Sweet Surprises

Several weeks ago I started receiving books...and notes....from friends.  Mostly friends back home. Friends who I miss a lot.  I'm told there are a few more on their way so if yours isn't pictured, don't worry!!  My sweet husband arranged with a number of my friends, to have them each send a favorite book for a "summer reading list" surprise.  And what a sweet surprise it was!!

I love to read and I miss many of my dear friends back home so this combination was perfect:  I felt so loved by each of you and it will be special to read books that you (for one reason or another) really enjoyed or recently read yourself.

Living overseas for an extended period of time, it is easy to begin to "feel" forgotten about...Not that you necessarily ARE but the feeling creeps in.  When you first move, you hear a lot from people (and you communicate a lot); you feel connected.  But as time goes by, you get busy with your new ministry, community and field and your friends get busy with their lives back home.  And time goes by.  It gets longer between emails (on both ends) and skype dates and life happens, things change, families grow.  It isn't bad or wrong, that's just life.  But it is easy to start to feel disconnected.  And to miss the friendships and people you used to enjoy.  These little surprises were a great way to feel "remembered" and in a small way connected.  Thank you to each of you who took the time to think of a book, buy one and send it my way.  And thank you especially for some of the sweet and thoughtful notes that came a long with them; I think those were my favorite part!  And a special thanks to that sweet and thoughtful husband of mine - he can't be beat!!

Looking forward to some great reading time ahead - and thinking of each of you; missing you and thankful for you and the ways you have been (and continue to be) a part of my life.  You are dear to me!  Love, Sarah