Yesterday was another full day in which we worked hard on various projects, encountered challenges, and grew in love in our relationships with one another. We were able to have lunch with the Highschoolers yesterday and today, and spending time with them is always full of laughs, and has become one of the most looked-forward-to parts of our day for our team members. Last night, one of our team members had invited her sponsor child and family to come play basketball with us. It turned into a great time that made many people’s “highs” list and was an awesome time for the sponsor and her child to get to bond a little more. Today everyone is wrapping up their projects and trying to get everything ready to be presented to the students at 5:00. As I write I can hear the sounds of the saw down in the work area wherever you go there are “blue shirts” cleaning paintbrushes, waiting for things to dry, sweeping up and putting away tools. It’s been a good week of work for us and I think most everybody is pretty satisfied with what they’re leaving behind.

Today is our last full day in San Pedro and I’m thankful that the sad faces didn’t start until last night. Team members have started commenting on how sad it will be to leave, how attached to these people they’ve become in just a week, etc.

I think I know as well as anyone how hard it can be to leave this place and these people, to say goodbye to those you have gotten to share so much with and that you’ve grown to love so quickly. But, for everything there is a season. There is a time to come and a time to leave, a time to hold on and a time to let go. We are always so blessed when we come here, and having been on the other side, I know it’s a blessing for those here as well. But the work continues on both sides after we’re gone. The missionaries here continue their work and, hopefully, we go back to Alaska and continue pursuing God and serving Him wholeheartedly.

​Tonight is the famous “Goodbye Dinner”, which always offers a wonderful snapshot of the effect this trip as had on both sides, so I’m excited for that. As we start the long journey home tomorrow, pray that no sickness would sneak into us (we’ve already got plenty of sniffy noses and aching backs, but no serious stomach bugs!), that we would have peace about leaving and satisfaction from a great week, and that God would prepare each of our hearts for what awaits us back in Anchorage.

Lows: “Running out of concrete”, “Recovering from basketball”, “Finding out I had the wrong measurements on my project”, “Railings.”, “Cleaning off the oil paint.”

Highs: “Playing basketball with everyone”, “Talking to Emily and Leann at dinner”, “Spending time with Ester”, “Playing with my sponsor child and his family.”

​We Love and Miss You!!

Emily