airport goodbyes and long delays

airport goodbyes, long delays, sleepless plane rides, and foreign languages. this pretty much sums up the past day. there is nothing quite like the experience of traveling internationally, especially if you were the one that got elected to carry the pinata on your bag. (*side note* we brought a pinata to moldova for a birthday party we are having with the kids) i had some guy ask me if we were with the circus. i said yes. this is my fifth trip to moldova and there is still a sense of excitement knowing that within the day i will be thousands of miles away from home. and there is still the surreal feeling of, "am i really here?" as soon as we land. moldova is an interesting country. i just recently found out it was ranked as the unhappiest country in the world. however, spend a few days here, and you can find some of the happiest people in the world. people who are so grateful for foreigners who actually want to invest time and energy and most importantly, love, into their lives. i'm really looking forward to this trip. i've worked in the same orphanage the past four times. going to orhei and working with the special needs children at casa de copii is going to be a completely new experience for me. i'm excited as much as i am nervous.
i'm excited for what the next few days are going to bring. we have such a unique group of people, all who have different talents and strengths, and it's going to work well for this trip. i'm looking forward to seeing how God is going to use everyone and what He is going to accomplish, even if we never fully see the result. Isaiah 55 reminds us that his word does not leave his mouth without accomplishing what he sent it to do.