Month One on Tybee

Hard to believe we've been here a little over a month. Mostly hard to believe because out of the 38 days we've been here, I've been away 16 nights, 18 days. Wow. The end of June-July is when I try to visit all of our SummerShine properties. I've been in SC, NC, VA, CT, MI, SD and CA. It's really neat to get to travel to some fabulous destinations, though I wish Matt could come along with me! God brought us together through SummerShine and it's really exciting to see how He continues to grow us and the ministry together! I really enjoyed getting to see the people I've recruited, interviewed, hired, trained and prayed for at the campgrounds in action. God is working across our country in KOA campgrounds. Please keep our SummerShiners in your prayers.

Living here on Tybee has been wonderful. Matt and I are enjoying riding bikes, taking walks on the beach and in the various neighborhoods and, of course, checking out local restaurants. While the travel has been fun, I'm ready to be here and enjoy this place more! We've had a few visitors and are pretty booked over the next few weeks. Entertaining and hosting will keep us on our toes and we're looking forward to quality visits with everyone who comes this way!

Arrivals and Departures

It's traveling time for me. I'm heading to California today, then to Rapid City, SD and then to Michigan. Needless to say, I will be in airports a good bit over the next week. I just flew in from Connecticut last week. There are many emotions with this kind of travel. It was hard to have Matt drop me off, and as we said our goodbyes I was reminded of the curiousity that comes about in airports. Two men sitting on separate benches outside witnessed our hugs and kisses and waves. I wondered what they were thinking.

In people watching at the airport (isn't it a great place for that?!), I can't help but wonder about the stories of those around me. There are families tanned and weary from traveling yet being on vacation. There are elderly couples still holding hands, moving slower than they used to. There are plenty of people on their own (myself included), heading where?! Traveling for work? Leisure? To vist people they love? Home, leaving those dear ones in another city?

When you arrive at your destination there's a sweetness to it. You and everyone else seem to be searching for that familiar face, sometimes it's enough to make you teary eyed. Other people's stories, and the love that is often felt in the company of strangers. I can't help but think of the quote from Love Actually: “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.”