2.23.2011

Yesterday.

Yowsers, we're flying by the seat of our pants here!

After 13 hours of filming yesterday, the majority of the Belgian pastors video is complete. Well, it's been shot atleast. Now Clay has to work his editing magic. Something that will happen while we're in Texas, because, um, we have like less than 2 weeks to get this apartment packed up and then we're out of here! Not stressing, not stressing... breathe.



It was really nice to get to do most of the shooting yesterday in Brussels, because it felt so special to get to spend one of our last days in Belgium there. We love Brussels. Its waffles have cheered us, its English bookstores have comforted us, and its Willie Nelson concerts have knocked our chaussettes off. What a great city. We'll always love it.



The 3 of us were pretty delirious after such a long day of shooting. On the way home Daniel shared some of his CDs with us and we laughed and reminisced about the day. We even stopped at McDonald's and he bought us ice cream! So fun. What a highlight to get spend this time with Daniel. I'll always remember this day.

In this picture you can see my tiny little ice cream cone stump. I wanted to document the occasion :)



Today the day was spent hanging out with Ali and Nada. The served us yet another fabulous lunch and then we passed the afternoon doing what all friends do when they are about to be separated by a vast distance...

...they watch ridiculous b-movies :)

Snuggled up on the couch of course.



Sometimes it's just too sad to talk about saying goodbye, but just being in the same room together was sweet, and I am thankful for that time. We love them so much.

Tomorrow we will tackle the beast that is our currently unpacked apartment.

I am not grown up enough for this.

2.20.2011

Countdown.

Isn't it amazing how quickly time passes? I remember when I was small it seemed like ages between each birthday, each Christmas, each new school year.

I now find myself packing up an apartment that I feel like I just moved into. I find myself saying goodbyes when the hellos (bonjours, really) are still fresh on my tongue. Crazy.

It's been fun. And lonely, and hard, and really too much on some days. The years teemed with adventure and frustration. Exploration and the rediscovering of roots. It's been too much and just right.

2 years in Belgium. And we're down to the last week and a half. The happy and sad tears are already mingling on my face... it's that time again. Time to hit the road and start a new chapter.

I think that saying goodbye to everything 2 years ago makes saying goodbye to our everything now a little easier. We've seen how God takes care of us through transition, how you wonder if you are ever really going to make it, to feel settled again, and then you wake up one morning feeling like you've arrived, that you are finally wherever it is that you were going.

We know that will happen again. We know he's leading us on the path he has marked out for our lives.

So I'm trying to live through this time of transition well. To enjoy every drop of bittersweet-ness instead of pushing it away for fear that it will hurt me too much. It's sad to leave, but how incredible and beautiful is it that there are people and experiences in our life that are worth the tears?

This past week, we have laughed so hard we cried and cried so hard we laughed....

We had dinner with Sirin and Xavier. Thank you for all of the meals and for running around Belgium with us!



Last night we had a game-night at Josh's. Cranium just refuses to get old- it is so fun.



Amy is thinking about how to best "marionette" me here. Have you played the newer version of Cranium? So creative!



Here's Pascal preparing to "marionette" Clay... We are all laughing because we'd already read the card and knew what he was about to have to do. Oh how we laughed!



This morning was our 2nd to last Sunday at church. It was such a good morning. I spent most of it trying to soak up every face, every song. These people have let us be a part of their family.



Daniel called us up on stage (which we were NOT expecting and I would have atleast washed my hair that morning if I had known :) and gave a nice goodbye presentation. They also presented us with a special gift.

Eric Lefebvre is an artist that is famous here in Huy. He's painted many murals around the town, many of them on our street. The church gave us a lithograph of "Le moulin des 4 saisons" (the wind mill of 4 seasons). We will treasure it always, and remember the different seasons that God brought us through while we were here.



Sometimes I feel strange pointing a camera in people's faces, but this morning I didn't CARE! It was awesome.

Nina and Marie. These 2 ladies are the matriarchs of the church. Pretty much everyone in the church is related to them in some way :)



Simon and Clay. Every week this kid would come up behind Clay and put him in a headlock, and eventually they became friends :)



This sweet little lady here with Elizabeth is one of the most precious things about every Sunday. She spends a good part of her week writing special Bible verses on index cards and then passes them out each week. Everyone has stacks of them at home. She is a treasure.



Boris, our friend and artist gave us one of his original paintings as a momento. Such talented and special friends!



Oh and then there's Lillian. I might just not say goodbye to her. She's just too wonderful.



Laughing with Josh. Those two have shared a lot of coffee over the years.



Blanca. My Colombian friend who spoke Spanish to me in the early days so I wouldn't feel so isolated and lonely. We stayed with them our first 2 weeks in Belgium, and will always be thankful for their hospitality and friendship.



This is just after Denise shared with Clay that not only is the prune tart a classic Belgian dessert, it will also help you if you're constipated... priceless.



Nathalie, who fed us and shared her backyard and animals with me, and Sarah, who kept us supplied with Guatemalan coffee and Latina flair for 2 years.



And Daniel, our fearless leader, who was a constant presence during our time here. So nice to have someone to answer our cultural questions and speak English with. We appreciate your leadership.



The weeks leading up to a goodbye are more full of life it seems. We're riding the wave, enjoying every speck of these precious people and this little town in this little country that we love.

2.16.2011

We're moving to Prague!!

I haven't shared yet on the blog what our plans are for AFTER Belgium and I figured it was time :)

After some good time back in Texas seeing family and friends...

...we are moving to Prague, Czech Republic!



We're going with these 4 people and their combined crew of 7 kids!



We are so excited to be going with folks that have been our friends for a really really long time. What a blessing! And what a blast!

So what are we going to be up to in Prague?

After 2 years in Belgium and around the world, Clay and I can't say enough about what 2 years overseas can do to a person- what God does inside of you, and what incredible ministry you can share in with him. It's been life-changing for us.

We 3 families are moving to Prague to start a new hosting ground for more of these 2 year people, young adults interested in life and ministry overseas. We want to provide a place for them to plug into and also walk alongside them as he reveals whatever steps he may have next for them.

We are also excited about our own fit into life in Prague. The group is waiting until we get there to settle on what our official roles will be, but it is looking like we are going to be involved in the language acquisition realm. Learning Czech, obviously, but also in English teaching and tutoring, which we hope will develop into some sort of language cafe or bookshop/bookswap. We are excited about the possibilities!

Whatever we do, we want to do it as a community of Christ-followers loving eachother and striving together to know him more.

We couldn't be more excited :)

We are going to be sending out a paper mail-out soon reflecting on the past 2 years and sharing more about the future. Send me an email (megansandoz@gmail.com) with your address if you'd like to receive one!

2.15.2011

Lately.

Not gonna lie. The entry back into Europe from Thailand was shocking.

I rocked purple socks and Chacos the whole way home :)



The past few weeks have flown by in sometimes fun, sometimes anxiety-filled gusts. This whole less-than-3 weeks left business is intense.

There are a lot of official "moving" tasks and then just a lot of emotions too. Two years is a long time in some ways. Long enough for a life to be built. And even though Texas is still most certainly "home," "home" has also somehow become where we now sit.

I am trying to embrace the ups and downs of this transition. It is what it is.

And right now, it's spending as much time with our friends here as we can.

Nada and the kids came over a few days after we got home from our trip and Clay and Nagham watched some cartoons.



And just this past weekend, we celebrated Mazen's 1st birthday with the family.





The birthday boy didn't quite know what to think of silly string.





Present time!



Yay! I love this boy.



We love this family and will miss them so much.

2.01.2011

Southeast Asian Goodbyes

One last quick tea-party this morning and then we were out the door!



We were welcomed for one last night in Bangkok by our dear friends. The boys walked down the street to pick up dinner at the family's favorite neighborhood restaurant.

So good.



And my favorite, Som Tum, a spicy salad made with green papayas and served with sticky rice.

It tastes a lot better than it looks in this photo. Michelle, however, is just as cute as (and even cuter than) she looks here :)



We're soaking up our friends on this side of the world before heading back home tomorrow!



And enjoying wearing Chacos and shorts while we can!