Landfall

Just thought I'd check in and say I am safely stateside, if that is safe. People here are crazy, and I think we drive too much and too fast.

My plan seems to be working. My body feels, I think, like a Chattanoogan's (if you don't know what "plan" I am referring to, read back a few entries).

A thought occurred to me as I made my way through the Frankfurt airport for my connecting flight. I was walking up to ask one of the desk employees there is I was at the right gate, and as I approached her I began thinking, "How do I ask this question?...Can I ask this question?...What response do I expect?" Of course, there was no need to go through these steps because in an international airport, they speak very good English. But I realized that for the last nine months, I have been going through this process every single time I have opened my mouth to a Romanian. I think it is part of what makes me so tired aver there. Three or so times the mental work to say anything and everything.

I had lunch with my mother today. Sweet tea. Extra lemon. Ice. Free refills galore. Incredible. I did not realize how much I missed that.

Preparations for the wedding (my sister's, not mine) seem to be sufficiently stressful to convince me that I am glad I have not been here the last six months. Additional stress: a death in the family. My mother's uncle died two nights ago after a pretty fast and steep decline. God's timing seems inconvenient at times, and often stressful, but I believe it is as perfect as the rest of His works. "This, too, is from the Lord Almighty, perfect in power...."

Coming soon- The Sound of Music: A missionary's delightful duty