Mystery Month Adventures... Pre-Match Mini-Summary

Well... I didn't do that great of a job keeping up with this blog over the first half of our mystery months. Maybe, when I get a few spare hours, I will upload pictures and blog about all of our experiences. Maybe I won't. So much to blog about. So little time.

We will be back in New York tomorrow after 7 weeks away. We have slept in a guest house, a resident apartment, our tents (only one night, unfortunately), our van (only one night, surprisingly), the homes of 9 friends (in 9 states), and 3.5 weeks on a 300' ship on the Calcasieu River. We took second looks at some residencies, visited some interesting historical and natural places, did some volunteer work and some school work, spent time with grandparents, met some young relatives, a future relative, and a couple of friends' babies all for the first time, caught a lot of lizards and a lot of beads, touched the Gulf of Mexico in 3 states and the Atlantic Ocean several places in FL, caught up with friends, were challenged spiritually in many areas, counted down to the Match, unofficially saw a few patients, and so much more.

God has graciously provided for us again and again... places to stay, places to serve, time with our family, time with friends old and new, an abundance of food to eat (much to the relief of Caleb).

We are so blessed.

I am glad to be going home (though we don't actually have a home) to New York tomorrow. I thought I would have a hard time with the lack of green in New York, having already experienced the new life of spring in the south, but, as I looked out the window yesterday just north of Harrisburg, PA at the bare trees, hills, streams, and snow covered ground, I told Glenn that it looked like home and a contented feeling of being almost home filled me. He asked if I was OK and I told him I was fine then burst into tears a minute later. It's home but not home and very soon it won't be home. None of our possible residency locations look anything like this. I am going to be moving far away.

I am going to be moving far away but that is OK. When we were in college many of our friends in the sign language program would sign home with a "d" to mean they were heading to their dorm. Lately we've been signing home with a "v" to mean it was time to go to our van. Home has been our van for much of the last 7 weeks and God has been faithful. When home is another state at least 20 hours from the one I've spent about 31 of my 34 years God will continue to be faithful and provide all that we need in every aspect of our lives - places to live, work and worship, food to enjoy, friends to share life with, and everything else we may need.

This first half of our "mystery months" has been fun, full of adventure and new experiences. It has been kind of nice in the "ignorance is bliss" stage where we can't start making plans for our next location because we don't know yet where that new location is. Computers somewhere are feverishly figuring out our fate (and that of the 20,000 or so other applicants) carefully matching up the rank lists of applicants and programs.

In only 9 days we find out where we match and the second half of our mystery months begin, the part where we still don't know what we are doing but we do know what city we are going to and we get to start making plans for our future. I am exited to see what the Lord has planned for us and so thankful for all the great things He has done so far!

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and rejoice in you;
    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:1-2,10