Good-bye Inga

It’s always tough to say good-bye. Tonight was the fifth time we’ve sent an exchange “child” away back home. It never gets easier. The last four times, the good-bye was incorporated with our annual Cornerstone Festival week. But Inga came to the US through a different international exchange program, so her departure date was earlier than most. So she’ll miss our yearly trek. She leaves early Friday morning, the 18th of June, and will spend about 24 hours on an airplane as she turns 18 years old on the 19th. On this very special birthday she will be trapped in a small seat staring out the tiny airplane window reminiscing. I’m sure she’ll be excited about going home, while at the same time sad about leaving.

We’ll be thinking about you and praying for you as you face this difficult transition. We hope to see you soon. And we send you off believing that the odds are pretty good that you’ll be able to visit again when your visa permits. That fills us with comfort and anticipation. Safe travels. Auf wiedersehen. Chao. Dosvedonia. Au revoir. And whatever they say in Romanian. Goodbye.