We rejoice with our co-workers on the great news that their container has arrived! Since they lived in Moscow before coming here, they sent all of their things by train. They were getting a little concerned as their container was almost 2 weeks late in coming. Yet, they just got word this afternoon that it arrived, of which we are so thankful! Now, after living from just a couple of suitcases for two weeks, they will be able to set-up their home!
With this praise also comes something for your thoughts. When I mentioned that the container has ‘arrived’, it doesn’t mean that their container is ‘here’. Since there is no railroad coming over the many mountains into Kizil, their container was shipped to the closest city to here. That city is about a 6 hour car drive away, up and over many curving mountain roads. David has decided to go with our co-worker to help him bring their container to Kizil. They rented a taxi, and left late this afternoon for the nearby city in order to pick it up. They are planning on returning tomorrow with the container. Please be thinking about them as they are traveling and getting the container. Sometimes, a process that seems simple to us, can turn into something a lot more difficult. We hope that everything will go smoothly for them.
Also, David is planning on leaving this Saturday for the city where we worked the past two years. We have some things in storage there, as well as some ‘loose ends’ that need to be ‘tied up’. We’ve decided that now is the best time for him to go, not only because there is actually a flight available out of here, but because we’d like to get this taken care of before we hope to ‘dive into’ language learning in September, and before it gets cold!
We’d really appreciate your thoughts for him as he travels. He’ll be flying out of here Saturday morning, and then taking a night train to his final destination. He is hoping to enjoy Sunday visiting with our dear friends there, and then Monday and Tuesday, packing our things into a small container which will be shipped by train. (We were actually just debating on whether to leave our stuff there, as it seems like such a hassle getting it here. Yet, after remembering what we have tucked away in boxes, we realized that we are really in need of what is there!)
He is not yet sure when he’ll be able to return home. One reason being, the lady selling tickets was not sure if there would be a flight flying into Kizil next weekend or not. So, he might have to ‘train’ his way back, and then get a taxi for the last part of the trip into Kizil. We’ve discovered that this could take him up to 3 or 4 days! So, we are planning on him being gone for at least a week. Also, you could then be thinking about us getting our container here to Kizil. We will probably do something very similar to what our co-workers are doing, such as renting a taxi/truck to go to the nearest city to pick it up. We aren’t sure yet how long it will take for our things to get here… maybe up to a month???
I’d also appreciate your thoughts for the girls and I as we ‘hold down the fort’ here while David is gone. Of course, we will (and already do) miss David very much! And for some reason, I’m a little nervous to be by myself for the first time here, although I’m sure everything will be totally fine. (I just hope that no toilets leak or water pipes break, or anything like that.) I really like something I read yesterday, and I’m sure I’ll be quoting it to myself quite a bit in David’s absence. “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For Thou alone… dost make me to dwell in safety.” (Ps. 4:8) Really, we are not alone… never alone. How wonderful is that!
Thanks so much for your thoughts! They are MUCH appreciated.