Once Again-

The second half of our weekend visit story is that Alex was able to drive up for a long weekend- to Kate's complete and utter surprise. (I went a whole two posts without mentioning Alex- directly- be proud of me!) Surprise seems to be a recurring theme with Alex and me, for Kate's benefit. The challenge to keep something hidden, while staying honest, is so much fun.

So he arrived Thursday night after driving much of the way in thunderstorms, walked into the house, right up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders before she knew he was here. Jumping out of her skin does not adequately describe her reaction,... actually, nothing would adequately describe it. Needless to say, Kate was beyond thrilled. She'll be harder to surprise next time...

Having Alex here was neat since it coincided with our Missionary friend and much talk of the role of missions in today's church and local congregations. Knowing that he is seeing his beloved leave for a number of months isn't easy for Alex. Knowing that the call is from Christ and the purposes belong to the Lord helps.

Once again, Alex drove back to Ft. Bragg last night, as with every visit, too soon. By now he knows his way here pretty well. In between visits he and Kate will "skype" so they can see one another, which is neat. But nothing replaces a real visit.