The Farewell

We're adjusting relatively well in Nashville and enjoying some much needed rest while we collect our thoughts and pray about what's next. We've been encouraged by multiple people to rest and not rush into anything. I'm thankful for their advice and we're trying to adhere to it. So this afternoon as Isaiah naps on his daddy's chest, I've been looking through pictures and I wanted to share with you what our last few days looked like before we came home.

*****

 

The mission school students and teachers took us to a beach area in the north where we enjoyed lunch and played in the ocean. It was the farthest north we had been and it was beautiful! 

 

Pork, Chicken, Fish, Bananas, and of course, Rice

 

There was a fish sanctuary close to our cottage

 

Isaiah was passed around and loved on all day. I even went out to the water while some ladies watched him nap. 

 

We'll miss living so close to the ocean 

 

I got brave and held some super exotic sea creatures...mostly because a friend forced me :) 

We watched some of our neighborhood kids in a street dancing parade/competition. 

 

 Some of us watched...some of us slept :)

Isaiah said goodbye to his first baby friend, Caleb

 

I got to spend a lot of time with these women in our last two weeks as they helped cook and clean for the mission teams that were there. They are true servants.  

We gave Bibles to these hard-working, memory whiz cuties. 

We prayed over the same girls pictured above and told them how proud we are of them and how much we love them. We all looked up from the prayer with teary eyes and heavy hearts. We were changed forever by our time with them.

We played one last time with this rowdy bunch and prayed for them as well. 

Sister Sheryl and I share the same birthday month. She came with her husband to tell us goodbye. 

We woke up early on our last morning. We said goodbye to our first home...

 

...and to dear friends (sweet Isaiah had just woken up!)

The was the final goodbye as we drove away. We will miss these dear friends.

Our neighbor drove us to the bus stop

We rode these roads one last time. 

And this kiddo snoozed all the way to Manila. 

I'll pick up in the next post with pictures from our graduation trip in Rome.

If you're in the Nasvhville area anytime soon, drop by! We'd love to see and hear from you!