August Update

I am blessed to be writing this report from beautiful Costa Rica. Benny and Donna sent us on a vacation to get away from the grind of the work so we are relaxing near the beach and in the pool for a few days.

wow!

As soon as our last summer group left I headed to the Rio Coco. This is a place with great need. We distributed parasite medicine to about 600 children and delivered about 2,000 T-shirts and dresses. We also took fortified soup mix to the residents of the Rio Coco communities in which we work. We spent time in two communities on this trip. Although I enjoy the work on the river in spite of its difficulty, I continue to struggle with the behaviors of desperate people. I am happy to report that we are making progress. There is such a distinct difference in the two communities in which we served this last trip.

In Pankawas, the people are very much removed from even the comforts that are experienced in San Andres. San Andres is a very large place. Although they have no running water and still cook with fire, there are some who have generators and who enjoy a slightly more modern life. On exceptionally small levels, the people of San Andres have internet access and telephone service via the internet, expanding their reach beyond the most primitive levels. Although they have a long way to go before they are recognized as “modern” they have made a few steps to further their status. Their small taste of a life outside and the vast gap they see between their world and the outside world leaves them pretty frustrated and dissatisfied. This is what makes serving In San Andres so difficult. There are many gracious recipients, but others in the community tarnish the work trying to be completed there.

In Pankawas, where life continues to move at a far slower pace, the people are appreciative, thankful and graceful as they receive the gifts we are bringing as God has provided. They wait patiently for their turn to revive the goods – without pushing, fighting or being less than truthful about what they have received previously.

Groups that visit are a blessing in all God is able to accomplish while they are here. For three months- mid-May through mid-August – we accomplish much and prepare the work for the immediate future as groups come and go and set the table for the periods of when there are no groups here.

If there is a downside to groups being here it is that many of the issues needing attention are put on hold while we work with the groups. That seems to bring them all to the top of the list of what needs attention once the groups have left. Personnel issues, challenges facing the local church, management changes that are needed, but not necessarily accepted, all must be addressed. Chauffeuring this bus through these storms is not so much fun. Over the course of the last three weeks we have devoted ourselves to dealing with such issues. But, by the grace of God, we have survived these, even when we see the face of Satan himself at the forefront of these challenges. It is tiresome, endless and necessary. The only way to escape it is to get away…all the way away. So we find ourselves relaxing in the sun in a tropical paradise on the Pacific side of Costa Rica.

Our Sunday program for the children of the market is continuing to grow. This past Sunday the Jinotega church provided supper for the families. We had about 260 in attendance. The children acted out the parables they had been learning about and sung the songs they had learned. Our cast of directors took the bull by the horns and showed their new leadership skills. The parents were into it and the families were welcomed. All in all, God was glorified and doors to the Kingdom were opened.

this is only about a third of the room

We have an official baseball team: Los Cardinales. Jesus loves the little children and this is in spite of baseball talent. They are truly horrible. Okay, that is harsh. Don’t get me wrong. Their level of preciousness as souls far outweighs their importance as future professional athletes – a fact not wasted on this missionary/coach. They are truly in need of divine intervention in the form of angels in the outfield, the infield and at bat. While I volunteered to help coach without committing to the every Saturday double-header for 20 weeks, I have been deep into practice with these 7-to-12 year old boys. There are a few marginally talented players among the 20 boys. I would stop short of saying gifted. As of his writing they have never scored more than three or given up less than 16 runs in any one game. While the other teams show up in professional-style uniforms our boys show up in the borrowed baseball pants and semi-matching T-shirts. They use borrowed gloves. Most of the boys play in their dress uniform shoes required for school. Two play in cleats that have no cleats left on them. A couple players wear actual tennis shoes. One plays in aqua socks, one in sandals and one in sliders. Until recently, one of the boys played in mud boots with holes in the sides. These boys are children who participate in our Sunday program. They are the poorest of the children in the city of Jinotega. They have few baseball skills and fewer social skills. They have bad attitudes and little support from home. More important than their personal trials is that these boys are God’s children and we have a unique opportunity to teach them sportsmanship, manners, and a love that surpasses baseball abilities, proper etiquette, and what appears to many as a marginalized existence.

Prayers of Thanksgiving:

·         A chance to rest

·         Continued spiritual support through prayer from all corners of the world

·         Continued financial support for the work God has placed in us

·         Fairly good health

·         Finances to purchase a SPOT early childhood vision screening machine

Prayers of Supplication:

·         Continued spiritual support through prayer

·         Continued financial support as long as God wants us working here

·         Continued Nicaragua personnel to follow-up with the contacts made through vision clinics

·         Continued growth on the parts of Nicaraguan leaders as they lead the children’s program each week

June & July update

In preparing this update I looked back at my notes from June and can’t find where I actually sent a report. Please accept my apologies.

The last two months have been a blur. We are accustomed to this being the busy season, but we stepped off into uncharted territories with sheer numbers of guests hosted this summer. We have hosted 778 North Americans so far this year and have, with God’s guidance and direction, not only survived, but excelled. (In comparison, we hosted 454 in 2012.) Our limits were tested, and although they were stretched, the seams held fast. We walked the edge of exhaustion and lived to tell of it. This is not complaining, this is rejoicing at the strength God provided when He knew we needed it most.

Here’s a breakdown of what our first three Junes and Julys looked like:

·         2012 – 288

·         2013 – 343

·         2014 – 465

For you math whizzes into statistics that is an increase of some percent I do not know how to figure.

This summer, and really going back into the spring, has been a challenge from a more personal standpoint. God has blessed us with a renter for our house, but the stress of the transition created tension in important relationships.

We have seen some seriously Godly people be called up to a better place and feel helpless except to grieve with people who were not only good friends, financial supporters of our work, but incredible prayer warriors at the Masters’ feet. I can’t help but feel that Janis Black and Marsha Swenson continue to champion our small portion of what we are doing here directly to the King Himself.

We continue to lift up dear friends such as Hannah Jackson and Kathy Latta who we have learned are fighting (and beating) cancer. Not only are they winning the battle, they are doing so graciously and honoring God in all they do. The battle belongs to the Lord.  

We missed the opportunity to celebrate with Sarah and Madison, my niece and her new husband, as they wed just a couple weeks ago. As I looked over pictures of the wedding I had a rush of memories as the wedding took place in a private banquet hall that once housed the West Berry church family that meet on Fort Worth. This was a structure my grandfather built as the general contractor. It was my father’s childhood church home, and my grandparents were charter members.

Concurrently the newly established family of Jarrett and Courtney Stone – kids form my children’s ministry days – also was formalized. Few children have had the impact on my life Jarret Stone has, and this is in no small part to the spiritual dedication of his brother, Damon and parents Jim and Stacy. Sheila and I are left to sit idly from afar and watch. Know that our hearts are with you.

We have been blessed to meet up with people we have known from past times and friends we have made since we have been part of the Mision Para Cristo family. Sheila has encountered college friends and I keep running into folks from days gone by. We have also been greatly blessed by the friendship and encouragement brought by the summer interns. This excellent group of young people has not only modeled selfless service, but have helped the loooooong workdays pass with joy and laughter. We are proud to call them our friends. Truly God was looking out for us by sending this particular group here for the summer.

We have been blessed with relatively good health throughout the summer and even though the pace doesn’t appear to be slacking up much over the next two weeks, we continue to see that God is in control.

I recently received photos of blessings in the form of school supplies that are being prepared to be shipped here. Just so you know, the used supplies are what we put in our churches for support of the children’s programming.

 You may recall that in May we started a new Sunday outreach program to children in the community. The goals were simple: Reach out to the disenfranchised youth of the local church (that encompasses just about anyone who is aged 12 years -25 years, or so) by giving them a place to serve; Reach out to the children of the community, specifically those who live nearby and the market families; Teach our youth better methods of teaching and learning the Bible. We consistently have between 70 and 80 in attendance every Sunday afternoon. I have been stepping aside a little more each week as the crew becomes more confident and empowered to lead this program. Women from the church have stepped up and are preparing snacks for the children and meeting and having Bible studies with parents of the children as they wait during the class time. The group continues to change weekly and this week we added some new students who we met through the vision screenings we conducted at schools over the last two weeks.

Additionally, we continue to coach many of the local ministers in more modern Bible class teaching methods for children. A surprise donation from the 9^th Street congregation in Deming, NM has allowed Sheila to organize a library of packets of non-consumable Bible class materials to be distributed to the various congregations we serve. Donations of out-of-service curriculum from the Highway congregation in Judsonia, AR and 4^th Ave. congregation in Franklin, TN have provided the beginnings of materials for the packets.

The months of June and July were busy in the vision clinic as we saw a total of 926 clients. Over the course of the last two weeks we were able to screen the vision of 646 children at three Jinotega schools. Our screening methods have improved greatly thanks to the generous donation of updated acuity charts and stereo testing courtesy of Dr. Kent Wilson from Terrell, TX. Dr. Wilson purchased equipment needed for exams based on some valuable, practical screening information provided by Dr. James Chamberlain of Fernandina Beach, FL. Of those, 94 were referred to our vision office for a follow up and over half of those were sent for new glasses. All referrals come with an invitation to the children’s spiritual, congregational-based events. This past week we had 8 children join us for Sunday School as a direct result of the vision screenings. This is a specific manifestation of your prayers and donations at work here in Nicaragua.

The long hours have made enjoying our new home a challenge, but we anxiously anticipate the slightly slower fall season so we can move at a slightly slower pace. The lemon and guyaba tree continue to produce fruit and the mango count is OUTRAGEOUS!!! We are hoping to have bananas, limes and avocados soon. I have built a futon…I’m not a carpenter and I have the furniture to prove it, but we are slowly getting accustomed to quieter nights outside of the mission and market area.

This Month’s Thanksgivings:

·         Good health

·         Progress in teaching the teachers

·         Positive impact on the community using student leadership

·         End of a successful summer campaign

·         Your continued prayers and support

·         Renter in place (and paying!)

This Month’s Requests:

·         Continued good health

·         Continued progress in all things spiritual – personal and otherwise

·         Safe trip on the Rio Coco (Aug 8-15 2014)

Our wish list:

·         Do you have DVDs you are finished with? We want them! We are always on the lookout for videos the North Americans serving here can enjoy. Anything you are done with we will gladly accept. We don’t want you to buy anything. Just pass on the old ones.

·         The final amounts needed to secure a machine named SPOT. SPOT is a portable device that allows vision screening for early childhood (3 months) through adult. It provides extremely reliable, very specific, information regarding ocular development. We are closing in on the $8,000 price tag.

·         Time: We have also been provided an eyeglass inventory tracking system and need time to input all the used eye glasses we have in our inventory.

·         Specific elements of Bible class curriculum from your storage. Our needs are fairly specific so please contact Sheila before sending anything. She will give the low-down on what is needed as well as how to get it to us. coachandsheila@gmail.com.

Busy Times

Whether we call it "the season", "the summer", "peak time" (or late at night, something less complimentary) there's no doubt that this is the busiest time of year for us. This is the time of year when Mision Para Cristo hosts dozens of groups of workers from the U.S. It's an exciting season. But it's also a busy season.

each blue line on the calendar represents a team of visiting workers

The days are long, our sheet folding muscles get sore, the stores run out of bread, the trucks need repairs, the place that we were sending a team of workers has a schedule change, the grill runs out of gas halfway through a batch of 250 chicken legs, the water goes out, the power goes out, the water's still out, drivers get sick, toilets are always clogged, somebody has a special dietary requirement they just remembered in the middle of supper, the construction crew realizes they forgot necessary materials after driving all the way to the job site, personalities conflict, and Oh yeah, the whole department will be on vacation the same week you have 94 visiting workers in town.

It is so easy among all the busyness for me to get focused on putting out the fires in front of me, that I can forget why we are doing these things at all. It's easy for me to forget that we are not just here to feed, house, and occupy a building full of visitors. We're not here just to provide an eye-opening experience to some teenagers, or refresh the stale spirits of some overworked ministry leaders. We're not just here to distribute food or t-shirts or bouncy balls.

We are part of a powerful force. We are part of the body of Christ himself. We have the opportunity to accompany Him in the work He is doing in our world, and even take part with Him.
I often forget what an honor that is.

Habakkuk 3:2
Lord, I have heard of your fame;
    I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
    in our time make them known

Psalm 90:16-17
Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

I think this is easy for me to lose sight of, because most of the time when I am "serving God" it doesn't look like a Bible Story poster. God's never asked me to raise my hand across a sea while He parts the water, or gather up baskets of leftover food from one guy's lunch. No...being a part of the work God is doing is mostly getting up while it is still dark to bake 240 muffins, putting away the stuff that gets left out, wiping up spills, tracking down extra pillows, sharpening colored pencils, being a listener.

It's easy for me to lose sight of the fact that I am a part of something mighty--because my human eyes aren't good at seeing "parts".  Deep down, I don't want to "be a part of something". I want to be the whole something. I want to plant the seed, see it leap to life right before my eyes and pick the fruit while the mud of planting is still fresh on my hands.
Don't you?

Someone from one of the recent visiting groups was reflecting on their day. He had just seen a deeper side of poverty than he had known, and was struggling with his inability to share his hope in Christ as fully as he'd have liked to.

I know that frustration only too well.
This was the only answer I could give him: We are like tuna fisherman.
*click the link and check out this one minute video*
**I don't like videos either, but it's like one single minute, it will be worth it, honest**

Leave aside any politics of commercial fishing--these men understand that they are part of a body. Not only does each worker do the job assigned to him, there is an implicit trust that everyone else is going to do their part as well. None of the guys on the poles turn their heads to see what becomes of the fish they hook, they trust the rest of the body to collect their catch and care for it appropriately.

And that's what "the busy season" has really been about. Serving soup, dispensing glasses, presenting Bible lessons, playing basketball, visiting the sick, making blocks, reading books, distributing bibles, sharing a pocket full of candies--as these crowds of visitors come and drop a line into the water, we position ourselves to be ready in the coming months to rightly handle the catch.

And whether you get to be the one who raises your staff across the suddenly parting sea, the one who in faith walks out into that impossibly dry road, or the one who recounts the story to your children generations later--we are all participating in the mighty works of His hands.

Luke 7:22
 So he replied to the messengers, Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

Fruit of the day: Jicaro

I find it amazing that after over two years here, I am still constantly learning about new fruits. This is one I had seen many times without really realizing it. It wasn't until I dug in and started asking questions, that I realized how many times I have encountered it without knowing. 

This is Jicaro. The ones around here are small, about twice the size of a softball--but the ones that come from up on the Rio Coco are as big as a basketball.

Jonathan brought back a whole sack of giant jicaro from the River. 

The big ones are even bigger than a coconut!

Left to right: coconut, giant jicaro, regular jicaro

While on the tree they are green or yellow. As they dry they get progressively darker brown. Every time a group of visitors comes they ask me about the bright yellow fruits growing oddly from the black bark of a very distinctive tree. Even once I knew enough to answer "jicaro"  I still didn't really understand what they were.

not my pictures--but weird looking, huh?

A very tough, smooth wooden shell encloses a mass of seeds and stickiness not unlike what you'd find inside a pumpkin. When green they are really hard to crack open, and the stuff inside smells like a haunted middle-school locker-room. (by which I mean it is not a pleasant smell) Once they are mature and dry the shell cracks smartly--and the insides smell like a brewery. 

While visiting on the Rio Coco, I asked a woman if those big fruit were edible. She said they were used for making bowls--so I assumed them to be completely inedible gourd-type things. And that is kind of correct. They are not only used as practical containers, but are a popular canvas for artists who carve them into special drinking cups, and other decorative objects. 

also not my pictures. I have no explanation for why I thought they were made from coconuts.

The fact that they are so often made into cups should have been a hint. Because jicaro is in fact used widely in a local drink. I have heard it referred to here as horchata,  pinol, and semillias de jicaro (jicaro seeds). While horchata and pinol also have other variations in other Latin American countries, I haven't heard of anyplace else that uses jicaro. 

The drink is made by grinding the dried seeds along with dried maize and spices like cinnamon and clove. Then milk or water is added and the seeds are left to steep. Sugar is added, and you drink the liquid along with the "grit" from the grains. It is quite filling. 

You can also run down to the corner store and buy some already made up. 

Jicaro! 

Something's beginning

Where do I even begin? I want to share how very excited I am about a project that I see amazing potential in.  And I want to share how excited I am that God has arranged partnerships to make this project possible, before we even knew what He was up to!

One of the great needs here in Nicaragua is education. Our schools function very poorly. The reasons for this are broad, and not quickly solvable. Our spiritual training in the churches is also an area of weakness, and shares many of the same challenges. It has been easy for me to become discouraged, as I see sooo many needs I don’t know where to begin. So many people send materials or offer help—but the challenge of matching the help that’s given to the abilities and needs of the educators is a truly daunting task.

But now we have a plan.

It is only a beginning. But it is an exciting beginning.

A major inspiration came from John & Elma Clark’s various adventures in creating reusable materials for Joy Bus and Bible Hour programs. We saw a real challenge in our local churches feeling dependent upon styles of instruction that rely heavily on consumable materials which they just don’t have the resources to replace.

Additionally, many  groups that have come to work have brought or sent individual Bible lessons to present during their time here, but there was no effective way of equitably sharing those limited materials  with a couple of dozen congregations.

Our beginning? We’re creating a Bible class curriculum library. 

Using the special donation provided by the Deming Church of Christ’s “Yard Sale for Nicaragua” we purchased simple things like paper and tape and photo copies, which allowed us to organize the materials we had on hand that were not being used effectively.

We are creating packets of materials that are organized by their “scripture address” in the Bible. We hope this will make the materials flexible, easy to add to, and will help us avoid creating a curriculum that runs for a year and subsequently needs to be replaced. Teachers can use this resource chronologically or by themes and topics, and hopefully will come to see themselves as capable of creating their own programs and not dependent upon a set of lessons provided externally.

Check-out systems of various kinds have had challenges in our region. We have no public or private libraries of any kind in our department, due to the challenges of maintenance and management. For this reason, we have been piloting the curriculum library with select groups for about 3 months now.  Last month we opened it for the first time to all the congregations we work with.  We know there will be challenges in learning to share and manage these materials, but we are excited by the potential and the positive reception the plan has received from all the users.

This is only the beginning. We finally have a strategy—we are organizing the odds and ends of donated materials into a useable, flexible, accessible resource. But now we see how much more we need!

You can help. We need your help.

Many of our Bible class teachers have virtually no experience or training with teaching methods, and some have very little Bible knowledge of their own. Many are young teenagers trying their best to provide something for the kids in their congregations.

One of the types of materials most effective for our purposes are illustrated Bible stories. With some pictures to show the children, we can print the Bible text from a Spanish Bible and provide our teachers with an easy to use, effective, re-usable tool for their class.

So: has your congregation got some old flipbooks or posters lying around that aren’t being used much? Do you know somebody who does? Can you print or color some Bible story pictures for us? Have you got some great ideas to share?  Do you know someone who might? Have you got an idea for a way to raise some cash for storage cabinets or printing, or lamination? Do you have a group of friends who's just dying to come provide some training? If you are interested in helping and excited about the possibilities this new resource could be for our congregations, please contact me for more details.    coachandsheila@gmail.com

interns Amanda Rachel and Jamey help sort pictures

preachers selecting materials for their congregations

Fruit of the day: mystery fruit

The mystery fruit. Roughly a foot long, a slick smooth maroon skin. Slightly soft to the touch, and visibly rotting on one end. It smelled kind of sweet, and kind of rotten.

This has been a real puzzler. I found it in the garage, and couldn't get any worker to claim it or its origin. I carried it around the market, asking different vendor friends if they could identify it, all to a big fat nothing. It seems nobody had seen one before.

So I finally just busted it open for a taste, hoping that would help me narrow down my searching.

Inside was soft fruit flesh surrounding a central channel of wet seeds. It reminded me of cucumber, and the taste was slightly cucumber-ish too. Light and somehow cooling. Sweeter than a cucumber with more of a flowery taste.

In the whole wide internet, here is what I found:

Sicana odorifera- Family: Curcurbitaceae. Long vines with attract glossy green leaves. 2 inch bright yellow male flowers. Female flowers are a little smaller with a young fruit attached to the base; it develops if pollinated. Hard shelled fruits ripen to orange, red or black. Fruits are scented and have a melon-like flavor. Seeds are periodically available.       the source

Sicana odorifera, the only species of the genus Sicana, is a large, herbaceous perennial vine native to tropical South America, grown as an ornamental plant and for its sweet edible fruit. English names include cassabanana or casbanan, sikana, and musk cucumber. The fruit is large, up to 60 cm long, with skin of variable color. The fruit has a delicious, melon-like taste when it is ripe, which needs high temperatures to ripen. The sweet, aromatic, yellow-to-orange flesh of the mature fruit is eaten raw or made into preserves. The immature fruit can be cooked as a vegetable.     the source

this picture I didn't take, might explain why the end was kinda nasty

I've been meaning to write...

I have moved a bunch of times in my life. And moving around the country has left me with various relationships scattered around the map which it seemed I always maintained better right after a move. Something about moving has always brought back all the emotions of other "moves".  Moving to a new place always makes me think not only of the people I have just left--but all the places I have been before--and all those people--afresh.

Back in the olden days of handwritten letters in the mail box--it seemed I would begin every letter with some version of: "I'm sorry it's been so long, but I have been thinking of you often." or "I've really been meaning to write, but..."

I feel that way now, as I sit down to type. I really have been meaning to write. And I really have been thinking of friends and loved ones in all sorts of places that I used to be. Probably in no small part, because we just moved--but I just haven't been able to let my mind settle in one place long enough to know quite what to say. 

As I mentioned, moving always makes me reflect on other moves. There is a certain brand of nostalgia I associate with moving. I can't help but think of our last move: from Texas to Jinotega, and the drama, change, and growth that it produced. I spent some time looking back through this blog, and thinking about the physical process of packing up, and yard sale-ing, and all the trucks and boxes and work and the generosity of  people who helped. 

abundance     happening so fast     off hand remarks  

There is a phrase you hear a lot here when someone is thanking you, "Dios te lo pagará. God will repay you." I renew my thanks for all of you who helped during that crazy transition and who continue to make this strange new life possible for us. I never can, but God will repay you

I've moved a bunch of times. (more than 30 times, which feels like a bunch) With help, and all alone. But I have never, ever, ever moved in one day.

It was a Tuesday and we were standing with the agents from immigration in our living room, showing them that we in fact had an established household, and really did live here, every doo-dad on its shelf and decoration in place. 

Wednesday morning, I started packing our stuff. Do you see what I am saying? Started. Wednesday at lunch some guys from the mission helped us haul it to our new house. We were done by 2:30. Seriously. The very first thing got packed that morning, and we were all done in time for Jonathan to start building some furniture before it even got dark. That's crazy! And as much as I worry about the contrast between our high standard of living compared with our some of our brothers here, and as much as I bemoan all the stuff we keep accumulating and must manage, I was reminded what a blessing we have received in being liberated from the sheer amount of work that moving has been in the past. One day! Can you imagine?

/new kitchen, unpacked and ready to go. fresh lemons on the counter

no closets? no problem, Jonathan will just whip one up

The following Wednesday, we were throwing our first big house party. We asked all the church members, mission workers, and neighbors to join us for a giant pot of chili and a wash tub full of cabbage slaw. Our new house was blessed by at least 80 friends who came to celebrate with us.

Living in a neighborhood is opening my eyes to Nicaragua again. There are so many new sights and sounds that I feel in many ways like I did when I first moved here two years ago. Waking up to the sing-song call of the milk man pushing his cart down the street each morning, stepping out the door to pick some lemons for dinner, washing clothes in a bucket, and hanging them on the line in the evening while fruit bats circle overhead, listening to the guitar maker across the street tuning up, passing water through the window to thirsty kids running from school. Just a short walk away from the market center where we've been living, but it feels like a whole new country around us. 

Even working at the mission feels different, as I learn to manage time differently, and see new progress in projects that have quietly simmered on a back burner. I've had a much greater focus on time in the vision clinic, on teacher training, and on curricular resources--which has been re-energizing. 

Like each time I have moved, there is a sense of the bittersweet. The excitement of the new is not completely without the shadow of loss. Change of any kind can be disconcerting--and while this move is just across town-- it has coincided with some other difficult changes in the Church and its work. While we are physically in a time of evaluation, ("Where should we keep this frying pan? Do we need more towel hooks?") we as a family of believers in Jinotega are in a time of spiritual evaluation, ("Why did that happen? Is that a good or bad thing? What should our response be?") 

I don't know if moving affects you this way or not. I don't know if it makes you inexplicably pensive. I don't know if it makes you long for contact with old friends, or if mental movies of years past flash behind your eyes when you tape up boxes. I don't know if change in one area of life makes you feel more sensitive to changes that may be needed in other areas. I don't know what types of experiences make your eyes blink and look around as though you've never seen anything before. But that's kind of how it is for me. 

And if I had blue flowered stationary I would say; 

"I have been thinking of you, and I'm sorry that it's been so long, I really have been meaning to write."