Here we go!

Today is the day!

We have quite the day and week ahead of us, so I wanted to give you all some details so that you can continue to pray.

As if moving overseas wasn’t enough, the Major becomes a Lieutenant Colonel today. There was a time we didn’t think that this promotion was going to happen and even when we knew it would we didn’t think he would get to have a promotion ceremony in the states. But by God’s grace he is going to pin on hours before we board the plane. My parents, sister and her family will be there (yay!) and his parents will be Skyping in (thank you Lord for technology).

After a farewell lunch with my family, my parents will take us in two cars, one for us and one for our 12 suitcases, to the airport. (Cue the tears and the chutzpah) We will board our 8 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany, then, after a short layover, fly to Stuttgart. We will be in Stuttgart for a week of training about life in Nigeria and will get to visit some dear friends in Ramstein. Later that week we will pack our suitcases one more time and board one more plane for Abuja, Nigeria. Abuja. Nigeria. Wow. I still can’t believe that it is happening.

Once we get to Nigeria there is a good chance we will have to stay in a hotel for a week, or two, or four, while they get our house ready (you don’t want to know), but in the end we will get to our new house and although it will take a while, eventually it will become home.

We will have a state side address so their won’t be any customs forms or international shipping rates to have to deal with. I have heard it takes about a month to get mail and that Christmas present should be mailed in October. If you would like our address send me an email or Facebook message. My email will be the same and I will still be on Facebook and using  the apps “WhatsApp” and “Voxer.”

You may have noticed that pictures and particulars are missing from these posts. I am still working out the security details of this blog and until I get it figured out my husband, who is much wiser in the world of internet safety has asked me to keep things generic. I will be posting pictures on Facebook.

Thank you to all of you who have called and texted and written to let us know that you are praying for us. Please pray specifically for sleep on the plane and grace and patience as we guide groggy little ones through the process of pushing through jet lag. It will be 2 am EST when we land in Germany. Please also pray for each of the girls as they process their new reality. S in particular becomes overwhelmed easily when thinking about the unknown. Pray that I will let my leader take the lead and that he leads with love and compassion. Pray that we will have lots of opportunity to laugh and that we will be aware of the special moments when God is letting us know that he is with us.

I could go on, but I need to get moving. Adventure awaits!