Deep Breaths

Homecoming and Such

So what have we been up to since April, you say? Glad you asked. Well, by far the biggest news is that we have been making preparations to move back to the U.S. This past Friday we had our first of two interviews at the American Embassy here in Nicosia as part of the process of securing a visa for Leia. We had no problems at all with this first stage, and are just waiting for a couple of her documents to arrive from England so that we can schedule our final interview. Assuming that goes well, we will be back in the States on August 21. We will be living in our old hometown of Cleveland, TN, at least initially. We are hoping to find a job in full-time youth ministry eventually, but for the moment we are just thrilled at the prospect of coming home and reconnecting with family and friends. Of course, Leia has a lot of mixed emotions about leaving her family and friends in Cyprus and starting a new life in the U.S., but we ultimately feel that this is where God is leading us and that it is the best option for our marriage, our ministry, and (someday) our children.

Apart from our impending move, there have been several other major recent developments. I have finally finished the massive writing project that has consumed the last year of my life: a 653-page introduction to the History of Christianity, plus a 147-page leader's guide for the same course.. a nice round 800 pages altogether. Let's just say I'm not too eager to tackle anything that big again any time soon. But the comments from the review committee have been extremely positive so far, and I'm pretty proud of it. It will probably be several more months before it finally hits the shelves at White Wing, so those of you who are eager to snatch up a copy will just have to be patient (I guess if you're a loyal reader of our blog, you're used to waiting for things).

May 4 was Leia's 29th birthday, and I had a lot of fun spoiling her. I went out while she was at work and bought her some flowers and candy, and I wrote several notes for her that I left in each room of the apartment, one leading to the next. When she got home, she was led by the notes from the living room to the kitchen to the bathroom to the office to the bedroom, and finally to our balcony, where I was hiding behind the shades with her flowers, chocolates, and lunch laid out on our outdoor table. That night, we went to one of our favorite restaurants and had the best steak to be found in Cyprus. And finally, we came home and I played/sang a little song that I had written about her. So I think she enjoyed the day, apart from getting older... although, as she constantly reminds me, she'll never be as old as me. *sigh*

The last week of May, we traveled to Cambridge, England for the wedding of our cousins/close friends Eric and Christiana. It was wonderful to see so many family members and friends, many of whom are incredibly dear to Leia in particular. The wedding itself was beautiful (depsite the rain that is a constant feature of life in England), and it was great to see the happy couple united at last. In addition, it was a lot of fun for me to be in an English-speaking country again, and because Eric and his family are Americans, I even got to chat about things I'm actually conversant in (like American sports). So all in all it was a good trip, and a nice change of pace from life in Cyprus.

This month, another of Leia's cousins, Siana, is getting married in Athens, Greece. Her wedding is the day before our first anniversary, so we're going to attend the wedding and then spend an extra day in Athens celebrating together... not a bad place to have a first anniversary, eh? Then the first two weeks of July, things really get busy. First, we are having our youth camp, which is held at a place called Governor's Beach. This year, a team of college students from Lee University in Tennessee is coming to assist us in running the camp and to lead some ministry training workshops for our kids. Then after camp ends, Leia and I will spend a week touring the Lee students around the island and providing them with some cultural and service opportunities that are required for their trip. And then it will be time to start packing boxes and preparing to move!

So as you can see, the next two and a half months are going to be fast and furious, but we are looking forward to all of it and waiting patiently for a chance to exhale. Thanks to all of you who have been faithful companions on this journey with us. We love you very much.

- John

posted by John and Leia @ 11:59 PM