Well it is finally here. We have dreamed for almost two years of what this night would be like. Tomorrow we fly out at 11:30am from Houston. The last few weeks have been crazy. We have watched almost all of our possessions sell or be given away. We have with great sadness said goodbye to our closest family and friends. Our have had our final Christmas in the States for a while. We have packed the final boxes and our bags for Costa Rica. And now I sit in Houston, 11 hours away from our flights.

Selling our possessions was tough. Some of the things that have been seemed so important to us went for such a cheap price. It was truly a humbling experience. We tend to think we are worth more than what we truly are. But, as I watched them walk away I realized just how valuable earthly possessions are. Ironically I honestly do not miss my playstation or iPhone as much as I thought I was going to. In many ways it is quite freeing to be without. I have come to realize how much my family means to me compared to my earthly possessions.

Saying farewell to our family and friends was much more difficult than selling our possessions. This past week we spent our final Christmas with family and said goodbye. I think one of the hardest people to say goodbye to was my grandfather. He has meant so much to me. As I walked out the door the thought that this might be the last time I see him was more real than ever. It was extremely hard to hug my aunts, uncles, grandfather, and mother and goodbye. My father is here with me in Houston, and I will have to say goodbye tomorrow. I know that these are not final goodbyes, especially with technology today. I find it interesting that the flight to Costa Rica is only 30 minutes more than a drive home from Teague, yet it seems so much farther away. Saying goodbye to the church we even harder. We all knew this day was coming, but this Sunday morning reality hit us hard. I am so grateful for the hugs and love they expressed to us at the end of the church service. I am so grateful for the final in home visits we made Sunday night. Several of the students came by more than once on Sunday and Monday to say goodbye. Each time it was harder to say goodbye. We feel so blessed and honored to be a part of their lives. I hope this is not a final goodbye. We fully intend to keep in touch with them. Only time will tell. FBC Teague has been more than a congregation and a minister relationship to us, they truly have been family. We know that we are have so many friends, which we are not saying goodbye to, because our move is not the end of our relationships.

Packing our final bags and boxes was one of the greatest challenges of the past few weeks. Sunday night we were up midnight packing and repacking. Trying to decide what is necessary is more difficult than it seems. But after much discussion we are officially packed. We have a total of 8 bags that we are checking and about 6 we are carrying on.

Tomorrow is the day!! I am so excited. I am so nervous!!! Can’t wait to tell everyone how it goes!!!

We are entering our final week of preparation before we leave for Coast Rica. We will actually fly out next Wednesday. We will be spending 4 months in language school. We are experiencing a mixture of emotions. In many ways we are saddened. For the last six and a half years we have had the honor of serving at FBC Teague as student ministers. The students and people of Teague are amazing. We recently have called a new pastor and after working with him for the last month, I can see so much potential. There is a new spirit in our church and we would love to be a part of what God is going to do here in Teague. At the same time we have this very strong calling to serve in Honduras as missionaries. We know going to Honduras is where we are suppose to be. We are very excited about our future in Honduras.

But first we must go to San Jose, Costa Rica. We are packing the final things in our home under the pressure of our departure deadline. The thought of what language school is going to be like is always in the back of our minds. Our children are restless, because they are not real excited about moving. Who would after spending your whole life in one place and with no idea of what it is going to be like in 10 days. We are excited about more time with our children, learning a new language, and embarking on a once in a lifetime adventure.