Dawn

August 8th and 9th, Friday and Saturday.
The day we left and the day we arrived. They are really one day to us if you look at a day as you're up then you sleep. The most painful day in our lives. So much emotion. The more exhausted you are the more your emotions have their way:

• Holding on to my family in big hugs to say good-bye. These hugs were too long and not near long enough.
• The flight. Spending 12 hours in a space that was created to cramp a person who is 5' 10" when your 6' 5".
• Worrying about if my "stuff" was going to arrive with me in Brazil. God was gracious to let my plans succeed just as I planned them.

Then we got here and met up with the Rowes and the family we will be living with for who knows how long. We already love the Rowes, and can see clearly we will love Ralph and Sylvia and their family. This helped when the feeling of the loss of loved ones were so overwhelming that if we were Dorothy we would have clicked our heels three times. I'm glad we couldn't do that.

Sunday.
This is really the Dawn. Got a full nights rest, something I haven't had in at least a month. (I had been waking up at 3 or 4 every morning for quite a while. I felt it was Gods way of getting me ready for the time change, it worked). Keeping with Dorothy, "we're not in Kansas anymore". Little things remind you it's different. The birds singing in the back ground sound more like jungle birds, the paper towels are only around 8 by 8, everything is tile. And it is good.

I am grateful to God for showing me my limits. Reminding me of how I would have done things before He started working in my life. When things would start pressing in on me, I would have lashed out in anger and do something that would get me in trouble because that was what I did growing up. I would rather suffer the punishment than live the stress. I knew I could handle the punishment. Now, up to my limits, I look for Gods leading in the stress. God is faithful.