A "Good" Goodbye

Richard and I, and our four boys could have lived out the rest of our years here at our home in Concord, North Carolina. We have a beautiful life filled with amazing friendships, neighbors, conveniences, and a church body in which we have found our places. It is a great life we have lived here for seven years, but this weekend we had to say, "goodbye," to many of the people who have woven their ways into the very fabrics of our beings.

This is where the hard part of becoming international missionaries really begins. I know there are much harder days ahead for our family as we carry out the call on our lives in Africa, but this weekend has been was pretty hard on us all. Hard only, because we love the people here so much, and it is difficult to walk away from them. This weekend we were blessed to be able to spend a great deal of time with the people we love. We had a family birthday party Friday night, last night our neighbors surprised us with a farewell dinner, and today we were commissioned at our home church. After the church service today, our fantastic church family put on a farewell luncheon for us. It was such a beautiful gesture on their part to show their love, and it gave us an opportunity to say, "good, goodbyes," to so many who we could not do ministry without.

Needless to say it has been an emotionally exhausting weekend, one in which we had to try hard to hold it all together. We did hold it together... for the most part... until after we got home and passed out the cards written to the members of our family from the loved ones, who gathered today. Our family sat together on the floor, (we have no furniture), and I passed out all the notes. We each had a little pile addressed to us individually, then there was a large pile intended for the whole family that Rich and I took turns reading aloud. We spent a large portion of the afternoon pouring over the tender words, scriptures, and well thought out encouragements from our friends. The boys took turns reading  aloud the notes from their little friends. It hurt. It hurt badly, and we ALL shed a lot of tears. We will miss being a part of these people's every day lives, and we are so indebted to them for allowing us to have been a part of theirs.

We do not leave our home and head to the mission field without taking stock in all who have invested in relationships with us all these years. We leave our home better people for having been touched by the lives of those around us. We have been lifted up in prayer, encouraged, admonished when it was needed, picked up, dusted off, and set back on the right path. We are only able to go forward and carry out the calling on our lives, because others have listened to a calling on their lives to show us love and friendship. We are not super human people, who do everything correctly. We are all too human, and it is only by the grace of Jesus, and the tender love of our friends that we are strong enough to do that which is seemingly impossible to so many. We are not able to walk away from everything in order to live in a third world country because we are different from everybody else. We are able to do this, because we are ordinary people, who through their weaknesses realize they can do NOTHING without God and other like minded human beings.

Those of you, who will continue to live out your lives here in Concord, NC are very blessed people. You have beautiful, full lives. We have loved being part of your world. Thank you for loving us well, and for letting us go in such a sweet and thoughtful way.

Colossians 3:14-15 
"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."