A packing day

Packing, sorting, packing, dinner with our kid at the cutest little pizza place right beside her house in the city. Good day!

A timeline of transition

This is our season of transition.  I could write a book about it all and maybe someday I will write more, but for now I'll just share with you the timeline of our next few months since that seems to be the most common question we are asked.  We appreciate your prayers for us (and our children) as we transition and go through the many changes and emotions of repatriating.

(btw, a great blog I was told about regarding re-entry / repatriating is:   http://www.scrapingraisins.blogspot.co.nz/ )




March 31  Kevin  finished at Chinese Alliance Christian Centre after 5 years of ministry.
April 1 I finished at Cockle Bay School, after 9 years working there - 3.5 as office staff and 5.5 as a teacher.

April 2-11  Kevin and I pack, pack, pack..... with only a few visits pre-booked during that time, otherwise we would never get everything done!  We need to stay home and work, even though it is far more fun to go out and visit!!

April 11  Danae and Devon arrive in Auckland, from Brisbane, for a 2 week visit

April 12  The movers come and take our stuff away - mostly cherished possessions, very little furniture.  It will be shipped to a storage unit in Edmonton, as this seemed the most central location. It will take 10-16 weeks to arrive.

April 16-24  We take our wonderful family of 7 for one week in Rarotonga!  Rest, relax and enjoy each other's company!  Can't wait!!!

April 26   Danae and Devon return to Australia for one month before moving on to Amsterdam to work and live.

April 29  Kevin and I hug our kids at the airport (and cry) and go to Hawaii for one week to catch our breath before repatriating back to Canada

May 7   We arrive in Grande Prairie (where both sets of our parents live) and stay for two weeks, where we will purchase a truck and holiday trailer in which we will live for the summer

May 20 - Jun 6   We will be in Calgary, celebrating my dad's 80th birthday, visiting family and friends, and attending CMA General Assembly

Jun 11 - 27   We will be in Kelowna - some time spent at Bruce and Niki's and some time spent at Todd's Tent and RV in Peachland

June 30 - July 3   We will be at Lake Nakamun family camp where Kevin's brother will be speaking and we will have a Nichol family reunion with Kevin's 2 brothers' families and his parents

July 6 -11  We will be in Drumheller for a Reimer reunion

July 11 until whenever we will set up camp in Grande Prairie/Beaverlodge as we wait and pray for where God will send us next

A time of farewells

What a busy week it has been!  Lots of farewell chats, hugs, coffees, meals, visits.... with quite a few more to come before we fly out on April 29th.  It's exhausting and yet it's incredibly encouraging!
Here are a few pictures of some of our many treasured moments from this past week.

Our Principal who hired me to teach, and our office administrator who very first hired me in the office.  Dear friends and co-workers.  Thanks for including me in the incredible journey at CBS!

Just a few of the absolutely amazing families that I have been privileged to know and teach over the years.

school trip to Cockle Bay Beach

700 students plus about 50 staff make for a lot of people to get into one picture!

so many hugs from lovely little people anywhere I go... very sweet

This amazing group of friends from work totally surprised me with a farewell dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.
So incredibly blessed and thankful to call them my friends. 

Fantastic evening with the younger generation at the church.  So blessed by each of you!