Next week our eldest son finishes high school.... how can that be?  It seems like not so long ago that we arrived in Thailand as new missionaries with one small,  smiley, one and a half year old!!!!  It's been a road of lower lows than we had hoped for but also of growth, blessing and joy.

The hardest thing for me was seeing our son go away to board in an OMF dorm and attend school in Chiang Mai when he was nearly 11.  He felt he was ready and we all knew it was time but no one is ever really ready for that.  A short while before he went I was at an OMF conference and an older missionary lady spoke about her life and sending her kids away to school.  What stuck with me was when she said, "I realised that I had a choice to make.  I could be jealous of all the people who got to spend so much time with my kids when I didn't or I could be grateful for the wonderful people God brought into thir lives,  I chose to be grateful."  After hearing her talk I decided that I too would choose to be grateful.  That simple choice made such a difference in me.

There have been many tears over the years, late night phone calls when our son was exhausted and missing home, times when I wanted to go back to Australia so my kids could live at home (quite a few of those).... etc etc but there have been great times too.  My sons (I now have 3 away at school) have grown so much.  They are amazing young men who have wonderful friends from lots of places. Best of all they are walking with Jesus and our eldest wants to take a gap year to serve the Lord.  

God has been very faithful - and I am indeeed grateful.  I still miss them when they aren't home.... I see them next in 6 1/2 days... :