We loaded up our friends last night.

Aside from our separate experiences overseas, we’ve lived in the same city as them for the last 13 years. 

Now they’re moving to help plant a church somewhere that needs it.

We will miss our friends.

What can I say about her?

She was one of the first “real” friends I had in college when God first began to change my heart.  She was always so open and vulnerable and she taught me with her example how to be that way, too.

She is a dreamer and taught me not to be ashamed of that more introverted part of myself.  We would dream about weddings, friendships, careers at the little cottage she lived in.

She is a talented photographer and always amazed me at the beauty she could find and capture in the simplest things.

We hadn’t known each other for years and years when she asked me to be in a bridesmaid in her wedding.  Want to know the poetic way she asked me?  She wrote a note and quoted You’ve Got Mail:  I know we have only known each other for a short time.  And “the odd thing about this form of communication is that you’re more likely to talk about nothing than something.  But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings.”

Yes, she speaks my sappy love language 🙂

I can’t describe how happy she and her man were when Dan and I got together.  Along with some other friends, they were eternal proponents of our relationship.  In a middle school like drama she was the go-between for me and him before we were officially a couple and he was heading off to China for a whole semester.  She was the one who told me he would email me when he got there.  Then she giddy-ly read and analyzed each email with me.  (What?  That’s what twitter-pated 20 year old girls do!)

Since I was overseas on a FOCUS trip, I missed their wedding.  Sad face.  But I heard all about it and marveled at gorgeous photos with her later.  I also heard how Dan dove for the garter at the reception.  We started dating a month later.  Hee hee. 

They bravely embarked on an overseas adventure with one other friend expecting the rest of a group of us to join them soon.  But due to company changes (and God’s sovereign plan) that didn’t happen.  I was so proud of the way they kept plowing ahead and loving people and receiving other friends who were able to come for extended stays. 

When it was our turn to live the dream they were such wonderful support.  She sent us cookies at orientation.  They encouraged us with emails.  They sent us care packages including photos of friends’ weddings.  Such thoughtful people.

We watched from afar them becoming parents for the first time.  I enjoyed seeing how their personalities parented their sweet girl. 

And when we realized where God was calling us to next, and that it would be in Wichita where they were, they were excited and so, so helpful getting us set up here. 

And sharing life with them here has been a joy.  We’ve, of course, shared them with so many other people.  And, no, this isn’t like college.  But they’ve been so wonderful to pursue and love on us.  We’ve walked through adoption journeys together, borrowed their truck more times than they’d like to count, house hunted, shared coupon deals, belly laughed at how crushed ice at QT is a stay-at-home moms highlight of the day, garage saled, watched our kids love (and fight with) each other, and shared so many meals together.

I know they’re not moving to the moon and we’ll see them again.  I just recognize that when you live in different cities things inevitably change.  So I want to appropriately grieve this season of our friendship – even as I excitedly anticipate how God will use them in this new season.

Their new ministry team is so blessed to have them.  He is a talented worship leader.  She is an amazing relational connector.  God has orchestrated every detail of their move.  It is not hard to be stoked at how obvious their call there is.

Guys, if you read this, we love you dearly. 

Thank you for everything. 

I can’t wait to hear all about it.

Jesus, thank You for heart friends.  God the Spirit, move mightily in their new city.  Use them any way you see fit to advance Your kingdom.

And thank You that we get to look forward to spending eternity together on the New Earth. 

I can’t wait to share many a meals there with them again.