25 days to till takeoff!!!

Here I go again...wanting to write...to remind myself we are really going on a trip.  It seems like a very long time since we started this blog and let people know about our trip.  At times I get very excited and other times quite nervous and other times feel totally overwhelmed and wonder what in earth we are doing this for.  Then I remember why we wanted to take this trip in the first place.  We have so many friends and family members who serve in overseas countries and we wanted to visit them, encourage them, see what God is doing in their lives and where they live and work.  Roger and I have talked for years of doing this when he retired but when the time opened up now due to his job change we asked Him about it and having peace we moved ahead with the planning.
In II Timothy 1  Paul is writing to Timothy and he says in vs 3 " I thank Him whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as i remember you constantly in my requests to Him night and day.  As I remember your tears, I long to see you , that I may be filled with joy...  These verses are kind of where we are at...not that our friends are full of tears but serving overseas is not easy in many ways and we know that a visit from a friend is encouraging to them and of course to us.   So when I think of the people we will be seeing and spending time with I get very excited about the trip and then the concerns of things to do before going or how many different beds I will sleep in or controlling my blood sugar when I have no control over the food we are eating  or how many times will our luggage be lost etc just don't seem to matter  much in light of that.
Switching gears...and speaking of planning a trip...you would not believe how much planning there is in going on a trip like this.  Roger is amazing at researching flights and places to stay, things to do... what the weather is like where we are going, visa needed or not, exchange rate for money etc etc. Also he has been making arrangements for bills to be paid while gone, extension on taxes, had to send our passports to get more pages etc etc.  My jobs are so much easier, christmas shopping, dr apts, visiting with friends before I leave, packing some things away to make room for the family staying here, visiting with friends some more :)  what can i say...life just goes on.  I get confused what day it is because Roger is home every day.   And then one day it hits me.  Only 25 days till we leave!!  Yippe!!  Panic!!  Yipee!!  Panic!!  You get the picture. :)
I guess I have rambled on long enough.  I could go on but will spare you.
Oh- one more random thought that hit me the other day...I have never gone 5 months without seeing my son Ben.  It made me sad ...even brought a few tears to my eyes...I had to let go of him and give him over to the Father.  This might seem minor but to me it was significant concerning I have 2 other kids who live on the other side of the world and I can go over a year without seeing them...I have already let go of them many times over.  The Lord is good. And I can let go again.
If you read this... please prayfor us as we finish getting ready to go.  We are actually looking forward to that first long flight with nothing to do but read :)