3 weeks and counting....

In case some of you have lost track of us, we really are still around and we have not left for Indonesia just yet! 

Using Tyler's parents garage as a staging area

When we finished our training at MAF in May, we moved in with Tyler's parents in Nampa, ID, and began the tedious process of sorting through all of our belongings and deciding where to put it, which is one of 4 categories:  pack in one of 4 crates (to be shipped to our base after one year of language school), to go in checked luggage to language school with us for the next year, to be stored in the states, or to get rid of.  As you can imagine, sometimes the decision making gets a little overwhelming when you have to analyze and catalog every item, down to the last sock and spatula!

Jocelyn "help" pack are belongings

While we packed the boys had time to catch up on their tans

Grandma Schmidt reading bed time stories

As I write this, we are taking a short break from the packing and visiting my (Renae's) family in ND and trying to finish up lists, shopping, business details, etc... and processing through the emotions of saying goodbye to family for possibly the next 3.5 years. We are so thankful for the full support and encouragement of our families because we know that not only are we missing out on several years of time with them, but it is also costing them to send their family so far away for such a length of time.

Cousin time at the picnic table

If you think of it, please pray for us these final weeks before leave!  Here are some more specifics:

Pray:
Good closure emotionally as we say goodbye to family
Final details, checklist, and paperwork to be completed
Packing readiness:  speed and wisdom for the decisions
Peace in our hearts and minds during the transition
For us to have as few expectations as possible when we arrive in Indonesia
Safety and calm during our flights (a 48 hour journey), we leave on August 2
Wisdom as we make decisions about childcare/preschool for the kids and also as we hire a househelper (Pembantus) when we arrive in Salatiga
Adjustment for all of us, especially the kids, to a new country and culture

Praise:
Our visas arrived very quickly, so tickets were bought last month, we leave August 2!
That our Orientation training at MAF was a wonderful time of preparation for what we will encounter once we arrive on the field
For the time we've had with family before we say goodbye for 3.5 years

Our timeline is....

Aug 2-4:  Fly to Jakarta, Indonesia
Spend 2-3 days in Jakarta getting immigration paper work complete
Fly to Salatiga, Indonesia, get adjusted to our home and surroundings (about 1 week)
Aug 12:  Language school orientation
Aug 13:  Language school begins

 THANK YOU from the Schmidt's