"New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings" ~Lao Tzu

 

Well, I'm not sure where to start with this post, I've been thinking about it for a whole week now, so here we go.  Basically, in the span of 48 hours we went from thinking we would be in Qatar for at least another 6 months, to "well, we're not so sure", to "you're going home".  Talk about an emotional roller coaster; and I thought making the decision to move here was hard!!!  That doesn't even compare to what we've been thru.  We've been feeling a myriad of emotions from denial, to anger, to excitement, sadness, and joy.  Where do we go from here?

Well, first off, I wouldn't have changed a thing.  Not a single thing.  It took a lot of faith, courage, and prayers to make this decision and I firmly believe that it was the right one. Not only have grown as a family, and in our faith (which is quite the blessing considering living in an Islamic country), but we have made lifelong friends and taken our children on an adventure of a lifetime, and for that, I will be forever grateful.  Yes, we wish the journey could've lasted a little longer, but I firmly believe that God has a plan for us.  He led us to this desert and I trust that He has big plans for us in the future.  We are leaving Qatar a changed family, for the better, and our lives will never, ever be the same.

"And suddenly you know it's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings"   ~Meister Eckhart

So where do we go from here?  Besides back to Lee's Summit?!  These next few months will be crazy I'm sure....we're flying home sometime around December 22nd or so.  Flights have yet to be booked.  We will celebrate Christmas with family in St. Joe and then Eric & I will look for a rental house.  He will return to Doha January 1st to finish out his contract.  (Heavy Sigh)  As much as I hate the idea of us being apart for a month, I know it's for the best. 

We ask for your continued prayers and support as we make our journey back into life in the States.  

"Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but it's everything in between that makes it all worth living."  ~Unknown