"A Time to Uproot" Ecclesiastes 3:2

I soak in every word he preaches.  And most often, it seems that Mark is sharing a message that applies to the two of us or to our family, and everyone else in the church is there to listen in on the conversation.  When he preached on the call of Elisha, I wondered about our own call to the foreign mission field.  Like Elisha's call, a move to the field requires burning ties to the past. 

[Elisha] was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant. From the NIV; I Kings 19:19-21

I want to be like Elisha. I can't look back like Lot's wife or hesitate like the rich young ruler.  I don't want a longing for possessions or relationships to keep me from faithfully serving by Mark's side.

If I am to remain committed to the call we have received, without becoming bitter about what I'm leaving behind, I will need to burn a plow or two and give away a lot of "meat."  Mark and I feel the weight of the cloak, a letter from the FMC asking us to serve, and so we resolutely detach ourselves from our work here to follow the Lord to Uruguay.  The process is painful and revealing.  Have the conveniences of central heat/air, a propane grill, bikes, and charter school materials made us rely more on ourselves than on God?  Our children are graciously giving away their own treasured possessions, a husky dog family, wooden train set, dolls.  Much harder for all of us, however, is is the "goodbye" part.

So we plead for the Holy Spirit's power to forget what is behind, and strain toward what is ahead (Phil 3:13).  A double portion, please, Lord.

Too Many Piles of Stuff

I've moved before.  I'm familiar with sorting through belongings and packing boxes.  But, this time around, my lists are longer and require a spreadsheet.  And my piles look like mountains. 

I have several bags of clothes to give away.  I have another neat stack of designated items for people.  And then there are huge mounds of yard sale items in the garage.  An entire room in the house is full of my charter school materials set up like a store so other families can check out supplies. 

There are lots of misc. piles like VBS supplies, Sunday School materials, clean clothes to be folded, and stuff from cleaning out the back of the SUV.  The "don't you dare throw it out" boxes will most likely get stacked neatly in a corner of the attic.  The most ominous looking pile consists of some mostly empty boxes and black shipping crates (Mark said they look like coffins) for our drive to Colorado, our flight to Costa Rica, and our eventual move to Uruguay.  I know what I want to chuck or store, but I don't know what we need to bring with us. 

The piles of hundreds of books are especially daunting.  I'm sure we have over a thousand books in our house right now.  It's what happens when a pastor marries an English teacher.  I asked a local librarian if I could donate several hundred books instead of paying the steep fine I just incurred, but no go.  They want the cold, hard cash.  I'll donate the books anyways. ~Jeni

The Richlines Rock!!!

Thanks, Sabrina, for the blog title.  I can't take credit for it.  My daughter was looking for "R" words to fit with Richline, and when she gave me this title, she used "rock" as a verb.  But, "rock" is also a noun.  And in this world of constant change, God is the solid Rock on which we build our lives.  Considering the current upheaval in our lives, the title is fitting.  Psalm 91? It's one of Mark's favorite passages during trials.  God is our refuge and our fortress, The Richline's Rock. ~Jeni

Homemaker Survival Skills Badge!

As the kids and I sorted through our garage full of yard sale items, it hit me again that our relatively stable life of the last 11 years in California is coming to a close.  The stack of black Contico crates piled in the corner reminded me of our three approaching adventures. 

Planning a two week trip to visit family in New Jersey has always been a welcome challenge, but now I'm planning a month long stay in Colorado, a year long stay in Costa Rica, and an even longer stay in Uruguay.  To start with a clean slate, we are purging the house of most of our things.  Storing them and then shipping them to Uruguay did not appeal to either one of us.  It has taken a few months for me to finally be ready to sell or give away furniture that has taken years to acquire.  Thankfully, Mark's parents are willing to rent the house, so we don't have to sell it yet. 

Making a home on the road, with whatever I find along the way, will be a test of my survival skills. 
I used to admire Eagle Scouts for their ability to rough it alone on a trail overnight.  But I'll be roughing it in three different countries with a husband, four kids, and whatever luggage the airlines will let us bring along.  They should make a badge for that!  ~Jeni

(Thanks, Jer, for all the tips.  Couch surfing with 6 people, however, may prove more difficult!  Check out my brother's blog, Jerjourneys.blogspot.com).