Happy Things And Sad Things

We had our last team meeting before we leave for the USA at our place this evening with dinner together afterwards. I was thankful that it could be here so that I could see everyone to say goodbye! Several people came to help clean and prepare earlier in the day, as Leif had to pay bills and meet with someone this morning and the Buryat Partnership this afternoon. I layed on the couch while everyone sat around our living room in chairs. It's so nice to have more space in this apartment!

Anneka was very sad tonight to say goodbye to friends. I just sang the sniffling little girl to sleep.

And yet each morning when we open a new envelope on our advent calender, she's SO EXCITED that we're one day closer to going to "Medical Lake" (in her mind, this little town is "America"). We have the calendar displayed so that the first ribbon of envelopes counts down to our departure and the second ribbon counts down to Jesus' birthday.

We talk a lot about how there are happy things and sad things about leaving Russia, just as there will be happy things and sad things when we have to leave America in a few months. It's hard to know how to help her through these emotions. I don't ever want her to be calloused in her relationships... it's a beautiful thing to love and miss people! But I want her to be able to process through these feelings as well.