shihs in dallas

here we are in dallas, texas. the capital of churches and shopping malls. we've been here since august 9th, spending time with family and friends. waiting to celebrate drew's sister wendy's wedding on september 15th.

so far, jordan is getting better with her adjustment. she went from waking twice a night while in vancouver to now waking every two hours! naps have been difficult as well. as soon as we arrived, she had a growth spurt and is bigger now than she was even a week ago! this was difficult on my milk supply, but we survived.

i'm still a little down from saying goodbye to my family and friends in vancouver. it's funny how for so many years i've been waiting to say "sayonara vancouver!" and when the moment was finally right for me to leave, it was actually incredibly difficult to say goodbye. i think that's how it normally is... by wrestling with vancouver we actually developed a fondness for one another. i remember five years ago, it dawned on me that vancouver was my home, and i was depressed that having lived there for so many years, i had very little roots and community. but now as i look back, it is home and it is where my roots are. my dad brought our family to surrey, bc when i was thirteen years old, and i resented this decision for as long as i could. i hated going to school there, i hated the rain, the mountains... but now i find in my sleep this is where my dreams take me, to the mountains and to the ocean.

God's love and mercy are found in the journey. i used to think mercy would've been taking me away from vancouver, and escaping to montreal. but God's mercy is in me overcoming this angst to find splendour even in the very things that made my life difficult. His mercy is in perseverence, in finding joy amidst tears. i have so much to be thankful for because i stayed in vancouver... my friends, closer relationships with my mother and father, my brothers, i am so glad that He held onto me from running away. now that drew and i are bound for montreal, it is mercy that we are going there not as an escape, but as sent-people. now that i have experienced the Lord's loving kindness, i feel equipped to share this good news in ministry rather than seek after healing and wholeness... healing and wholeness came when i surrendered to vancouver and everything i hated about the city and myself. there i found God and He revealed Himself to me, as the gentle and most gracious Father that He is. for this i will always love vancouver.