Sticky Notes and Lists

     Now that we know where our "there" is, Ecuador, we are beginning to make those lists of items that will make the journey with us; in other words, the "possessions."  Ah-ha Moment!   How do we determine what is necessary and what is excess?  To be honest with our readers, we don't know...yet!  Our Nazarene missionaries have an acronym that we are supposed to apply when we have concerns about our journey: ATM.  Smells like $, right?  Actually it means ASK  THE  MISSIONARY!  But, the missionaries are busy.  Do they really have time to dictate lists of items for us to bring?  Do they have time to listen to our lists and help us delete?  Do they have time to read an email of our lists?  No, no, and no.  So, here is our plan, do what we can do until the opportunity presents itself.  In other words, work while we wait.  This one thing we do know, God is never late...and He likes planners and planning.  Paul in I Corinthians 9:26a reminds us "Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly..."  We do not make lists "aimlessly," but make lists with a goal in mind.  Like Paul, we see the finish line, the goal to be accomplished.  When the time presents itself, or when the horn blasts at the starting line, we will have that time of consultation and we can ATM.  In the meantime, we are making lists: lists of necessities and/or excesses.  The items on the lists will sift into a good pile, which will go into duffle bags that will go in cars to the airport, on an airplane to Quito, in a taxi to a train, in a train to a city bus, in a city bus to an apartment in Riobamba, Ecuador.  Our sticky notes and lists will manifest themselves in our new living quarters. 
    If you have time, we invite you to make this journey with us.  Sticky notes and lists are the small stones on this journey of ours. 
    Keep looking up because we are,   Jim and Linda