Precious People

This was our HMT at the end of our last home assignment
in July 2010. One family has moved away and we've added
two more families to their number. 

Last night we had a Skype meeting with some of our home side ministry team (HMT). They are a group of people in Brisbane/Ipswich that we've gathered (five families) who help care for us, particularly when we're in Australia. We love this group. They are like a family too (you see we have lots of "family"). They care about what we do, they ask insightful questions, and they listen well. If we're in a bit of a spot (like when we were trying to decide what to do about our home church), they're the first people we go to to get some perspective on a matter.

Last night we talked about what sort of house we're looking for, a vehicle, and particularly what we need in order to finish furnishing a house (we own a fair proportion of things to basically furnish a house).

Unfortunately, as a result I'm now having trouble thinking about the here-and-now. I guess that is inevitable, with only 12 weeks left, but it is an unsettling feeling. One minute I'm excited about going, the next I'm concerned that I can't concentrate on what I have to do now, and even a little disorientated (what month are we at again?).

So, if you come across me in the next few months and find that I'm not "all there", please be gentle with me! I'm beginning to live life straddled between two very different countries and it is not easy. Finishing things up here and working towards starting things up there is mentally challenging.

On the other hand, I can't wait to see our HMT face-to-face. Last night I really wanted to chat, not talk business. But I guess that will have to wait until we see each other face to face.