Handful of Dollars

This weekend we had our moving sale. I thought about taking pictures, but didn't. Let's just say that even with the 4+ racks of clothes, 8 tables full of household items and various large pieces of furniture being sold (or donated) we still have MORE THAN ENOUGH to live and live better than most people in the world. With that being said, we were so blessed this weekend by so many friends and total strangers coming out to affirm us as we begin this journey. We advertised our sale as a "Moving to Africa Sale" and there were several people who came to find out where in Africa we were going and why.

One woman who stopped by had her daughter and one of the boys her family adopted from Ethiopia along with her. She was telling me about a family that recently moved to Ghana to start an orphanage in their home. We talked a bit about how our family's journey to South Africa began. She picked out a couple things from the sale and then she came to pay me and pulled out all that she had in her wallet. It was not a huge amount, which she apologized for, but I immediately started crying and if there hadn't been a bunch of people milling about my driveway, I would have been weeping. I don't know if she will ever read this blog, but if she does, I want her to know how much she blessed me. I am starting to cry again just thinking about it. I was just so touched that a stranger would reach out to me, to my family, that way. It had nothing to do with the dollar amount, it was just the act of unselfishly giving what you had to a total stranger.

Last week was just kind of intense for me. Tyson started First Grade, we "came out" with our news of moving to South Africa, Darin's 2 year old nephew fell out of a 2nd story hotel window and MIRACULOUSLY came away with some stitches in his chin and broken bones in his leg (only God!!!), we were preparing for the moving sale and then had the actual sale on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and we had our first house showing on Saturday afternoon.  It was just emotionally draining week. If not for the blessing of friends, who watched the kids, made signs for the moving sale, came over to help set up for the sale, helped out during the sale and shopped at the sale, brought me coffee and hugs and prayed us through, and the blessing of strangers, who emptied their wallets for us, came to see where in Africa we were headed, extended words of blessing on our journey, and spoke encouraging words after other strangers said things that were less than comforting, I would not have made it through. 

I am so glad the moving sale is behind us. It just feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. We have our spare room back just in time for Papa John to stay there this week, Jori starts preschool tomorrow, Tyson has his first 5 day week of school, and my women's Bible study starts up again on Wednesday. Fall is in the air. It is time to buy apples for making sauce and head out to Post Family Farm for pumpkin donuts! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who helped us out this week in so many different ways. We truly are beyond blessed!