Goodbye Arkansas

Last week, we quit our jobs, moved out of our apartment, sold our furniture, and said goodbye to Arkansas... to begin our journey to Taiwan. On the way to Chicago, we spent a night with Ben's Grandma. We were thankful for the opportunity to see her before we leave, and enjoyed conversation, phase 10, and her homemade lemon bars. Yum!

Once in Chicago, I met up with Tami, a good friend from Moody. Our time together was precious as we talked of life, marriage, and ministry.

Friday and Saturday were spent with more Moody friends in preparation for Manu & Melissa's wedding.

Following the wedding, Heidi & Kevin, Chad, and we headed up to the western part of Wisconsin,
where we spent the rest of the weekend hanging out.

The weekend was full of laughter, especially when Kevin, Chad, and Ben tried to start a bonfire. Though they had heard that spraying a steady stream of gasoline on a fire was a bad idea, Kevin thought "tossing" gasoline from the can would be an effective boost to their efforts.

Needless to say, Heidi and I (washing dishes inside) heard a BOOM...

Kevin: "WHOA!!"

Ben: "That's not good!"

Chad: ....clap, clap, clap....(Chad disappears in the opposite direction)

...followed quickly by Chad sprinting into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Yes, just one glass. By the time Heidi and I made it out to evaluate the damage, the fire in front of Kevin's feet had been effectively stomped out. The three-foot stream of burned grass was all that remained... did we know they were pyros when we married them?

In all, it's been good to catch up with friends before we all head in different directions, pursuing various ministry opportunities. We feel blessed by the relationships that stemmed from our time at Moody, as these friends share a similar passion for the Lord.