If I had to pick a phrase that captured this year it might be “sudden change”. We started this year facing a massive change, and now we’re ending it in the midst of another.
Last New Years Eve found us on board a plane that had just taken off from Bangkok airport. Mike had been diagnosed with cancer 72 hours earlier and life had changed on a dime. We were heading back to Australia for surgery and treatment. We didn’t know then that Mike’s cancer was already stage two/three, that he would need three rounds of BEP chemo, and that we wouldn’t return to Laos for five months. (If you want to read more about this time, here are all the cancer posts).
June found us finding our footing in Laos again. Alex was literally finding his footing as he learned to walk. Dominic started a preschool program weekday mornings. The boys turned 3 and 1 in the same weekend. Lisa published From Stranger To Lover and started picking up the threads of her work on long distance relationships again. Mike rejoined the World Vision team and started to regain his energy (and his hair).
We had time to catch our breath a little before the next major change hit our horizon, and this New Years Eve we’re facing another—much happier—life transformation. Mike has been offered the position of Country Director for World Vision Vanuatu and we’re moving there early in the New Year.
We will leave Laos in late January and spend a couple of weeks in Australia doing the rounds of supermarkets, dentists, GPs, and oncologists (it still makes me blink when I remember we need to check in with Mike’s oncologist on a regular basis from now on). On the 18th of Feb we will fly to Port Vila where brand new adventures await.
Bring it on! I plan to share more on this blog as we make our home in the South Pacific, so let me know if there is anything in particular you’d like me to write about.
May your new year bring many (happy) adventures to you, also.
Love,
Lisa, Mike, Dominic & Alex
3 comments
Ahhh, it’s lovely to get your news, Lisa. Finally time to check in with my far-away friends after a very busy Christmas season of family and church events. Vanautu sounds exotic and rather intriguing. I’m pretty sure it’s a lovely place and will be made lovelier by the presence of you and Mike and your red-haired boys. I did love mothering little boys as they’re just so independent and crazy about the outdoors, mud and critters. Enjoy!
Thank you, Sandra. I saw on facebook that today is a tough day for you. Thinking of you as you think about that wonderful young man, and love and loss.
Congrats on the move, Lisa! I hate we only got to connect a couple of times face-to-face here in Laos…our first year of transition was just nuts. Look forward to following your story as you move on!
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