All Kinds of Emotions

Our final week....unreal! People keep asking us how we feel, and Kelsi and I agree that at any given moment, a new emotion bubbles to the surface.


Sadness

Our number one emotion! We cannot believe that our home in Lusaka will be only a distant memory in a couple of weeks. We are both praying that God blesses us with the opportunity to return to Zambia someday and reunite with the amazing people here, but for now, we are sad to think of saying good bye.


Excitement

As sad as we are to leave our new friends, we are excited to see our old friends and family. (That's you!) Although emails and Facebook have helped us keep in touch, it's obviously not the same!

Kelsi and I are excited for several little things, as well. We are eager to drive again (hopefully we won't forget which side of the road to drive on), find a wider selection at the grocery store (I think by now we've adequately described the unfortunate lack of Mexican food here), and (Melanie can't wait to) buy some bold Starbucks coffee.


Happiness

As bittersweet as this week has been, it has been full of many happy moments so far. Our fast-approaching departure has encouraged us to soak up as much play time as possible with our children. After our afternoon sessions, we've been playing Frisbee, volleyball, and soccer. We gave them bubbles, too - basically a guarantee of a good time. We played volleyball for an hour today, and the whole time, the kids were laughing hysterically. Amazingly, they never fight. Kelsi and I agree that we rarely see children who play as well as these kids do.


Thankfulness

Above all else, Kelsi and I are increasingly thankful this week. Sometimes in life, we need tearful good-byes and joyous reunions to remind us of God's great blessings. At the end of the day, being able to drive, grocery shop, and even drink Starbucks coffee is not that important. One of the most important blessings that God gives us in this life is our relationships with the people around us. These past three months have allowed us to connect with people from an entirely different culture and race. Even though we don't have much in common on the surface, we have been able to bond and create meaningful relationships. Best of all, we know that if we don't get to see them again in this life, we will see them in the next.

So how are we feeling? Good question! I wish I knew the answer. What I do know is that we have been so incredibly blessed. Today I am thankful for the sadness, because it means we have loved our time here. I'm thankful for the excitement, because it means we have loved ones back home. And I'm thankful for the happiness, because it means we have created memories to last a lifetime. God's blessings on your week!



P.S. In other news, a group of 25 nursing students/professors from WLC arrived in Lusaka this Monday. At first, it seemed so strange to see people from Wisconsin on the campus grounds. However, we have really enjoyed catching up with some of our old classmates and watching the whole group interact with the wives and their children. The kids love the extra attention! :)