"Give thanks to God for the many blessings that await you in your new ministry."  Fr. David encouraged me before starting the Wat Prok Education Program.  

Being birthed into our new life in Tucson has already been full of blessings and not surprisingly, a bit of anxiety.  

While driving away from Cece's parent's home we recalled the first time we were left on our own in Bangkok.  A traumatic but invigorating moment that seared into my memory as if I'd been a 5 year old lost in the mall.  For nearly two weeks after our arrival in Thailand our every activity was accompanied.  Finally, one Sunday after brunch with our fellow Maryknollers, everyone set out on their own.  This person was going to the bookshop, that person was going home, another had an errand and two others had slipped away unnoticed.  Nobody invited us to join them.  We thought, "What about us?  Who's going to take us home?  What if we miss our stop and end up going all the way to Malaysia and never finding our way back?"  Everyone set out to their own destination and Cece and I found ourselves ALONE.  

Suddenly out of the terror came forth exhilaration.  Freedom!  Adventure!  Break the shackles of our doting nannies!  Let's get on that number 15 bus!  Woohoo!  When panic briefly returned we repeated our mantra, "Turn onto New Road, wait for two lights, get off at the third stop and be sure to tell the money collector Rongram Maenam.  We can do this."  

And we did.  

We fear stepping out into the darkness, the unknown, the mystery of what will come, but the thrill is as close to flying as we get.  And gently nudged out of the nest we are.  Our families have done so much to help us.  Weeks before our arrival, Lenny, Trisha, Kiki and Cece's dad, Chapo were tearing out old cabinets, installing new ones, laying tile and painting.  Cece's mom, Curly calls Lenny a bomb because he comes in for a weekend and BOOM!  Except when the dust settles we realize that he's creative rather than destructive.  

Since our arrival, Curly has been feeding us so well and if that wasn't enough, the day after we moved out she brought over future breakfasts, lunches and dinners in the forms of bagels, lunch meat, cheese, beans, tortillas and tamales.  Mmmmm, tamales!  

My parents are chomping at the bit, dying to get in on the action.  Since they're far away they're offering their car.  My mom releases some of the pressure by "just picking up a few things for the baby" every time she goes to the store. 

We're still a bit anxious looking for a job and preparing for the baby, but even if we don't fly right away, it is clear that we'll have a soft landing thanks to our families.  

Thank you God for the blessing of our loving families.