All the things.

The last several months have been all the things.

Friends and family have been so kind in expressing their confidence and support, often saying something like, "You're going to be awesome! This is so exciting!"

Usually we just smile and say thank you, all the while my brain is adding lots of other adjectives to this experience that IS exciting, and it's also all the other things...daunting, overwhelming, scary, stretching, humbling and joyful and fun.

We've been surprised by the amount of work to be done to prepare...temporally, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. 

We've been purchasing and packing everything we think we may possibly need for three years, since getting packages all the way to Zimbabwe in tact and paying the additional taxes aren't a great option.  And there is no Amazon Prime. 

The details involved in leaving a life and household are significant. We couldn't do this without the support of our kids and family. I know that a few months from now, when we're driving thru The Lion King movie all the worries of home will dissipate, but right now the lists and details feel important. Every morning my prayer includes, "Please bring to my mind something I've forgotten, and help me recognize what I can surrender." 

We're reading and studying. A lot. 

We said good-bye to the missionaries in our stake we taught on Sundays.

We've been visiting our grandkids every chance we get.

We've been making new Zimbabwean friends.

We're getting all of our medical requirements completed.

We're trying to figure out just how much deodorant and toothpaste 

one might need for three years.

Yes, that's hair color. Mine, not his.

Over zoom we met the amazing Makasi family, who have been giving everything and then some as they preside over the Zimbabwe Harare Mission. They've been running a mission with no senior couples, a young family, during a pandemic. Think about it. They are the true heroes. We can't wait to meet this beautiful family. 

And we got lots and lots of shots.

So far, serving a mission is all the things.  We trust Him, so we'll hold fast to all the things we know, and wait on the things we don't. 

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).