It's a Small World

When you hear the song "It's a Small World" in China, you know the street sweeper truck is coming and that you'd better move if you don't want to get wet.  When you hear a similar tune in Taiwan, it means that the garbage truck is coming, and you only have a few more minutes to take your trash (rubbish) out.  In America, this tune means that the ice cream truck is coming. (One of the many reasons I love America.) But, no matter where you are in the world, this tune is associated with Disney and all of the magic and beauty of cultures around the world. During our time in China, I truly learned the meaning of "It's a Small World after all".

We were fortunate enough to get to do some traveling at Christmas time, just before the craziness of our move settled in.  We traveled to Taiwan and Thailand.  It was amazing how many people we ran into that we have connections with. While in Taiwan, we had the opportunity to meet and get to spend time with my sister-in-law's cousins.  We also met up with a family that had recently relocated from Shanghai to Taiwan.  I won't bore you anymore, but the list goes on and on with the people we ran into in Taiwan.  Truly a small world.  We had the same type of experience as we traveled to Thailand and ended up running into a family from Nanjing International School in the hotel lobby where we were both staying. It's amazing just how small this big world is.

As we recently relocated our family to America, Minnesota to be specific, we've found connections once again.  This was not a planned move, but it was the right move. Best Buy sold the company they owned in China, and relocated us in just a little over a month's time. In the few short weeks that we have been here, we have already received numerous blessings and confirmations that this is where we are supposed to be right now.

This has been an extremely crazy time, not only are we in the middle of a move with 7 children and living in a hotel, but we are also preparing to send our oldest daughter on a mission for our church on March 25th.  I have no idea how we would've completed this move without her help.  The Lord was very mindful of us as He assigned a departure date for Mikayla.  The Lord was also very mindful of Mikayla and the people here in Minnesota.  I have seen amazing things happen for Mikayla in the time that we have been living here. One of the most exciting opportunities that she has had is that she met a missionary from Taiwan (where she will be serving) and has gotten to help teach a recently converted family from mainland China.  

I can't believe that Mikayla will be leaving us for 18 months in less than a week.  I'm not sure that I'm ready to let her go, but I know it's the right thing to do. I had a difficult time leaving her in America for University this last fall as we headed back to China.  When she received her mission call, I felt great comfort knowing that finally she would be closer to us as she served in Taiwan and we lived in China, but this was not the Lord's ultimate plan.  The Lord needs us in Minnesota right now, and He has done all that He can to comfort me thru this transition.  The Lord gave me the opportunity to go to Taiwan and see where Mikayla will be serving and the people she will be serving with.  He has let Mikayla experience where we will be living while she is in Taiwan. He has given me the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Mikayla during this move and to see what an amazing woman she has become and how prepared she is to serve.  This has definitely not been the typical mission preparation time. In fact, Mikayla has given 3 mission farewell talks because she has lived in 3 wards/branches since she received her mission call. It might not be typical, but it's all working out.

It truly is a "small world" for which I'm grateful because this means that I will have the opportunity to see all of my amazing friends from around the world once again.  Who would've thought that a few years ago I would now be blogging about my friends from around the world?  Certainly not me.  In China, I was able to meet and become friends with people that lived less than an hour from me in Utah to people that are from the other side of the world.  (So, crazy that we had to go clear to China to meet our Davis County friends.) I feel so blessed and am eternally grateful for the friendships that I have with so many wonderful people. "It's a Small World after all", and I'm so glad that I get to be a part of it.

Alauna