14,000 Words

Written By Caroline Allen

Don’t worry, this isn’t 14,000 words long. Let’s take the “one picture is worth a thousand words” approach.

The past few months have been full of saying goodbye to many dear friends and places in Florida, then a flurry of trips to spend time with family and friends in North Carolina. Not to mention, crossing items off of our ever-growing to-do list. It has been a time full of so many GOOD things!

Here are the highlights:

St. John’s, our sending parish, commissioned us for ministry at the end of June.

St. John’s, our sending parish, commissioned us for ministry at the end of June.

 

July was full of intentional time with friends, delicious meals, and quite a few tears as we prepared to leave Tallahassee.

 
These great friends brought us Whataburger for breakfast the morning of our departure. It was our version of the Last Supper. If you’ve ever had a honey butter chicken biscuit, you understand. We can’t wait until they visit us in Quito!

These great friends brought us Whataburger for breakfast the morning of our departure. It was our version of the Last Supper. If you’ve ever had a honey butter chicken biscuit, you understand. We can’t wait until they visit us in Quito!

 
We comically underestimated how long it would take us to pack our remaining belongings into the moving truck. Thanks only to the grace of God and the hard work of our friend, Corinna, we finally left our driveway at 3:30pm on July 15. It was well after midnight when we arrived in Chapel Hill, where Caroline’s parents live.

We comically underestimated how long it would take us to pack our remaining belongings into the moving truck. Thanks only to the grace of God and the hard work of our friend, Corinna, we finally left our driveway at 3:30pm on July 15. It was well after midnight when we arrived in Chapel Hill, where Caroline’s parents live.

 
We appreciated a warm welcome and blessing from the congregation at the Chapel of the Cross, the church where Caroline grew up, where John lived and worked during college, and where we were married in 2016.

We appreciated a warm welcome and blessing from the congregation at the Chapel of the Cross, the church where Caroline grew up, where John lived and worked during college, and where we were married in 2016.

 

We have savored time with family during weeks at the beach, a wedding, and the chance to meet our new nephew, Harrison!

 
We are grateful for a renewing weekend with lifelong friends that was full of two of God’s miracles - beautiful mountains and lots of little ones.

We are grateful for a renewing weekend with lifelong friends that was full of two of God’s miracles - beautiful mountains and lots of little ones.

 
We enjoyed the gorgeous views of Washington state while hiking with John’s parents in the national parks of the Olympic peninsula.

We enjoyed the gorgeous views of Washington state while hiking with John’s parents in the national parks of the Olympic peninsula.

 

We have one more trip planned to Virginia to visit Caroline’s grandmother before our focus shifts to packing our suitcases for Quito. Our departure date is September 14!

With immeasurable gratitude for the people God has placed in our lives,

Abrazos, J&C

Caroline Allen
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