Pre-Deployment R&R
Life has been crazy ever since my government sponsored camping trip was officially announced a couple of months ago. There has been a mountain of paperwork, endless planning, and finally the actual packing process. Last Sunday I preached my last sermon in Dexter and had a huge farewell party at the parsonage. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, but I remain incredibly grateful for all the love and support that Lily and I have received.
Because we are going to be on opposite sides of the planet for foreseeable future, we wanted to make sure that we got a little bit of concentrated time together. This proved to be one of the most valuable things we did in preparation for the deployment.
We had planned a mini-vacation at Lake of the Ozarks, but ended up getting last minute Chicago Cubs tickets online. Independence Day week was spent exploring the Windy City. We watched the Cubbies beat the Minnesota Twins on an extremely hot afternoon at Wrigley. On Sunday morning we got the chance to hear Rev. Otis Moss III preach at Trinity United Church of Christ. Later in the week kayaked on Lake Michigan, explored the Shedd Aquarium, and rode bikes along Lakeshore Drive.
There was no agenda or deadlines. It was exactly the kind of rest and recreation that we needed Rather than heading into our separation tired and frustrated from all the pre-deployment rigmarole, we have had a chance to rest, reflect, and make sure that we are emotionally prepared for the life-changing adventure we are about to face.
