June 16th 2009- Our Nation's Capital

Since we were so late getting our passports (the state messed up on that one), we had to come to Washington, DC to the Chinese Embassy to get our Visas. Trying to maneuver around an unfamiliar city is bad enough, but with times restrictions and four excited children, it is about impossible. So after a long talk with Dad, we tried to plan a major detour to our trip.
So the night before we had to leave, we had to find a place to stay. Trying to be the best stewards as possible with the money we had been entrusted with, I was on the computer at one in the morning looking for good last minute deals. I tried all the discount hotel deal companies and ended up on hotwire. After asking not to let me do something foolish, I accepted an offer on a 4 star hotel in Bethesda at $69 a night. And it ended up being The Hyatt Regency!!! So we got to stay at a wonderful, very nice hotel .
But the biggest hallelujah was that the hotel was on the same road as the embassy; that was "lined up" because there is no way that could happen by chance. Out of all of Washington, the two places we had to go were less than 4 miles apart on the same road!!!!
While in DC we rode the train in to see the mall monuments. The whole way in, on the very crowded rush hour train, I heard that song by Brandon Heath “Give Me Your Eyes” in my head. As you look around at people, you can see need in their eyes- pain, disappointment, loneliness, sadness. I tried to make eye contact with as many as possible and just offer an encouraging smile. We will be in a gigantic city with millions of millions of people, most with empty looks. It is hard to fathom the need there; hard to imagine right now how challenging a task.
We are now driving out of DC and headed to Harrisburg, PA. We have one more night before we register for training tomorrow afternoon. We are going to try to see Hershey and go to the chocolate factory before we leave out. Hey, it’s a free factory tour and I am kinda a fan of chocolate.

In a Whirlwind....

The past few weeks have been a blur- a lot to be done in a very short time. It seemed so far off, but now we leave for training in a week!! We are learning so much through this process; it seems that Dad is working more on me than I could ever help others. He is showing me my flaws and selfish tendencies every day. And through it, helping me to humbly teach my children to live for more than self.
As gifts pour in to help us, we learn to humbly accept what we need. As the house empties out, we are learning faith and contentment with very few belongs. As I turn my business over to others to run, I am learning to trust. And as we try to sell our house in a very sluggish market, we are learning patience and to wait on God’s timing.
I have so many loose ends to tie up, but I have a sense of peace doing so that I never thought possible. I usually get very tense and impatient, but right now I am so chilled out and I just know He has it all lined up perfectly so I am good. Just trusting that we are dead center in the middle of His will for us makes all the things we have to get done an adventure in “What will Dad show us next?”

Movin out, movin on.....

We successfully moved out of our house and in with my parents. We are staying in the apartment in their basement, but spreading out to sleep at night. I guess the smallness of the apartment will get us ready for the crowded conditions when we arrive.
We still have some things here to move-our good china, yard equipment, stuff we will not use but want to keep. But we should be completely out of the house by the end of next week.
I am still tutoring at the house until the house sells.
Please please please "think about" our house selling in May. It is already going to be difficult scheduling a closing for it, with all the time in June and July we will be out of town. I trust that it will sell. But I am just impatient. I need less fear and anxiety and more trust and faith!!!

We are in a pile of forms to be completed and registered with the government and medical forms and school forms......so I need to get back to it. I will try to blog more as last details are wrapped up.
Continue to "think" about our family as we prepare for this journey.

Do any of you know Morse....?

Final word came earlier- we are hired.
I have to edit for content now.
Lots more to come about our new "life".
Will keep you updated.

Moving Right Along.....

We are still waiting for results from the testing and formal offer from the company. This is taking much longer than we expected or are use to. I am an immediate results kinda girl- good or bad, just give it to me. So this has been hard. My apprehension seems to be being met with telling me to rest . He says has it covered and it is all plan, way, timing. So I wait.

We have shown the house twice and have 2 more coming to see it this week. I am constantly picking things up, sweeping, vacuuming. This is not fun- living in a house with 4 kids and trying to keep it clean enough to show on a moments notice. Hopefully, it will sell soon and we can get to moving by the end of the month. Please continue to pray that it sells before we have to leave the first of August.


I still am unsure as to what to do with my tutoring students in the fall. The lady that was going to take it over needs free afternoons to take her middle school aged kids to sporting events,etc. I know someone else will come along who wants to work a few hours a week and make some extra money. If you know of any teachers that might be interested, let me know.

One thing I am struggling with through all of this is negative responses. We have people, some we barely know, saying very negative things about us going. Some do not mean to, but it is not helpful at all and we need building up and affirming, not doubt. But again, the L keeps telling me this is the Way, Plan. So I cling to that. Just pray that I keep my big mouth shut and have restraint not to say something sarcastic back. So far I have just smiled, nodded, and said, "yes, it is going to be very different for us."

Very different indeed- did you know they eat snake over there? More to come on that later....

Just one of those things.....

We are moving in many ways right now....and it is causing big change for me.

First way- moving through the process. We are on the final step- mental testing. We are not having to go to Michigan. We are being tested right here next week. One kinda short test and one test of 550 questions!!! If I wasn't mental before, I will be afterward!!!

Second way- moving out of the house. We are putting the house on the market Sunday. Please pray that is sells quickly. We are planning to move out in April regardless into the one bedroom apt at mom and dads. If that doesn't help get us ready, nothing will.

Third way- moving stuff out of here. Planning to have another sale next weekend and get rid of a lot of stuff. I never realized how much stuff we have accumulated. It is such a freeing sensation to get rid of all of this. I will be so much happier with less to worry about.

One thing I have noticed through all of this is how attached we are to having a home. I didn't realize how much a part of who I am is connected to my house and stuff. I have noticed that in getting rid this stuff and the feeling of security from things, I am relying more on . We, as Americans, have fooled ourselves into thinking we need all this stuff to be happy and secure. But the more I purge, the more secure I feel. I want my faith to be just that. Using things for security was robbing me of that blessing of relying on for safety, protection, belonging.

I do not want to be defined by what i drive, live in, wear. Without all of these distractions and idols, I feel free to find my meaning in who I am in . This concept is just settling over me and it is amazing.

More to come.....

I am amazed daily......

The further we get in the application process, the more convinced I am that clearing a perfect path for this is all fall into place. Daily sends things to me, reassurances that this is the path for us, the plan for our family. If you had told me a year ago this would be happening, I would not have believed it at all.

I am still hard a work, cleaning out closets, clothes, cabinets. It is a major deal- you do not realize how much "stuff" you have accumulated until you try to weed out 50-70% of it.
I am amazed at how is working through facebook though. The day I put my status as "cleaning out for sale" I had an old classmate message me wanting to buy any and all kitchen stuff. Also he wants teen type clothes for his daughter- two things I have a ton of to sell.
Then got a serious inquiry about the house...and we aren't even showing it for another 2 weeks!!!! Plus a friend had 2 people at work ask her if we were selling- they were interested too!!

Another concern I had was my tutoring students. I have done this for almost 13 years and some of them have been with me for 6-7 years. And at this time, I do not know of anyone else in Gaffney tutoring. I was really getting anxious about what would happen with them....and the kids and parents are too!!!
I have prd about it and poured my heart out. These kids I have grown very close to. I had one the other day making a book for school and he asked me if he could dedicate it to me and I teared up. It was weighing heavy on my heart. And I know hears my prs- He doesn't want me to have anything distracting me from the plan for us. He cares about even the smallest areas of our lives. He knew/knows my heart and concern for these kids, most with ADD and ADHD.
Yesterday, after my mini-cry about the dedication of the book by a precious second grader, I received another facebook message from a teacher who moved from Gaffney but is moving back home this summer. She is interested in "babysitting" my tutoring kids (her words, not mine) for a few years while we are gone. We are meeting up this weekend to talk. I am so excited and relieved!!!


Also, I had my formal interview this week. For 92 minutes I answered question after question over the phone with the HR director. And it was wonderful!!! By the end, we were both in tears and snubbing over what a wonderful thing this is and how is really in the middle of this. He said, "You know, I have been thinking the past few minutes. Your accent, I know you are Southern if not from South Carolina. And I am thinking how there is this girl from South Carolina and she and her husband are going to take their family to China to work in our schools and how can reach out all over the world and lead people places they never expect."
That was what got both of us. Just putting it to words... known all along this was the path for us.
It is truly amazing....exciting....humbling.

I can't wait to see what is going to happen next!!!