reunions, floods, and everything in between

P'Baluta

So much has happened since my last post that it feels like I’ve lived three different seasons in the span of a few months. Somehow, in all that busyness, I never quite manage to find something to write about. So, I think I’ll just do a little recap on the past couple of months.

In June, I flew back to America for a visit and had such a wonderful time reconnecting with family and friends. This year, I only stayed for three weeks instead of a month, since being gone that long feels too long. Still, time went by in a blur, and it never feels long enough with the people I’ve been missing all year. I stayed pretty busy while I was there, but the change of pace was so nice.

I come back appreciating the people I have in my life more and more every year. I’m so thankful that God gave us such a good community to go back to.

Not long after I got back, Abi and I’s friend Val, who we hadn’t seen in six years, came to visit. It was so nice to have her here. She connected with the kids in such a special way, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be talking about P’Baluta for a long time. It’s so fun to see people come in and love on all the kids as if they’ve known them forever.

Her timing couldn’t have been better. She literally got here as everything was falling apart in Thailand. When flooding in Sukhothai forced us to evacuate to Chiang Mai (though, ironically, our own property stayed dry), Val’s presence turned what could have been a stressful situation into something lighter, and even fun. Saying goodbye wasn’t easy, and honestly, I think the kids (and us) would’ve been thrilled to keep her forever.

Almost as soon as she left, Austin and Lilyann arrived. We couldn’t be happier to have them back. The kids have been looking forward to their return ever since they left two years ago, and they slipped right back into place as if they’d never been gone. We’re very glad that we’ll get to keep them around for a year and excited to see how God works through them while they’re here.

Now, with them here, we’re focusing on getting organized again and finally tackling some of the things we’ve let slide. Life feels more full and exciting with extra people around, and hopefully that momentum keeps everything moving forward smoothly.