In a few hours, the kids and I will get Tracy from the airport. There will be wide smiles, joyful shrieks, and tearful hugs. There will be wholeness and warmth and catharsis.
We’re grateful for the blessings of technology that kept us connected with text, sounds, and even sight. We had video calls almost every day, and the kids were able to send her kisses live. Karen’s softball practice was too late for her to see live, but we were able to send some pictures. Tracy unknowingly joined our pastor and me for lunch with one call and greeted the kids as they got off the bus one day.
Being connected, though, is no substitute for being together, and we can’t wait to greet her this morning. We also know that this is a preface for the great absence we will feel when we leave family and friends for years.
The stories of Tracy’s trip to Cape Town – and her detour to Zambia – are hers to tell. The discoveries and lessons, the connections and contacts will come from her sometime soon. Ish. Processing these whirlwind trips is always difficult, even when we expect it to be. Simple reporting is straightforward enough, but writing, well, that takes time. Perspective and comprehension sometimes grow slowly, and the daily chores sometimes intervene and cloud. I’ve still not really written what I wanted to about the convention I attended earlier this month.
I know Tracy has begun writing, but I also know she has a lot to think about. She’ll be exhausted from the travel, and then she’ll go back to work; in snippets over days, I’ll get to learn more about what she found out and experienced. I’ll have the privilege of listening as she puzzles out some things through talking, and I’ll perhaps get to be near her as she quietly thinks through others.
And then, like you, I’ll get to read it.
Please pray:
- for continued health, safety, and efficiency as Tracy travels home.
- for her rest and peace as she settles back into life here.
- for her wisdom and clarity as she seeks to tell of her trip.
- for the kids to transition smoothly back to her presence.
- for those whom she met and visited, that each of them might be blessed and encouraged according to their needs.
- thanks for the many successes and answers that came from this trip.
The Heffron Family 