Friday, July 29, 2011

Not so smooth transitions

Well I think that my body is starting to find the right time zone as I adjust to life in Canada. It has been an interesting trip home. I got to the airport to find out that my flight to Toronto had been canceled and the air line was going to put me up in a hotel either in Mulhouse (where I was starting from) or Paris (where my flight had been canceled). I decided that this might finally be my opportunity to see Paris, so I took the first flight to Paris. Boy was I mistaken! I got to Paris and the airline personnel gave me paperwork to stay in a hotel,for meals and a card to phone home to let my family know that I wasn't coming home at the planned time. Trying to follow the directions I was given resulted in a 6 hour tour of Charles de Gault airport lugging two large duffle bags, my backpack and purse. By the time I ended up at the hotel, I was too tired to try and figure out how to get a tour of Paris and was just happy that I could eat supper in the hotel without having to go anywhere else. I guess it serves me right for not packing light.
I have since returned home to other challenges. Dave and the boys and I spent my first morning in Canada connecting with our boss before he headed off for a trip to Sri Lanka and then on a one month sabbatical. The afternoon was filled with being poked and prodded at the doctor's office as we had re-entry physicals. Thankfully that went pretty well, but we will have to wait for the results of all our tests. Just before I got to Canada my sister was put on complete bedrest for a back problem while she waits for a doctor's appointment, so I have been trying to divide my time between helping with her and her family, getting our house set up and finishing my course work. Unfortunately, I have been having a hard time concentrating on the school work, so it isn't getting done as quickly as I would like.
Thanks so much for those of you who were praying for my safe return. It is really good to be together with family again. Please pray for my sister's back and her pain levels and that I would be able to start making some headway with my school work.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Moving... the ongoing saga

Sorry for dropping off the map for those who check our blog regularly. At the end of May we moved into a mission guesthouse while the boys finished off the school year. Towards the end of June we moved to Germany where Jennifer is taking courses in Education and Theology. (I had originally signed up to do courses as well but my seminary wouldn't give me credit for them.) I have since left Jennifer behind in Germany to finish her courses while I set up the house. Last weekend I moved our stuff from Caistor Centre to St. Catharines with more than a little help from my friends and family. (Thanks to the good people in Caistor Centre FMC and Grapeview.)Just about everything is now moved but now it needs to be unpacked. I hope to have the house more or less organized by the time Jennifer comes home on the 23rd. She will be coming home with much homework and hopefully will be able to transition without too much difficulty. In the meantime the boys and I are enjoying home cooking. MMmmm, apple pie.