Our last day in El Paso

I prepared for this day weeks ago, this last day to see Jesse and his family ... because this last day is emotionally very difficult ... this leaving without knowing when the next time will be. I believe God heard and in very special ways answered every prayer about this day.

We started our day by worshipping at Sunshine Community Church. None of us had ever visited there before. It's a very warm and welcoming community of people. They've been studying through Colossians on Sunday mornings. Their pastor Dykema is a very humble gentleman who is impossible not to like. We learned that he has a married son with family who live in Kentwood ... they are youth pastors at a church in Ada! And during the welcome part of the service, when we turned around to shake hands with folk in the row behind us ... two young college guys were home on spring break to El Paso from Calvin College. Small world. The kiddos all attended children's church together. I asked them later what was their favorite part of going to church this morning.

Emma: I liked singing songs to God and then praying to God.
Christopher: I liked the cookies best!
Matthew: Me too! I liked the cookies!

The children have all been invited to a birthday party this Saturday at the church. One Saturday each month, they celebrate all of the children's birthdays for that month and have a little party. They also have a nice family dinner once per month following the morning worship service. I think my favorite thing about being there this morning was meeting people for the first time who love and worship the same God that I do ... and immediately sharing friendship with them.

Other than attending church this morning, we did a bunch of rerun activities right at the house. We just hung out, visited with Jesse and Diana, ate a quiet lunch, and played with the children. Jes and Di left later in the afternoon to have a dinner date, but Diana had prepared lasagna ahead of time for me to throw in the oven for our dinner, so we were all set.
We did lots of stuff that I am best at doing with little children. It is completely relaxing to me to do any kind of art work and the children were excited to get out our watercolors again and do more painting. All three of the children are very creative, each with their own style, and each of them very happy to sit for a very long time with me and just visit while we painted.

After we ate our delicious dinner, we read books together. I love reading children's books out loud, stopping to ask questions, pointing out interesting stuff in the illustrations, and most of all listening to the kids as they talk about a story. We had an especially nice story time tonight.

Jes and Di returned home from their date and since the children return to school tomorrow morning, bed time had to be rather strictly observed tonight. So we did the bedtime routine, with kisses and hugs and little talks.

I'll try to repeat to you the conversation I had with Emma as we said good-by.

Emma: I will miss you, grandma, when you go away.
Me: I will miss you too, Emma. Sometimes I am very sad in Grand Rapids without you.
Emma: Me too, grandma.
Me: I have a few friends in Grand Rapids who also have grandchildren who live far away.
Emma: And they can't see them?
Me: That's right. So sometimes we get together and talk about how sad we are.
Emma: You know what grandma? Sometimes ... not always ... but sometimes I forget about you.
Me: That's OK, Emma.
Emma: Sometimes I have fun with friends and with mama and daddy too ... and I forget about you.
Me: That's OK, Emma. I'm glad that you have fun with your friends and with your mom and dad. That makes me happy. That's the best thing you could tell me. But there is Someone I don't want you to forget.
Emma: Who, grandma?
Me: I don't want you to forget about God, Emma. I want you to remember how much He loves you.
Emma: I will, grandma, because He lives in my heart. I talk to Jesus and I look at the pictures in my Bible every day ... well sometimes everyday.
Me: That's good, Ems. That's the happiest thing you could ever tell me! I think we should give each other our most beautiful smile and have one last hug.
Emma: That's a good idea, grandma.

So that's what we did. We left with smiles instead of tears tonight, promising to talk on the phone together and maybe on the computer too. I am very very thankful for these precious days in El Paso.