The Journey Continues

Tonight the journey continues.We are packing last minute stuff for our trip to Beijing tomorrow. Three $ 100 gifts in the last three days (one Sunday, one Monday, and one today) have provided for our third and fourth pieces of luggage with Delta. Today was filled with financial arrangements, the requisite Walmart trip, last minute instructions to HBI staff, dinner with family, visits with nephew Reef, sister Kathryn and nephew Zachary, Pastor Selph and Cathi, and final dinner with my sister Ellen, her husband Victor, nephew Avery, and Cheryl's parents Dale and Elizabeth Carmichael. We said goodbye to the Piepkos and Mills in our cul-de-sac. God is kind to us as we consider all the preparations leading up to this moment. It was only seven months ago that we received the news from BBC of their interest in us, Now the day to depart has arrived. The words from Hebrews 13 comfort us: "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." It is difficult leaving four kids behind in the States, not to mention extended family and your church family. But by God's grace we will take advantage of technology to stay in touch well. To Detroit and Beijing we go!