Hi praying friends,

THANK you for your prayers for Caleb and my hiking trip and for our ongoing transition process! Caleb and I had a great time (except for me using the magnetic band of my Apple Watch to attach it to the car, and then to get out of the way of the person next to us, slamming it in my car door. Sadness!). We hiked more than 60 km in 3 days, spent time in some beautiful nature, and had wonderful conversations. It was such a great opportunity to be able to get to know my son better as an adult.

And now - the sprint to the finish! On Monday, we were in a German office asking someone to do something he had not done before (changing the mailing address for official documents related to our vehicle) and had dinner with Caleb and his girlfriend. Caleb helped tear down an old IKEA wardrobe that was slowly becoming unusable (after Elissa spent time on the weekend emptying and sorting its contents). Yesterday, I was training people on the team to be able to enter sales in our financial software while we are in the US, and we had a team family dinner. When I got home, I hung some shelves to replace the wardrobe (and Elissa started refilling them).

Today, we have a day full of prayer meetings and our Salon (philisophical conversation) evening. Tomorrow a day full of packing. Friday more meetings and the closing of our current art exhibit (I will also be playing some music at it!)

And, during all of this, the song that has been running regularly through my head is "Slow me Down" by Porters Gate. So, as I can, I am deliberately taking moments to breath, time to say good-bye, packing with deliberation, being present while not forgetting my duties and handling my duties while trying to be present.

What songs are running through your head? Anything you would like to share?

We fly on September 1! Please pray for us in the final spurt.

Pray for:

1. Our goodbyes. We had our last house church (in person) on Sunday.
2. Our hellos. We are looking forward to seeing our US family and friends!
3. Our transitions. We will be moving into an empty nest situation because we are the ones leaving home. How strange is that? Pray for us as we leave our boys for the year. Pray for work transitions. Pray for friendships (established and developing) as we go. Pray for us to arrive well in the US.
4. Our health. Pushing through can get things done, but can also use up reserves. Pray for us to arrive healthy!

I am positive you have other prayers that God brings to your mind on our behalf. Please feel free to share what you are praying for us!

Blessings,

mike