(the first is four of my kids taken this week, the next two are pictures from amsterdam, and the last two are from our short time in lisbon, portugal.)
two weeks since we were living with brooke and allie (who couldn't have been better hosts and room mates). two weeks since adventures and laughter with the larsens and the rest of the wonderful people living there. days away from eating dutch apple cake, while watching people from all over the world meandering down the street. and thousands of miles away from riding bicycles through old cobbled alleys, by ingenious houseboats and canals and through markets teaming with life. two weeks since. in many ways it feels like we were just there, and in others, it feels far away...isn't it always like that when you travel somewhere that is different, but close to your heart?
our time there was kind of dream-like when we look back on it. not because we were totally wrapped up in the romance of being there (which at times we were), or because we couldn't fathom anything like that happening to us again (the opposite actually). we feel like we fell into a rhythm there. one that felt kind of strange to leave. one that felt so peaceful and natural we have a hard time explaining it to anyone, other than to say we want to live there. we prayed for things to be clear to us while we were there. and we feel like they were. in one of those god ways that is hard to confuse or make-up, even when you try. but there's an irony in feeling like we want to ask for something that seems to good and too big to actually work out. how could we ask for more when we've been given so much...?
but now we are back in nj. and feeling very comforted and thankful for our life here. our friends missed us while we were gone. and we missed them. we know the flow of our life here, and feel useful, which continues to amaze me, as we've only been here such a short time really. and we get to go back to ohio in a couple of weeks, do that easy 8 hour drive to see some of the people that are nearest to our hearts, and share our days with them in really physical ways that we no longer take for granted.
and though amsterdam does feel a bit further away (it should, because technically it is, right?), we do still feel a strong desire and purpose that we felt while we were there. while living daily here. it's weird balancing-act, but we are praying for grace to do it well. fully knowing that ambiguity will be a dominant player in how these desires are going to work out during the next year. (and we are praying for it to be worked out in a year. hopefully it won't take longer then that...)
on another note, it's the end of the school year for me. i have successfully finished a full year of teaching 8 three year olds (who are now turning four!), and didn't reach my limit, or fail terribly enough to lose my job, or realize that i am god-awful at teaching...which feels to be quite a feat in itself. i can't quite believe it when i think about it...
and we are amazed at the fact that we have been here almost one full year. one year spent further away from our friends and family then we have ever been. one year into building a new life from ground up, making new friends, finding new joy and challenges...
and hey, we are doing really well! amazing, right? we had no idea how it would go...but i will tell you that god is better then i ever think he'll be. more gracious, more generous, and has much bigger things in mind than my small things that always seem so big to me.
