On our way

Well, today is the start of the next stage of the journey. A big week to try and complete things here, in readiness for a month"s absence. We are so thankful for the opportunity of having leave but did need to make sure that classes had appropriate work left, ends were tied up and responsibilities dealt with.  We feel so fortunate to have such a great family as we up and leave them again.  Of course, in many ways despite being for a shorter time, there is a lot more to leave. Two beautiful grandchildren who we love so very much. Love as a grandparent seems so easy, you understand the demands on the parents, remember the tiredness, the concerns of caring for a small baby but now we only have the responsibility to love them and support the parents!  Just this evening on the way to the airport with Anita and Stu we were able to have dinner with Geoff and Bec. The beautiful babies played on the floor, held hands, eyed each other off and generally made everyone happy.  What a blessing.

Now, we are returning to other family, not blood but ones who we also love very much. They too are easy to love but in many ways we do feel responsibility. The year in Uganda showed us what responsibility is taken on by NGOs and other organizations that take children into their care. If you are moving children, you do take away even the totally inadequate support they have, they become your responsibility. Not one to be taken lightly, now we as a couple obviously have not done this but the Village of Hope has 49 children dependent for their upbringing on Hope Builders which means us and others who partner with them. We look forward to seeing the smiling faces of many of our friends and of course the children.  It is so lovely to know that when we said on Christmas Day to the children that we would be coming back that they will know it is true. So many thoughts go through my head as I sit and wait for a dellayed plane, have we changed this year, if so is it good, what will people notice as different. I don"t believe we will be the same as we were before the year there, or even the same as when we left. Hopefully, we will have been able to digest more of what we learnt last year, have gained spiritually and emotionally in the process.

Two worlds are difficult to live in, we have responsibilities in each., family in each and homes in each. The last couple of weeks, we have been adjusting and trying to get ready, no we haven"t been eating posho and beans but mentally preparing for our other world. It would be a romantic fantasy to assume that everything is easy in either world and so it is important to focus on the good, the things that God has planned for us to do, to take what we have and share it and pray that as we share it is multiplied. We want people everywhere to know that life is not something to be endured, but lived to the full. Unfortunately, living to the full can be thought of as being about living for self. In both our worlds we find that it is as you share with others, love others and look to see other as Christ sees them that one gains life. Would love to do this better but it certainly is our aim.

And so the adventure begins, when we can finally get on the plane to it!