Pen Pals in the Making

As I think about leaving this country in four or so years, I can’t help but think about all the ways Ivy’s childhood is going to be different from mine. I had a wonderful childhood here in the U.S., and I wouldn’t change anything about it even if I could. But we are excited for Ivy to have a childhood that will hopefully be the “best of both worlds.” Since we will live in America for one year out of every four or five (furlough), she will know what it’s like to live in America and experience the joys and blessings of being close to family and friends. But Aaron and I are excited that she will also know what it is like to live in a perhaps not-so-comfortable place and spend her childhood in ministry to other people who don’t yet know about the Savior Jesus Christ.

One thing that is probably going to be much different about Ivy’s childhood than mine is her friendships. For one thing, she will have friends in two distinct, different parts of the world. She will hopefully make very close friends in whatever tribe we live with, but it will take awhile before she will be able to speak fluently with them, probably! And she will no doubt be great friends with Nathan and Rachel’s four kiddos, since Lord willing, we will live with them. But she will also hopefully have very close friends here in America, too. Friends who can “pick up where they left off” each time we return home on furlough. And hopefully these friends and Ivy will keep in close contact with each other when we are overseas!

 So what I hope for Ivy is that these friends that she is “making” now (if you can really “make” friends as a baby) will be Ivy’s “pen pals” throughout childhood when we are overseas and Ivy’s close friends when we spend time here on future furloughs. I know that I am blessed by being friends with each of these girls’ moms, and it is neat for me to think that Ivy will be blessed with similar friendships.

So here are some of Ivy’s hopefully future pen pals:

Cousin Addi

 Avery (on the right)

 Amelia

 Kyla

Mylin

Elsie

(And Brenda and Abby...I'm secretly hoping you both have girls in a couple months so I can add them to the list ;))