Memories, laughs, a full tummy, and a
renewed appreciation for missionaries everywhere are just a few
things I left with after visiting the Roughts and McGinnises a couple
Mondays ago. After a rather adventurous trip to their house, I was
greeted by the ever-beautiful Gretchen, warm Ryan, and was
soon-after awestruck at the size of their girls! The last time I
remember spending some quality time with these beauties was five
years ago when I was with them for a week here on a mission trip. These
young ladies before me were talking to me like the teenagers they
were becoming, and I felt old! Minutes later, that dynamic duo, Jon and Joni, arrived
with their whole kitten-kaboodle! After hugging the
oh-so-grown-up, Katie, and next-oldest Megan, I smiled at Lindy and
JD, who simply blinked at me. These poor children had no idea who I
was, but I made them hug me anyway :)
As we sat drinking coffee (of course)
I updated them on all things Sarah, and then later I was privileged
to get a peek into what “Missionary Talk” looks and sounds like.
Planning meals, accommodations and other necessities for the pending
arrival of their TACTICA team, asking questions about the correct way
to conjugate a Spanish verb, and hearing about how they've been
adjusting to the culture in general, left me wide eyed and speechless
as I soaked it all in.
After I sat at the “grown-up”
table for dinner we headed outside in the drizzle for a good ol'
fashioned bonfire. It was there that I was able to hear exactly how
all their kids have adjusted – especially Jon and Joni's, and the
difficult decisions their families have to make regarding education
for their kiddos. It suddenly occurred to me that the rather
difficult time I had adjusting to this culture here for the first
month or so was absolutely minuscule compared to what these family
have been and are currently going through. I don't think I ever
personalized their transition of packing up house and home and
throwing themselves into a completely different culture...
As I hugged them all good-bye, and Ryan
and Gretchen kindly drove me home with their exhausted
girls, I was beyond thankful for these incredibly close-knit families
willing to sacrifice everything familiar for the sake of spreading
the gospel of our Savior. Wow.
So thank you – Ryan & Gretchen, Jon & Joni, and family (and missionaries everywhere) ...for everything!
Much Love,
from a blessed, enlightened,
and thankful little Darling <3
I'll leave you with some snapshots with the cutest kittens
around!
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