You can climb it and cross to the other side.
You can go around it.
You can dig under it.
You can fly over it.
You can blow it up.
You can ignore it and pretend it’s not there.
You can turn around and go back the way you came.
Or you can stay on the mountain and make it your home.”
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration
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| Loch Lomond |
I am going to be frank...it's the first day of a new year, and I am overwhelmed.
Not by the new year. A clean slate full of hope is always wonderful.
No, I'm overwhelmed because in only 18 short days, the Barefoot Hippies are up and quitting this roost. For a whole month.
We are taking off to the far east-aka Japan and Indonesia. The first week (or just shy of a week) we will be in Tokyo, and the surrounding areas, with good friends. The second week we will be in Java at a resort, with our friends-the missionaries over in South Eastern Asia. The next 10 days or so, we will be on Borneo, hanging with the same friends, in their digs. Then there is a few day stretch that we are teaching a bunch of MKs while their parents are getting lots of training. Then we basically head home. We leave out from Java on February 20 at 11:00 a.m., and arrive back at O'Hare on February 20, at 8:00 a.m.. Time travel at its finest.
I am excited. A development that didn't really strike me until recently is that not only are we visiting friends we have known forever, but, by doing this conference, we are going to be making lots of other great missionary friends too. Lifetime friends probably-for us and our kids.
And while I am sure the trip will present its own brand of challenges (18 hours of flights-one way-with 4 kids. Are we crazy???) I am more overwhelmed by the mountain that needs climbed before we venture out than by the venture itself.
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| Smoky Mountains |
But even mountains can be climbed one step at a time, right? No "beam me up, Scotty." (hey, that would come in handy for the trip too.)
My steps to climb one at a time would include...
1. Make a list of everything that needs to happen before we go.
2. Finish the training for the later part of our trip.
3. Make a list of clothes to pack.
4. Assess everyone's wardrobes, and fill in any huge gaps.
5. Study for kids' conference session.
6. Gather props for the kids' sessions.
7. Study more.
8. Make power points for the kid's sessions.
9. Study some more.
10. School.
11. De-Christmatize.
12. Grocery shop for the last time.
13. Blog. Hopefully get some posts written for while we are gone too.
14. Pack.
15. Weigh suitcases and repack.
16. Finish up 2012 payroll, and fill in 1099s.
17. Pay all bills up to date and through time we are gone.
18. BSF (2 weeks)
19. Bible club (2 weeks)
20. Random life happenings.
Reminds me of a hit song from my youth...
"I'm climbing my mountain, day by day.
I'm climbing my mountain all the way.
I'm climbing my mountain. I'm gonna make it-
one step at a time..."
I am praying for multiplied time-to get the necessary things done. And wisdom to see what I can go without doing this next while. What I don't HAVE to do. Let go.
I am praying that God will teach me, teach us, so that we can teach.
I am praying that we will bless the socks off every person, but particularly, every missionary, we cross paths with on our trip.
Because, hey, we are all about converting people to Barefoot Hippie-ness.=)
PS...First post of 2013! Whoot-whoot!
