- my Mom for allowing this 3-month invasion of her condo and for being so good to us
- Vivian for the other invasion - filling a corner of her basement with the goods we couldn't ship
- the people at Cross View Lutheran Church, Capernaum Pediatrics, and Chaska School District for their fond and sincere farewells
- the kids and staff at St. John's Lutheran School in Chaska for the warm send-offs for our kids on Wednesday
- our immediate and extended families who have encouraged and supported us in this transition, while knowing that accomplishing it means being sent a long, long ways away from them
- our good friends who we will miss dearly (the Maroses, being one example from a list too long to show here)
- friends and family members who made extra efforts to visit us in recent months, or to graciously host and entertain us
- the many, many people who have so frequently offered prayers on our behalf as we've navigated the Australian visa application process these last 5 months
- our new friends and colleagues in Western Australia who have already demonstrated support and a warm welcome before we've even arrived
- and to God who provides for every need.
We'll land in Perth at 5:10 am Minneapolis time on Monday and will try to send word of our arrival during the day if possible.