One Year Down

Wow- I can't believe we made it through our first year overseas. There were moments that we were not sure that we would make it, but through hope, prayer, tenacity, and a lot of tears- WE DID IT! We are thrilled to be heading home for a visit in just 2 weeks. It is hard to believe that it has been a whole year since we were on Texas soil, breathing in some good Texas air! We are looking forward to some good Mexican food! :)

We certainly learned a lot this year and we are grateful for our experiences! We have seen so many parts of the world and grown professionally, personally, and spiritually. Here are a few of the bits of wisdom that we have taken from our experiences this year:

1. We are so blessed (and that includes all of you who are reading). After seeing the poverty of Cambodia and/or the Thailand tribal children on Christmas morning, it is something we will not soon forget.
2. Sometimes the best food is not in a restaurant at all- it's in a street stall with rats running down the street. And on that note- you can always judge the quality of a restaurant by the number of locals present- we like to be the only white people there- then we know it's gonna be good!
3. You have not really been somewhere until you've gotten lost there. When traveling, some of the best experiences are the unplanned ones.
4. Soccer is actually a pretty cool sport. And yes, I'll admit it- I call it "football".
5. God's hand is in every aspect of our lives and his timing is always the best.
6. Pollution and its threat to our environment is real- just go to Beijing, China and find out for yourself!
7. Friends (near and far) are priceless and a true blessing from God!
8. Facebook and Chili's are a perfect cure for homesickness.
9. Teachers of ALL levels have it tough- those elementary teachers don't have it as easy as I always thought- it's tough working with those little ones!
10. What does not kill us, always makes us stronger!!!!!

Well, that will probably be it until we start the next school year. Say a little prayer for our travels in the upcoming weeks. We hope to see some of you in our visit home. And, if we don't get to see you- just know that we love you and appreciate all of the thoughts, prayers, and support that you have given throughout this year. We could not have made it without you!

PS- Above is a pic from our recent trip to Beijing, China- it was pretty awesome! We stumbled across this wall (seen in the background) that a lot of people seem to think is really "Great". ;)