Leaving Australia

I just tried writing a beautiful and eloquent blog about the lessons that we have learned over the past 18 months. It just wasn’t working. So...

We had good days and bad days. We made great friends but consistently felt lonely. We loved Sydney but missed America. We feel like we made a significant difference here but also feel a little defeated as we leave. “Missionary” work was tougher than we thought.

We learned a ton. We learned more about who we are and what makes us tick. We realized how much we love the city. We learned more about serving in the local Church. We learned about what it means to balance work, play, marriage and studies. While we learned a lot, we leave with lots of questions.

We worked hard. Kari learned a brand new occupation. We invested heart and soul into the work at Crossroads. We led four life groups. Kari wrote a commentary on half the Bible. Josh preached 34 times over the past 18 months. We helped raise up new leaders within the Church. We helped John get through a tough last year of University. And we took part in life transformation.

We changed a lot. We read provocative books. We thought about new ideas. We questioned everything. We came to different conclusions. And hopefully we’ll keep changing and thinking.

We watched a lot of movies.

In the end, we’ll look back on this time with great fondness. It was tough. But it was life changing and something that we’ll never forget. We are so thankful for those of you who have stayed with us from the beginning. We appreciate your prayers, your love and your encouragement.

Signing off for now – Josh and Kari