I’ve got about 5 different versions of a packing list saved on my hard drive. One of them is printed out next to me now with nearly every box checked. Makes a girl like me feel good.

There are three 20 kilo bags in my dining room ready for another trip around the world. This is a trip I’ve been looking forward to for years really. This is Mark’s 3rd staff conference with his teachers. He went alone the first year because we were easing into the whole “we travel around the world seemingly all the time” thing and were committed to only one of us traveling at a time. It made sense, and I was cool with that..until it snowed like 2 feet and Lydia left our snow shovel outside in the yard somewhere during the storm so ain’t nobody was finding it without a metal detector. I believe I Facetimed Mark as I was attempting to shovel our walkway with a Rubbermaid container lid in tears while he was sitting on a beach in Thailand. Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. All systems were a go for me to go with him last year. But, I had the privilege of caring for my sweet friend Helen who was nearly ready for her baby girl’s arrival. There was no way I was leaving her here while I went to her country when she was nearly ready to burst. So, our husbands went without us while she and I stayed here with our combined 5 kids (plus her belly baby) and played a lot of Uno. I didn’t really mind that time at all. Helen made everything a bit sweeter. But, finally, this year, we’re actually going together.

[insert a little “yay” here]

Mark and me. The rest of the home team staff. 26 teachers who we are excited to pour into and care for and dote on. And, a city in southern China called ShenZhen where I’ve never been before (and that happens to be a good bit warmer than where we are right now).

I can’t wait to see what our Father has for us this week–how He wants to use us, how He’s going to show Himself to us, how He’s going to use this time for the sake of His name.

Here we go!