Hotel Hoskins

Last night we said goodbye to Amy and Kris.  Tomorrow we will have to say goodbye to Henry, Olguita and Caleb.  Our house has been a revolving door lately.  36 out of the past 48 nights we have had friends or family staying with us.  So blessed to spend time with so many people we love.  The sheets for our guest bed have never seen so much love.

Pictures and stories to come, but now we must prepare for our next adventure.  Time to do some laundry, pack up the sunscreen and head to what some call the happiest place on earth.  

summer staff

One of the best parts about working for Merge were the amazing people we got to work along side.  From our director to the staff at Covenant World Mission, the other trip facilitators working around the globe to the local leadership and lay people - we have met some truly amazing people and great friends.      And some of the greatest of the great were our summer staffers.  About this time last summer, our staff was arriving for the summer.  And we didn't know it at that time, but it was a summer that would forever change all of us.  Serving alongside the same small group of people 24/7 for weeks on end is a unique experience.  We played, worked, cleaned, ate, argued, cried, laughed, cooked, misunderstood, got frustrated, shared, vented, talked, wondered about laying down hair, drove, did laundry, packed and loved each other well.  

It's sorta strange knowing that this intense community isn't happening for us this summer.  Some things about it we won't miss, but there is a great deal about it that we will long for in these summer months.  

Hannah, Liz, Richard, Nathan and April - We love each of you so much and know that we will be missing you tons this summer.

Ecuador Summer Staff 2010

(Mom was an honorary member...both summers)

Ecuador Summer Staff 2011

And these photos are really best appreciated in a series...

6

Six years ago our adventure began.

2192 days partnering in life together.

We have lived in 4 cities and on 2 continents.

We have moved 7 times.

We've had 2 kids.

We have had to say goodbye to 1 grandparent and 2 great-grandparents.

We've had 7 jobs between the two of us.

We've owned 3 different cars.

We have traveled together to 4 different countries.

We've celebrated with many friends and family as they started their life together and have also watched other's marriages fall apart.

We've spent hours in the car together and walked many miles side by side.

We've met countless friends who have impacted our relationship and how we do life together.

We've sat at the same table sharing meals almost everyday.

We've made it through 2 childbirths, appendicitis, the roads of Ecuador,  post traumatic stress disorder, our first semester of seminary and pieces of our world shattering into a million parts.

We have argued, laughed, cried, sat in silence and laughed some more.

We've packed a lot into our life together so far and we pray that this is just the beginning.  The mystery of what other adventures lie ahead is just so exciting, but not as exciting as knowing who will be by my side as the adventure continues.

And I am forever blow away by our God and the grace that he has shown us everyday.  That He forgives us so that in turn we might forgive each other.  And that he loves us so that in turn we can love one another.

And may the adventure continue for many years more...