Going

These Last Days

Posted on by kimnjed

18 Days. I can't even begin to digest what that really means. Life is moving by too fast, and moving in slow motion at the same time. Some days I'm dying to get there and “get this show on the road”, and some days I feel like leaving will tear my heart in two. I'm split in half. Wanting to be there- and wanting to stay here.

 

We email our Ukrainian friends in Kiev and ask them to meet us at the airport to help us manage our obscene amount of luggage. They respond and I feel giddy to see them again.

 

My dear friends give me a good bye party and write me notes of love and make all my favorite tasty treats and give me way too many hugs and I feel like my heart is full, yet breaking. I'm am one blessed-beyond- measure-gal.

 

All our dreams are coming true. We've been preparing for this for 2 years. I've been preparing for “this” my whole life. From the time my little 9-year-old self named my guinea pig “Hudson Taylor” it was pretty apparent this day would come. I've longed for this. I've worked toward this. I've dreamed of this.

 

God has given us big, huge, outlandish desires- and now He's fulfilling them. I feel like I'm bursting with thankfulness, yet constantly on the verge of tears.

 

When I think about my life I know I've won the jackpot. How is my life this awesome? How is it possible? Yet there are moments when I really count the cost and wish the cost of was a little less costly.

 

I don't wanna go. But I can't wait to get there. Make sense? Yeah, I'm confused too. 😉

 

Here's glimpses of how we've been spending these last days…(what isn't pictured is the chaos of suitcases moving at our house…I'll spare you those gory details)

We've been…

Running in the park with cousins...

Making sleepover memories...

Pumpkin patching with friends...

Making silly faces...

Being absolutely adorbs...

Visiting the dentist one last time...

We've been attempting to make the most of each day, attempting to not wish them away in anticipation of the future, but attempting to do this “leaving thing” well.

If you see us, give us lots of grace, and a hug (yes, I said it), because Lord knows we need both!

 

 

 

21 Days of Prayer with Wide Awake

Posted on by kimnjed

Hey all!

So, if you’re the countdown type, you may be interested to know we’re moving to Ukraine in 20 days!!!!  Yesterday we started a 21 days of prayer countdown over on the official Wide Awake International blog.  We would love it so much if you would join us there!

All the preparation, all the talking, all the waiting on the Lord, and the time is finally here.  It’s Go-Time.  We simply cannot do this alone.  We need the prayer of many, many people with hearts to see God move in Ukraine.

Would you join with us, our church, and our board as we seek God about specific things these last 20 days?  Thank you!!!

I’m re-posting today’s prayer post here so you can see what we’re up to, and then if you want more you can check out the Wide Awake blog for daily prayer points. 

Wide Awake day 2

We are in such a tender season of transition, as we move from a place rich with familiar comforts to somewhere new and somewhat unknown.  You may be in such a season yourself.  May God transform each of our desires for “comfort,” and create in us hearts that give willingly and gratefully for the opportunity to do something significant for His kingdom.  May God grant us all undivided hearts, being mindful only of what matters to Him.

 

On Bravery

Posted on by kimnjed

 

My kids have a strange phobia of escalators.

 

When presented with an escalator their eyes grow huge, they back away slowly…hanging on to Mommy for dear life. They would choose an elevator over an escalator any day.

 

These kids- the same ones who will happily take on Space Mountain and California Screamin' with a smile on their faces are totally, illogically scared out of their minds when it comes to escalators.

 

That would be fine and I wouldn't care at all, except the teeny weeny fact that we're moving to Ukraine next month. Ummmm have you seen how you get down to the subway in Ukraine???

Ummm…yeah…our little fear of escalators just isn't gonna cut it.

 

So, today we practiced!

We faced our fears

We helped each other when they were afraid

And we conquered!

We are so brave!!!

Bam! Take that escalator!
Brace yourself, Kiev Metro. We're comin' for ya.
 
PS: Our t-shirt fundraiser is still going on! You have till October 31st to help us reach our goal of selling 50 shirts. Click this link to buy your shirt or sweatshirt today!
https://www.bonfirefunds.com/wide-awake-international/?r=14098

 

45 Days

Posted on by kimnjed

We leave on a jet plan in 45 days. Holy moly. How in the world? I can't believe it. Did I mention one-way tickets? Anywaysssss….

 

In honor of 45 days remaining here in the good ol' US of A, here are 45 thoughts.

1. It's pretty cold here in Montana. When we left for this road trip on September 13th it was kind of hard to guesstimate how the weather would change before our return to Oregon on October 6th. Let's just say that by not packing any long-sleeved shirts for my family I was less than successful at guesstimating correctly.

2.

Staying with Jed's fam is so fun. The kids and I get 10 whole days with Jed's sis Jessy and her fam. I love my sister. I am happy. 🙂

3. Last Thanksgiving we brought 6 boxes of books and keepsakes to Montana to store in a garage. Today we found the boxes and went through them and I found a box full of books I've been looking for!!! It was like Christmas! Those books were never supposed to come to MT. Oh happy day!!

4. We've eaten a whole heckofalotta ice cream on this trip. (and by “we”, I mostly mean “me”) My body is very, very angry with me. So are my jeans.

5.

When we left Great Falls we had to say goodbye to Jed's wonderful grandma. She is the biggest prayer warrior I know. She prays for us every.single.day. We are so blessed to be her kids. Sniff sniff…
6. I'm still curious how our visa situation is going to work out. I know God's got it, but it's a tad hard not to worry. If you want to pray about that it would be really awesome of you.
7. If you haven't seen the movie “The Way, Way Back” you are missing out. I think it might be one of my all time faves. I keep telling everyone about it. Go watch it, okay?
8. There's a vintage clothing store here in Billings that I adore. So many skirts, too little time.
9. I've been thinking a lot lately about what it will be like to raise our kids overseas. We've always wanted to raise our kids out of the US for at least part of their childhoods. I wonder what it will be like? I wonder how it will shape them? Exciting stuff!
10.
My kids are in cousin heaven right now. Just so ya know.
11. Jed leaves tomorrow for Colorado Springs to a Vineyard Missional Leaders Summit. He is so excited to build more relationship with missions peeps in the Vineyard. We are blessed he gets to go. Super coooool.
12. Yay for Fall!!! Yay for pumpkin goodness! Yay for afternoon coffee! Yay for gray skies and drizzling clouds! Yay for less sunshine beating down on my too white skin!
13. Another thing on my brain a lot lately is our family's evolving philosophy of education. I'm liking it A LOT.
14. I think I feel a home school post brewing!
15.
We miss our boys at Romaniv. Our hearts ache to get back to them.
16. The friends and supporters of Wide Awake are amazing. Thank you all for sharing the word, praying for us, loving us, and loving the children of Ukraine. We truly don't feel alone on this mission and are so giddy to be partnering with you.
17. Yesterday alone, three different friends from home texted me and included conversation about Dairy Queen in the texts. Does that mean I have a problem???
18. Only 45 days of Dairy Queen left. Hold me.
19. Twitter baffles me. I don't understand it, yet I feel like I'm a fairly bright person. Thanks goodness for my dearest Sarah who can tackle the twitter beast for me. I owe Sarah a blizzard.
20. Today Seth and I had our first real (for a 3-year -old) convo about adoption. We were looking at pics of when Havalah was born and when I put Seth down for his nap he said “Remember when I come out your tummy too Mommy?” I told him about when I came to the hospital and asked if he could be my baby. Precious, precious moments. We are so blessed to have our baby.
21. I love adoption. Beautiful.
22.
My mom's class sent us a Flat Stanley to take on the rest of our road trip. The kids are pretty excited!!
23. Running
24. Out
25. Of
26. Things
27. To
28. Say
29. Tonight we get to share Wide Awake at City Church of Billings. A group of people that love Jed and his sis are coming to hear what all the fuss is about. Yay for bringing Wide Awake into Montana territory!
30. Another thing mulling around in my brain: I wonder which friendships will survive and thrive when we move away, and which ones will kind of fall off the map? I wonder if we'll be surprised at which ones keep on keepin' on? I wonder if I'll do a good job at loving on my friends from far away? I hope I do well.
31. I never really knew what all the fuss was about concerning CS Lewis. I never thought I was smart enough or “deep” enough to read his works. I'm just now really discovering him for the first time and I get it.
32. Read this: http://www.inhisname.org/give-all.html
33.
I got to go on a date with this guy today. I'm the luckiest wife eva.
34. As of today I'm officially unemployed.
35. Jed's last day at work was the day before we left on this trip.
36. That means we're both unemployed. Scary. Weird. Relieving. Scary. Faith-building. Eek!
37. Salem Hospital was good to me. I worked there for all of the 12 years I've been an RN, minus a brief 9 month stint in Corvallis. My boss for the past several years was the BEST.
38. The girls in this family need serious hair-trimming attention. Good thing Jessy can do it for us.
39. I'm not sure Havalah's hair is capable of growing any longer than it is right now.
40. I'm not sure Havalah's body is capable of growing any bigger than it is right now. 😉
41. Speaking of hair. We just took a jaunt down memory lane, recalling the time when Addy got a mullet. Hahahahahaha! That's what you get when you go to Great Clips in Montana. Kidding, kidding! (sorta)
42. My view right now:
43. And now…
44. And now!
45. I'm surrounded by cuteness and life is gooooooood. 🙂

 

Along the Way

Posted on by kimnjed

Welp, we're in Montana now. 🙂

We arrived in Great Falls on Friday after a loooooong day of driving through nowheresville Idaho, a drive through part of Yellowstone, a stopover at a very cheap interesting motel, and another morning of driving. With all of us stuffed in a car, quarters are preeeeetty close and comfy. We've been listening to the audiobook of Pinocchio and it's so funny! I'd only ever seen the Disney cartoon and the book is of course so different and so weird. With Pinocchio, a steady stream of Pimsleur Russian, and our favorite albums we don't get too terribly bored. All that said, we are super happy to be out of the car and in Montana spending lots of quality time with the cousins and Jed's grandma. We are so blessed!

Here's some pics from along the way:

Seth calls this his Mickey Mouse pose. Hmmmm?

Havalah and her Playmobils. Inseparable.

Showin' off the faves.

Addy is my VERY close car companion... 🙂

We ate in a covered wagon! Note the creepy animals...only in good ol' Montana!

Ridin' a bear in West Yellowstone

Look! Elk! (Sorry about the stranger in the corner...I'm not in a photo editing mood)

BOYS!

GIRLS!

Listening to the accordion with the cousins at GG's

Girly cousins. Addy looks just a wee bit frightening!

The little boys. Cuteness!

 
 

Either on Tuesday or Wednesday we'll head to Jed's sister and her fam in Billings, MT. This trip has been super wonderful so far! Jed is feeling quite a bit better, so thanks for the prayers!