Today is Sunday and every Sunday we miss our dear friends, the Leonard family. It has been two months since the Lord brought them back to the States and Mexico just doesn't feel the same without them.
We don't only miss them on Sundays, but especially on Sundays. Sundays were our days together where we would connect at church and then decide what we'd all do together afterwards. Sometimes it just looked at lunch at a restaurant. Many other days it was a meal at one of our houses and swimming afterwards. Truthfully it didn't matter what we did, it was just the togetherness that mattered.
In a memory book given to the Leonards before they left, I wrote, "You guys were our lifeboat in a sea of culture shock." I believe that's why our friendship was forged so closely so quickly...we just all needed each other. We needed afternoons of chatting in English, telling stories of catastrophes at banks, irritations of foreign schools, and hacks for surviving in a world where we don't quite belong. We needed encouragement from stories of the Lord's provision in each other's lives. We needed to vent and laugh and cry together.
Not only were Dustin and Katie a lifeline for Ben and I, but their kids were just such fantastic friends for our boys. One time we had Kyler and Jeremiah for a long weekend while their parents went out of town: what a gift for our boys! The twins played a 3 day long game of Risk with Kyler, Josh and Jer ran around like crazy and played and played. We have memories of our kids together having nerf gun wars, playing soccer, making legos, and so much swimming together.
Some of our favorite memories with the Leonards include visiting Bioparque together, the crazy hike to "base camp" behind their house, and when Dustin and Derrick picked us up in Laredo when our car engine died in San Antonio. It was also Dustin who coordinated our epic Via Ferrata climb. We also loved going to jumpster together. I miss getting to share books and pictures with them. They were also the family that I relied on when Ben went out of town for business. It was always nice knowing that I could spend an afternoon at their home in Back2Back!
Some of our favorite memories with the Leonards include visiting Bioparque together, the crazy hike to "base camp" behind their house, and when Dustin and Derrick picked us up in Laredo when our car engine died in San Antonio. It was also Dustin who coordinated our epic Via Ferrata climb. We also loved going to jumpster together. I miss getting to share books and pictures with them. They were also the family that I relied on when Ben went out of town for business. It was always nice knowing that I could spend an afternoon at their home in Back2Back!
We knew when we moved to Mexico that the Lord would provide for us above and beyond, and that is what he did with this friendship. We also knew that our friendships here, unfortunately, would all end with goodbyes. These goodbyes are different from when we said goodbye to friends and family in Oregon: we know that we will return to Oregon and live close to loved ones again. Goodbyes here in Monterrey are more permanent...we probably will never live in the same community again. Our goodbye to the Leonards felt so final. Not, "Goodbye, see you at Christmas!" but, "Goodbye, maybe we'll try to visit you once this year." It was heart wrenching for all of us.
So, here we are in Mexico, minus the Leonards. Seth said the other day, "It doesn't feel like Mexico without the Leonards." I agree Seth, or at least it doesn't feel quite so sweet and homey.
What we wouldn't give for one more slow, lazy Sunday afternoon together.
Group photo together before saying goodbye
Hilarious goofy photo.
One of our last evenings together, Josh and Jer wanted to borrow Ben's phone so that they could "take a picture together so that they would never forget each other."
These two: such sweet friends to one another
Josh has shed many, many tears over missing Jer
I miss watching them play rescue bots together!
It may sound silly, but before moving here, I prayed for a "bosom friend" (like Anne of Green Gables). The Lord truly provided that for me with Katie. She was wisdom and a listening ear for me.
Another thing Dustin and Katie provided for us was an introduction to their ministry, Back2Back, which is why I am now teaching at the school on campus. This picture is from a Sunday where they brought some of the Back2Back interns to our house for lunch.
The first time we all hung out together, we went to PF Changs and jumpster. So, that's what we decided to do for one of our final times together.
So many hours in the pool together!
This particular day they had a great ball game going, but often times it was "King of the Mountain."
Sam and Kyler
Everyone sporting cool pool hair (a Dustin speciality)
Playing chicken at the Back2Back pool
A few pictures from our weekend having Kyler and Jer staying at our home.
Jer and Josh swimming at the consulate pool.
Meal with friends Max and Oskar as well.
Playing Enchanted Forest before the game regressed into "Jer and Josh rules"
Ben reading to the littles
The three-day risk game
The game was epic.
One final note: the day we said goodbye to our friends is etched in my memory. We spent a final afternoon at our apartment together, prayed together at the end, and then said our goodbyes. Ben, the kids and I then headed to our terrace to wave at them down on the street. They drove off and there we were, the five of us, so sad. Heavy hearts, grieving together. We sat on the couch and there were tears (most of them mine). We talked about the gift that the Leonard family had been to us and we talked about how much we would miss them. It was a poignant moment of togetherness for our family. This is a gift that Mexico has provided for us: these moments, these tools of learning. Even if it's grieving, we are processing deep things with our children. And even though it's difficult, I can't help but believe that it's good and it will ultimately serve a greater purpose in the life of our children in the future.
So, here we are in Mexico, minus the Leonards. Seth said the other day, "It doesn't feel like Mexico without the Leonards." I agree Seth, or at least it doesn't feel quite so sweet and homey.
What we wouldn't give for one more slow, lazy Sunday afternoon together.
Group photo together before saying goodbye
Hilarious goofy photo.
These two: such sweet friends to one another
Josh has shed many, many tears over missing Jer
I miss watching them play rescue bots together!
It may sound silly, but before moving here, I prayed for a "bosom friend" (like Anne of Green Gables). The Lord truly provided that for me with Katie. She was wisdom and a listening ear for me.
So many hours in the pool together!
One final note: the day we said goodbye to our friends is etched in my memory. We spent a final afternoon at our apartment together, prayed together at the end, and then said our goodbyes. Ben, the kids and I then headed to our terrace to wave at them down on the street. They drove off and there we were, the five of us, so sad. Heavy hearts, grieving together. We sat on the couch and there were tears (most of them mine). We talked about the gift that the Leonard family had been to us and we talked about how much we would miss them. It was a poignant moment of togetherness for our family. This is a gift that Mexico has provided for us: these moments, these tools of learning. Even if it's grieving, we are processing deep things with our children. And even though it's difficult, I can't help but believe that it's good and it will ultimately serve a greater purpose in the life of our children in the future.
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