Have to Move Out of House!

God has truly provided so much for us during this long transition of moving to Germany while being TDY for 6 months beforehand. We have not seen out stuff since right before Thanksgiving and summer is now quickly approaching. Nothing makes you appreciate your stuff more than being without it. Thankfully, God has taught me this lesson through a long move rather than a fire or other tragic methods. I realize it is ALL His and He is just loaning it to me. And thankfully, He will trust me again in a few short months to have it all back!

So now, let me explain having to move... again! Back in December, when Mike started training here, base housing offered us a fully furnished TLF to accomadate us for his TDY. They didn't realize that in the timeline Mike was scheduled to finish his training on 18 June while the street was supposed to begin renovations. Well, slowly over the course of the last two months we have noticed that with over 40 homes, we are one of three families left on our street. No big deal! The contractors will start after we leave, right? NO! I went to take care of May rent and to discuss out-processing in June and found out that our house needs to be vacated by 9 June. What to do for lodging for 10 days with 5 kids and a cat? My step-mom had been praying that we would take one last visit down to College Station to see them. And she has warned me all her life about the power in her prayers. I was once again shocked and amazed to see how strong her connection to God is because now I was forced to think of what to do for 10 days. The first thought that came to my mind... go home to Mom and Dad's! I reserved a rental car and the kids, the cat, and I will venture down to College Station on the 9th to enjoy time with my family. The catch... I have to fly with the kids and the cat to Baltimore by myself to meet up with Mike there once he is done with training. Please pray for me on June 19th!!!

Once we get to Baltimore, we get to visit with my mom, step-dad and his side of the family for four days before we fly out on the 23rd. This all follows a visit from Mike's parents over the Memorial Day weekend. We are truly blessed to be able to see so many before we head across the pond. I don't know when we will all make it back. Though, we are desperately and eagerly praying for LOTS of visitors to show up on our doorstep once we get settled in. Stop on by! "We'll leave the light on for ya!"

Busted Eardrum

Well, I am adjusting to Arkansas by getting their allergies. I thought I caught a cold from my kids, but after two weeks of congestion I woke up early last Thursday morning with a horrible earache. I could not go back to sleep even though it was only 130 in the morning. By the time the base clinic opened, I was begging Mike to call in and get me an appointment. I got to see the doctor shortly after 8 AM. I explained to him that I felt like my eardrum was about to burst. He looked into my ear and said, "Yes, it looks like it's about to!" While talking with him about how my allergies caused congestion and then an earache, I heard popping noises in my ear and then felt what seemed like a small gush of warm water in my ear. I told the doctor that I just felt something. He put me back on the table and looked at my ear again. This time he said, "Yep! It just burst!" He gave me allergy meds, pain meds, and antibiotics. I needed them!

Thankfully, the pain is now gone. However, I can't hear very well from my right ear. It feels like I am listening through cotton or water. And now my left ear is trying to overcompensate to the point that it is overly sensitive to noise now. I can tell my kids now that whining really does hurt my ears. ; ) This was a reminder to me to be thankful for how healthy God has kept me. I can't remember the last time I needed prescribed medicine. So now I humbly ask for prayers for my ear to heal and for my hearing to be completely restored. I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, we are scheduled to fly to Germany on June 23rd. The kids are very excited. They only have a few more weeks of school until summer break. By that point we'll be packing up our house and getting ready to live out of suitcases again. We are already trying to set up temporary lodging over there in addition to discussing the pros and cons of renting versus buying. Please pray for discernment and agreement for Mike and I as we decide where to live for the next few years. We want a home we can LOVE and also use as a ministry while over there.

Thanks for walking with us through this long military journey. We are thanking God for every fun-filled step of the way!

In Him,
Melissa