I’m sitting in the balcony at King of Kings watching the worship team get ready for the service and thinking about the overwhelming amount of grunt-work to be done in the next few months. Franklin leaves the Embassy at the end of the year, and theoretically I leave after the Feast (depending on whether or not my replacement has arrived). We’ll have some time to go through all our worldly possessions (of which we have too many) and prepare for 6-8 months in the States.
Our August visit with US family and friends went very well. We love spending time with our various family members, and wish that we had more time to spend with them. Our quick jaunt up to Michigan was awesome - we’re now officially VERY EXCITED about living in Big Rapids for 6 months. Don’t believe the Michigan nay-sayers - they’ve just never seen the prettier, friendlier face of the oven-mitt state. Click here to read Franklin’s (guitar-centric) account of our trip north. We still don’t know exactly where we’ll be living (in a van - down by the river?), or what exactly I’m going to be doing with my time while Franklin studies (eating a steady diet of government cheese?), but we’re confident that everything will be fine, and that Franklin’s lutherie education will be top-notch. The rest is details.
Our plan now is to leave Israel mid-Februaryish, and move into our tent/van/apartment/cave in Big Rapids on March 1st. The course goes until mid-August. We’ll spend a few weeks in the Carolinas with family and friends and then go about setting up a business here in Jerusalem. Franklin just finished a 70s era Tele that might be the most perfect guitar ever in the whole universe (I’m not biased, I swear) and he’s back in high demand for guitar repairs - it’s like we never left.
See pictures from our US trip here.