• getting Jeff and my visas through with no problems
• getting our belongings to Spain so we don't have to live out of suitcases once we arrive
• for preparing Denia as a place for us
• for providing for our financial needs
• for preparing us through conferences and new friends
  
• for providing our family a chance to enjoy summer and summer activities, not just try to squeeze them into a tight schedule
• giving an extended chance to visit with family and friends before we are far away
• assuaging my fears on the visa process (or my lack of understanding of it) once we do arrive in country
• for allowing me time to finish some sentimental projects before leaving
• for having plenty of time to pray for our ministry
  

It has been a fascinating couple of days!  One of the instructors loaned me a copy of her book above, and I highly recommend it!! It gave me a lot to think about even as my kids are still young.  I've been mulling over this idea that she suggested about Hagar and Ishmael, and she said "there's nothing worse than to be dying of thirst and have a dying child" in reference to Hagar running out of water and setting Ishmael down to die.  It just really spoke to me about my relationship with God and how it directly affects my boys understanding of God, etc.....

Ok, back to the Canada trip...

On Sunday, we visited Scarborough Citadel.  The chapel was absolutely amazing!  Their officer was in transition, and they had farewelled the officer last week, and would be welcoming the new officer this coming Sunday.  My first thought was "why is there a week before the new guy arrives?? that would never happen at home!"  Then someone explained that he was coming from Western Canada to Toronto, and it dawned on me that their territory is the size of our entire country, so a week's travel time was understandable.  Anyways, it was a beautiful, traditional Salvation Army service. 

We used the break to soak up some "Canadieness" (sp).  We ate at Tim Horton's for breakfast (like Dunkin Donuts but EXTREMELY popular here), then Swiss Chalet for lunch, and a Boston Pizza for dinner.  If you're from Canada I'm sure you recognize all those names, if not....sorry.  We also drove about an hour and half to check out Niagra Falls, because who knows when we might ever be this close again.  It was beautiful!  We took lots of pictures and I even bought a Tshirt.

Monday we spent time talking about the process of change and transition and its effects on a family.  As the speaker began to describe transition as feeling like crossing a busy hiway and no one giving any direction, I began to nod.  Then as she continued describing transition as a chaotic time, with lots of irritability, a feeling of loss of purpose, and as just an all around terrible time, I began to cry.  I had to leave the conference room to go cry in the bathroom for a minute, and regain my composure.  As I read the paper and listened to her, I realized she was vocalizing what my family is going through!...it's called TRANSITION!!!!  Now this may not be a new revelation to some people, but this was somewhat ground breaking to me.  Theologically and ideally I understand this process, but to have someone give me the words and validate what is happening is freeing!  That morning I couldn't really talk about it, but now I feel almost relieved that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Monday was like a huge spiritual breakthrough for me in the sense that God told me "No, you haven't made a mistake.  This is normal.  This too shall pass.  But I have something to teach you as you walk through it with Me."  Like the teacher said, it doesn't make sense to walk halfway through the busy street and sit down in the middle of the road, but it's in the middle where we will learn the valuable lessons of trust and blessing waiting on the other side.

Then today, we visited a mosque and listened to the Iman/Imam (sp?) talk about Islam and their beliefs.  The women sat seperate from the men, we had been instructed not to ask the first question and to cover our limbs in respect to their beliefs.  It was absolutely fascinating!  I learned so much about Islam in general, and so much about my own faith in the process as well.  I'm still processing through what the man spoke about today, so perhaps I will have more to say later about it.  But it was such a great experience to step outside of our "comfort zone" and just come to a place to at least try to understand the "other side" so to speak.

Wow....these posts are getting long.........