At the end of a long dirt driveway I turn onto the county road that leads me through a enchanted corridor of overhanging trees. After a few turns, I emerge from the canopy onto state highway 1000. My drive snakes through pasture lands with grazing cattle on either side. The morning sun is just peeking over the horizon of trees as I make my first turn...a different landscape from the one we left not even two months ago...yet still a beautiful witness to the Creator. The moon is still visible behind me, surrounded by pink-lined clouds and elegantly suspended in the morning sky. I've learned when and where to switch from the local Christian radio station to NPR, knowing exactly at which part of my drive I will loose and pick up each station. My life has changed. OUR life has changed.
We left Italy to land in the blazing heat of a Texas summer. The expanse of grasshoppers who have inhabited East Texas, welcomed us with hops and frolicking, which I can only assume meant they were delighted for our return. Our first weeks were spent getting settled into the house Kyle grew up in and spending time with family. We unpacked boxes, cleaned out closets, rearranged furniture, to make his old room into our room. We also spent a good bit of time taking care of a few things around the house for his sweet parents who have welcomed us to stay here with open arms. I didn't mind cleaning off the back patio, organizing the cabinets, cleaning out the fridge, and hanging the porch swing, the job that I didn't enjoy so much was battling the wasps and spiders who had made their home on the small front porch. I first tried talking to them to explain that they had chosen a terribly inconvenient place to settle as it was directly in our path to get to and from our cars and the house. They didn't seem to listen, the spider just sat suspended in her web, the wasps kept on with their busy buzzing. A few grasshoppers came by to see what the discussion was about, but they didn't stay long. So I had to resort to drastic measures. First the spider webs came down and the spiders that didn't run away were disposed of...a nasty business when they're bigger spiders. Then there were the dirt dauber nests. They were just high enough that I had to stand directly under them to break them down, meaning dirt was raining down onto my head...perhaps that bench we just moved to the back porch should have remained here until this job was done. With those more or less cleared away, it was time to attack the wasps - of whom I am terrified. I looked at the three nests hanging overhead in the corners. There were several wasps flying about. I thought for a second on my plan of attack, but then suddenly overwhelmed with having already destroyed several creatures and their homes, I decided to save these volatile beasts for my man to fight with. And he did. Days of battle against the stubborn wasps resulted at last, in safe passageway through the front door with only an occasional wasp flying by. Besides dealing with these little pests, our time back in the states, though drastically different from Italy, has been wonderful. Kyle and his dad have taught me a thing or two about cows. I learned to drive a tractor, and even had a lesson in pulling and parking a trailer. It's true, East Texas does have a lot to offer! More importantly, however, we have enjoyed precious time with Kyle's family. We have spent quality time with my parents and several of our family of friends. We had a fabulous road trip to Savannah, Georgia with some dear friends. In the midst of all that, we were were praying and searching for jobs and our faithful God has provided excellent jobs for both of us given our short-term circumstances. Until December, I have a job working at two nursing homes in the area and Kyle will be substitute teaching and driving the school bus for the school he went to. We don't know exactly what we'll do next, but we are excited about what lies ahead.
This is our East Texas adventure.
This is our East Texas adventure.
