Preparing for Liftoff!!
Today we are less than a week away from boarding a plane bound for Rwanda
(after a quick trip to London and Paris on the way)!
Our good friends Mark and Jenny Henry helped orchestrate a special time of
sharing and prayer for our family just before Christmas. Some of our closest friends gathered at our home to give us words of encouragement and pray over our family as we prepare to launch into this new adventure.
Above, Mark and Jenny Henry, Rob and Teresa Smith,
Brain Gilmartin with son and wife Lisa (he is Palmer's awesome small group leader!) and Joel and Kathy Gladden.
Lawson is also part of an incredible small group of guys led by Rowen Ledbetter (left).
We will miss this rowdy crew, but I'm going to keep up with them on twitter and instagram...they always keep me entertained!
The Snider family on left and Fred and Sarah Wood on the right. Fred, and Gary's other business partner, Mike Boschetti, have been very supportive of Gary as he's navigated the path to making our trip to Rwanda a reality. Just one of many ways that God has blessed us and cleared the road for us in this journey.
With some of my best girlfriends...I am truly blessed. Plus there have been so many other dear friends who have encouraged and supported me not only in this one big adventure, but also in all the "daily" life that we do together! If I ever doubt God's goodness to me all I have to do is look at the friendship blessings in my life. Each of these is a gem and add so much to my life!
I do have to give lots of kuddos to Shanon Greer (kneeling, center) for helping me survive one more fall and cheering me on along the way, helping me get my house under control and even helping me get some of Rwanda gear organized and packed away.
Another one of God's cool provisions for us is that he connected us with Brian Langford (on the right), who is going to Rwanda with us to help the kids with their online schooling. He can also help the boys with their off season football training while we're gone. We are so thrilled to have this incredible young man join our family!
Above, with my friend from the cradle, Amy (Miller) Reinhold, who is due for her own adventure with her first baby any day now! I hope I'll get to meet baby girl before we leave town!
A final interesting pic as we continue making preparations....4 of our tunks that are packed and ready to go next to our scale (books, labs for Palmer's physics class, toiletries, athletic equiptment, lots of meds and some odds and ends, and a few electronic gadgets and laptop keyboards). We can take 12 pices of luggage up to 50 pounds each, so we have tried to carefully fill each trunk to stay under weight. Now I need to get to packing all of our clothes and other gear! I will be so relieved when we have all this luggage checked in and are finally on the plane...until then, it's back to work!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
As we start 2013 I am feeling expectant, grateful, thankful.
Wonderful Blog sis! Will share with TIm's family and my best friends too!
ReplyDeleteI love the adventure you are about to go on together! We will pray for you everyday...these Pereira kids sure love their cousins and aunt and uncle!
I love you so much sister!!!! Wish we could go too! Carissa
Hi Marley! My name is Kim and I am friends with your sister who directed me to your blog. Our family knows a taste of your "expectant, grateful, and thankful" hearts. We have been "home" from our 2 year family adventure in Hong Kong for just over a year now. So we know the adventure that awaits you. All I can say is get ready and buckle up for a fabulous family adventure following God on foreign soil. After our experience, I am convinced that Jesus resides outside our comfort zones. You will meet Him new ways and be forever impacted by the places and people he puts in your new path. Oh ... our experiences were such a blessing for our entire family. And I trust you are in for the same life changing experience. Savor every moment (the good, the hard, and the funny) because you cannot recreate it when you get "home". And if your experience is anything like ours ... "home" will forever be redefined b/c you come back with a different set of eyes. If you ever need to chat with someone who "gets" what expat living is all about ... feel free to contact me. You will be so grateful for the blog to document all that God does during your adventure. Praying for you and yours and excited to follow along. Love & Blessings, Kim
ReplyDeleteHi, Marley and family. Thank you for sharing your experiences in Rwanda. I've just now read everything and poured over each picture...each worth MORE than a thousand words. I looked at all the pictures first and was moved to tears by several, but when I read the narrative for each of them later, tears flowed. Your insights and compassion are so evident and are translated beautifully, softly, and vividly! I can hardly wait to read and see the next installment AND to find out how I can help in some small way: shoes, notebooks, ? My heart is hitchhiking along with you and my prayers are constant for each of you. Love, Reita Miller
ReplyDelete(p.s. I love being a grandmother!)