We made it!

In case you are wondering, we did make it back to Korea okay.  I keep intending to blog - blog about our time in the states, blog about our traveling adventures, blog about Steve's time in India (Sidenote:  did you realize that in less than 2 weeks Steve touched down in Korea x2, China x2, India, Taiwan, and the United States?  And in 7 days he flew half way around the world, twice? Pretty crazy impressive.  I just realized this the other day, thought I'd share).

I know I've heard from more than a few of ya'll wondering if we made it and how things are going.  Thank you for asking, thank you for your support and thank you for your prayers!  To answer your qeustions, we are doing better.  And you can add my lack of blogging to your list of blessings for the day because any blogs I might have posted may have been more pity party than you would have liked to witness in one sitting. 

After a really hard (abrupt) good bye (we ended up leaving slightly earlier than we had planned due to open flights) and an exceptionally long travel day (during which, I might add, Caleb did a fabulous job....he is proving himself to be quite the excellent little traveler thus far in his young life), we came home to these lovely new decorations on our walls (aka MOLD):

It was mostly all in Caleb's room (worst possible place for it to be - you'll understand if you are a mom of young kiddos), with some additional growths in the living room and bathroom.  The apartment smelled like mold, we had a broken bookshelf and glass from a picture that had shattered and a thick humidity (no AC) like I've never experienced before in my life....Needless to say, this sleep deprived, already sad, disheartened mama didn't take all of this in stride.  Had someone offered to give me a one way ticket home, I would have gladly accepted.

BUT the Lord is good and we had some good friends come to our rescue, help us clean up the mold as best we could, give us encouragement and a hug, let us stay at their house, gave us a cute smiley baby to hold and hug and help cheer us up.  I am glad they are in our life on this side of the world (or any side of the world for that matter).

Since then, I've gotten caught up on some sleep, spent considerable time asking the Lord to change my heart and attitude, tried to focus on the reason for us being here (we aren't here, after all to have a beautiful home, comfortable living, or a perfect life...if we'd wanted that, we'd be stateside for sure) and I've spent time laughing with Steve and Caleb (remembering that they are "home" to me and being thankful for them in my life) and I am reminded again that really, things could be worse.

 As much as I hate the mold, as hard as it is to live in Korea and not have access to all the wonderful things America has to offer, as much as it is hard to be away from friends and family, as hard as it is to not understand the language around me or the ingredients on my food labels, as hard as it is to not have our own home and a yard and a car or nice furniture and painted walls, as much as life is not "perfect,"  it could be worse and I am thankful for the many gift and blessings we DO have, the family and friends who support and love us from a distance while we are over here, the apartment we do have, the friends we have over here, a job, food, a grand - once-in-a-lifetime adventure, an adorable toddler son who takes life in his hands and enjoys every minute with a smile, a husband who loves me and cares for me and is good to me, a God who forgives and loves despite our pity parties, our self centeredness and our lack of thanksgiving....although it isn't "easy," it really could be worse.

I am reminded, too, of a favorite quote of mine....Maybe I've shared it before?

 "I have never heard someone say 'the deepest and most rarest and most satisfying joys of my life have come in times of extended ease and earthly comfort.' Nobody says that. It isn't true. As Spurgeon said: 'They who dive deep in the sea of affliction bring up rare pearls." --Pastor John