On the eve of our departure

This is the way to pack. I thought we were leaving Thursday morning. It's 4 pm now. We're still here. I got everything done. The house is even clean. The garden is fertilized. The yard is fertilized. Tom and I have left the country before for six weeks. That was China--pre-kids(sort of..I found I was pregnant with Hads in China). Suddenly with a home, a garden that I choose to plant anyway and two kids, leaving for 4.5 weeks is harder. We are sacrificing activities we love.

Hold on....Had to go pack two things I realized I forgot. I wondered what else I will discover? We don't have a scale here. So when we get to Grandma's we'll have to weigh our big suitcases.

And suddenly...it was time to go, I'll finish the post now.

We did the whole Navy Pier thing in Chicago today. It was crowded on the train due to a Cubs game and Taste of Chicago. The big Ferris Wheel was a hit though honestly I was so disappointed that the one slow time around for scenery viewing was not followed by a faster time around, I don't think I would recommend it to a ferris wheel lover. It really is just for the view....

Chicago makes me feel like a foreigner (good practice as soon I will be). It feels like the whole world visits Chicago. There are languages, tourists from foreign countries and more color of brown than I ever knew existed. Crowds overwhelm me. I just want to sit in the shade and pull people aside and ask them their story. So many people.....I still wonder about the desperate father running around screaming the name of what I assume was his little girl...how did that story end? It certainly made me grasp my girls more tightly.

Tomorrow we begin our flights. More than last year (when I knew nothing about what I would find in Honduras) I am filled with worries. I'm not normally a worrier, but lately I have to fight to give my concerns to the Lord. Seems like every hour I panic that I forgot something I need (usually I haven't). Or I worry about where we are staying or about safety or about being able to handle the heat....and sleep comes so slowly. And yet, I still want to go to Honduras.

So if you came for updates, I don't have any yet. But I do have a few prayer needs especially for a peaceful mind. Pray for flexibility, hearts of service and contentment. I don't know many details about where we will be, but I know things in Honduras are not efficient, that it will be hot, and our desire is to serve and bless this incredible family.

Love to you all.