we'll see what we can do about connecting with you.
Thanks again for your friendship and support.