~Saying those HARD Goodbyes in Colombia!!~

~Our last week in Colombia was filled with goodbyes and crying, and hugs, and sadness!
For the last 2 years we lived in Colombia....We used to live in house 6, and Noah's dear friend Nicolas lived in house 7.
Nicolas's Mom invited us over for a snack and we had a fun time chatting.
She works at the airport, so told us that she hoped to see us the evening we were flying out to Argentina!~

~Nicolas and the kids enjoyed playing at the park together!~

~Such a fun yummy snack with Nicolas' Mom and Nicolas.
Those of you who have been reading my blog for a long time know that Nicolas spent A LOT of time with our family....and is like a son to us!~

~Then we knocked on house #4's door, and were happy to see the girl's friends from that house again.  They were SOOOO HAPPY to see us.  Tears were shed when we had to say goodbye.~

~We went back to tell our friend Angela and her mother goodbye and got to meet her Grandmother.  They gave us a lot of nice gifts!  So sweet! ~

~It was SOOOOO SAD leaving Nicolas.  He wept and wept! :-( ~

~Then the girls' violin and piano teacher, Adriana, came back by to say goodbye and brought fun gifts for our kids!~

~Our neighbor from our second house in Colombia owns this NEAT green van.  He is such a kind man, and a WORKER...and reminds us a lot of Grandpa Dickinson (Phillip's Dad!) 
Thankfully, he was free and was able to take us to the airport along with our 19 suitcases (5 of those were carry-ons), a violin, a guitar, 4 backpacks (some were tiny), a diaper bag, 2 purses, and a stroller....not to mention 8 PEOPLE in our family, and 4 in Pastor Jimmy's family.  :-)
Phillip and Sarah, Gaby, Noah, Elijah, and Mary all rode in this van with our stuff,
and Pastor Jimmy, Sis. Farly, Kimberly, Nataly, Abigail and I caught a taxi to the airport.~

~Sis. Farly and I sitting with ALLLLL of our things! 
I tell you....it was soooo overwhelming waiting for God to part the red sea...and get all of our luggage SAFELY to Argentina.
But, because you PRAYED...they let us take it all, and didn't charge us the full amount we would normally have to pay for ALLLL The extra weight we had in each suitcase!
PRAISE THE LORD! ~

~Our 6 kids....sick of WAITING in line, while we jumped through all the loops!
One of those loops being... running to someone's office and using their computer to buy a tourist visa so that baby Abigail could enter Argentina.
We all bought our tourist visas for Argentina years ago when we came into the country....but They've changed the rules now, and you have to BUY THE PASS ahead of time before you travel...or they WON'T LET YOU INTO ARGENTINA!  ~

~By the time it was all over with...this is what we ALLLLL FELT LIKE!  :-) ~

~But, after most of the stress was behind us, we had just enough time to run to McDonald's with Pastor Jimmy and his family and enjoy a quick ice cream together.  None of us wanted to talk...for we were alll so SAD  :-(...but at least we got to be together for a few minutes longer!~

~How we LOVE Pastor Jimmy, Sis. Farly, Nataly and Gaby.  They are TRULY LIKE OUR VERY OWN FAMILY!
Who else would open up their home and let us live with them for nearly a month, making all our meals (we tried to help some), washing all our clothes, etc. and then be very SAD when it was time for us to leave?  :-)
We had an absolutely WONDERFUL TIME being with this family and we were so GLAD that Jesus let it be nearly a month!
We haven't been with them for nearly 2 years, and we had A LOT of catching up to do!!!
We laughed together, we cried together, we ate ymmy food together, we prayed and read our Bibles daily together, we had lots of good discussions together, we had services together, the ladies' and mens' meetings together, etc.~

~Here are All our carry-on things on 2 carts in front of us, and all of us eating our ice cream.~

~After we hugged Pastor Jimmy, Sis. Farly, Nataly, and Gaby and WEPT together...then it was time to send all of our carry-on things through the machines.
They asked us to take baby Abigail out and fold up the stroller and send it through as well.
So, Sarah took baby Abigail.
After we had sent everything through, and walked through ourselves...I was busy putting coats back on, grabbing things, helping the kids, etc.
WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I looked and SARAH DID NOT HAVE ABIGAIL!!!
I looked at Kimberly AND SHE DID NOT HAVE ABIGAIL!!
The stroller was still folded up!
WHO HAD MY BABY?
I exclaimed, "SARAH, WHERE IS ABIGAIL?"

To which she pointed with her lips (Like A true Colombian :-) and I saw that Noah's friend Nicolas' Mom was there and was holding baby Abigail and her co-worker was taking their picture!  :-) ~

~It was soooo fun to see her again...and she walked with us for a little while and pointed us toward our gate.~

~Jesus gave us a good all night flight.
Phillip had been praying that a seat would open up so that Baby Abigail could have her OWN SEAT to sleep in.
God opened one up and tiny baby Abigail enjoyed sitting and sleeping in her very own seat.  :-) ~

~They brought the kids kid's meals with chicken nuggets, and yogurt.  :-) ~

~Uncle Charlie and another Chinese brother from church picked us up from the airport at 6:15 A.M. and brought us to Uncle Charlie's parents' home....where we stayed last time.
As I told you earlier, we slept nearly all day on Thursday, trying to catch up from our all-night flight!
Now, we are basically getting settled in here in Argentina, and feel so BLESSED to have this nice house to stay in!
Mary and Abigail have been very SICK with fevers!  Last night seemed like an ETERNITY long...for baby Abigail's fever was so HIGH it was scary.  Our neighborhood's water had been shut off earlier in the afternoon, so we didn't have water to giver her a bath to try to cool her little body down.  Phillip got up and was able to find a little water to dip a washcloth in and try to cool her off...and we PRAYED!!!
Thanks to y'all for praying too, I think they are getting a tad better!~

~HEATHER~