The heart grows fonder...

This morning I woke up nostalgic.

I woke up missing things like:

• I miss the snow in Cyprus... I miss that we could get in the car, drive to the mountains along the curving narrow road and get to Troodos and the snow.  Not much snow, usually.  But a cold crisp place.
• I miss my friends in Egypt... Nathan called me yesterday.  He was in Los Angeles airport on his way to speak at a missions conference.  And just hearing his voice and making our usual jokes and laughing on the phone, made me miss Egypt and the great people I know there and even the Cairo traffic and the hustle and bustle.  When he asked me when I was coming, I got choked up.  I wish I was going soon...
• I miss the guys in Morocco... A few weeks ago, I chatted on Skype with one of the leaders.  Again, we laughed at jokes (even typing them and reading them I could hear the laughter!) and discussed family and what God was doing.  And his question, "When are you coming?"
• I miss Greek/Lebanese/Egyptian food... miss the smells, miss the flavor, miss the atmosphere.  Miss laughing with people over Middle Eastern kinda food...

But I'm going to Russia next month (!) and will be with my special friends, Nick and Olga!  We will spend time together and I'll do some teaching and training about simple church and see what value I can add - by God's grace - to what Nick and Olga (and maybe Jer and Kay)are doing there.