This was the scene at the Grand Rapids airport 2 weeks ago today when the 16 member team from our church flew off to Brazil to work at Camp Paradise (with their 31 pieces of checked luggage!).
Karisa and Hannah held tightly to Daddy as they walked through the airport together.
When the good-byes started. . . Karisa especially got pretty emotional.
Zachary, on the other hand, just wanted to play with Daddy's hat.
And Megan was pretty clueless as to all the emotion. :)
Poor Karisa sobbed and sobbed as time went on.
We put on our smiles for one last family picture before Daddy left. :)
So to make that first afternoon at home go quickly, Mommy had to use her creativity a little bit. . . of which I have NONE! Anyhow, Karisa and Hannah spent a long time that day making paper chains with 15 links (the number of "sleeps" Daddy would be gone). And then, since there were 16 people on the team, we put Daddy's name on every link and then one other team member's name on each of the links. Then each night when we tore one of the links off our chain, we prayed for Daddy and that other person.
Karisa and Hannah held tightly to Daddy as they walked through the airport together.
When the good-byes started. . . Karisa especially got pretty emotional.
Zachary, on the other hand, just wanted to play with Daddy's hat.
And Megan was pretty clueless as to all the emotion. :)
Poor Karisa sobbed and sobbed as time went on.
We put on our smiles for one last family picture before Daddy left. :)
So to make that first afternoon at home go quickly, Mommy had to use her creativity a little bit. . . of which I have NONE! Anyhow, Karisa and Hannah spent a long time that day making paper chains with 15 links (the number of "sleeps" Daddy would be gone). And then, since there were 16 people on the team, we put Daddy's name on every link and then one other team member's name on each of the links. Then each night when we tore one of the links off our chain, we prayed for Daddy and that other person.
Here's the mess we created. . . . But it was SO worth it!
And here was Karisa's final product! 
Now we can fast-forward two weeks later to tonight at bedtime. . . We are on our last link of the chains!! We actually got to talk to Daddy tonight from Miami, and Lord-willing, we will see him sometime between now and daylight. And while we have missed Daddy SO much, we are so thankful God has given him the opportunity to minister in Brazil again. 
1 comment:
You ARE creative, Kathy! What a GREAT idea to make the paper chains with the team members' names. I'm assuming you took the chain to Indiana and Lansing with you? Love the idea. Now, what can we make the kids do while we're in Greece? :-)
SO glad our team is coming home! So excited for you to have your whole family together again!
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