17 more days

Sometimes you don't realize how much someone means to you until it's time for you to part.

And it's one thing if you part for a little while, maybe even a couple of years as was the case when we moved to England and then moved back, but it's quite a different story when you move away for good.

The Jaques family has been a solid presence in our lives, and in the lives of many at our church, and they will be missed more than they know.

Mike, Liz, Maddie, and Luke are some of our best friends. We have a lot in common, and our families have done so much together.

We served together in AWANA

They've taught our children in the children's ministry at VLC (our church)

We have studied God's Word together

We've gone to the beach together, swam in our pool at pool parties, gone to each others' kids sporting events

Our girls dance together at IHS

We have had countless girls' nights out

Coffee talks
We've shared meals together
Went for ice cream together

Celebrated birthdays together

We've shopped together (even our husbands did their Christmas shopping together and bought us matching turtlenecks and vests) Oh yes they did!

We've laughed together

Cried together

And just did life together.

Life in these parts will just not be the same without them.

We trust God has a great plan for them and the people they will meet, work with, and serve the Lord with have no idea how blessed they are about to be.

Jaques family, we only have 17 more days with you, and Mike, even less with you as you have started your journey a little sooner in order to provide for your family.

It caught me off guard as I started to cry with Liz yesterday when I least expected it.

It hadn't felt like a reality to me until that day when the lump in my throat formed, and the tears came and I scrambled to find more moments together in the scant days ahead.

But as the words of Jeremiah 29:11-12 go:

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." 

They are such words of comfort for each one of us that know Him. 

Thank you, Jesus, for friendship, for life, for change, and for your goodness.

Mike and Liz,

You'll need to call upon Jesus all the more in these coming days and the days beyond that as you figure out where God wants you to serve, whom He wants you to befriend, which ministries He wants you to serve in, which home you'll eventually buy, and which people, even strangers, He'll have you reach out to. 

Be bold for Him, trust Him, and know that everyone here will be lifting you up in prayer, thinking of you, missing you, and knowing full well that you are fulfilling His destiny in the way only you and your family can.

We love you so much!

Carol, for the Busse Seven