“There is no place like home.” Seems a bit funny to be quoting the Wizard of Oz having just flown back to the UK from Kansas! Having been back in the UK for a couple of days now, I can definitely say there is truth in that statement. It was amazing getting back to the UK and seeing Becky, driving on the correct side of the road and being able to walk to your destination all the way on a pavement! If you have never been to the US, I can tell you that you need a car. It’s nearly impossible to walk anywhere as there are incomplete pavements everywhere!

The funny thing is though, at the same time as being at home, I’ve come back and things feel different. It is now 31 (ish) days till we leave for Uganda. I’ve come back to the UK and while I have been away, so much has changed. I walked in and the house has been painted ready for our tenants to move in. There is no red tree artwork flying across the lounge, actually there is no artwork anywhere, or photos. It’s all packed or ready to be packed and shipped next week. Those little touches that make a house into a home have pretty much all been put away or sold.

It was a thought that struck me yesterday as I was looking at the oak tree in our garden. I’m back, but this is a transition to the next stage. At the moment our oak tree is changing from being covered in green leaves, through yellows and reds to brown, and then depositing all of those leaves in our garden. When it is finished we will be left with just the bare bones of a tree that has been magnificent throughout the spring and summer.

This is a little how I feel at the moment. As we pack things, sort paperwork, apply for visas and say our goodbyes I feel a bit like that tree, shedding its leaves, feeling a bit bare at times. It’s hard work doing all of that, though I think I am mostly scared that I will forget to do something or pack something!

The whole reason that trees lose their leaves is to conserve energy during winter in preparation for the next suitable growing season. While I don’t think I am conserving energy at the moment, that thought excites me. We are packing up this current life to begin a new life in Uganda, ready for the next growing season. We may be going to serve over there, but I fully expect to be taught and learn way more than I can give out.

So as I watch the leaves fall and our life get reduced to boxes in a container, I do so with an excitement of what is to come in our next season of growth. Who knows what buds will sprout and what blossoms they will bring, I don’t but I am excited to find out!

Photo: “Creative Commons Autumn Tree Farm and Road” by Charles Knowles, used under CC BY