Photos from Week #2

A small part of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium

Place Luxemburg - the view from a window inside the European Parliament

Paul and Rebecca at the European Parliament for the Middle-East Project music performance

Paul and Rebecca were very respected (and popular!) among the people who attended! Rebecca constantly had people coming up to introduce themselves and meet the "wife of Paul Petrie, who they had heard so much about"! It was a delightful and inspiring evening for all!

My friend Diana and I had a picnic lunch at the lovely Chateau de La Hulpe!

At Diana's house, we saw a white dove! What does it mean?!

I gave Diana an American flag, which she was very excited about (I have a mug with the Netherlands flag on it that she gave me last year :-). I took a photo of my Dutch friend, in the Belgium, with an American flag. We live in a small world, folks! :-)

Bits from Belgium - Volume 3 - Issue 2

Bits from Belgium! (From various e-mails sent out in the past week :-)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Wow. 9 days already!

I just returned from a wonderful, long walk. I think I walked 3-4 miles, down near the next town and back. I listened to music and meditated, and it was so nice! It stormed just before I left, with a little bit of hail even! But once it stopped, the skies cleared and it was beautiful. It's chilly today and windy, (maybe low 60's?). There is a children's festival going on behind the Petrie's house (there's a school there), and I am currently listening to many happy children's voices (and parents), music, and the lively sounds of a festival. During the week, I can hear children out playing, and it's always funny to me to hear the little French voices - I usually can't make out what they're saying. Schools here won't get out until the last week of June.

Tomorrow morning a friend of the Petrie's (who I've met a couple times) will be arriving from the states to help out with the Mid-East meetings this week. The big event is Tuesday at the Parliament (we will go Tuesday night), and then a large group will travel to Oslo, Norway to continue their usual annual conference - although Paul will stay here. Another friend from Ohio will be arriving Monday, also for the conference. Visitors are always fun here, although it will be busy, I'm sure! :-)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

It turns out that one of the guys that was supposed to be coming today missed his flight yesterday (like I almost did!), and won't be in until tomorrow morning. Soooo... the dinner with the visitors tonight is being pushed to tomorrow night, and the rest of today is restful, peaceful, and quiet. Just another typical day in the Petrie house; where flexibility and adaptability is one of the most essential characteristics! :-)

Monday, June 20, 2011

Phew... what a day! It was wonderful, exciting, quite a change in routine, and tiring! But I am happy and well, no doubt a testament to your prayers!

The morning started a 7 with helping Rebecca get up and have her quiet time with the Lord (she loves to get at least an hour of quiet Bible reading, prayer, and just "being" with the Lord EVERY morning!). Once she was in her wheelchair and settled, I got her breakfast and tea and stayed in the kitchen (next to her room) in case she needed anything. I made banana bread, unloaded the clean dishwasher and loaded dirty dishes, and had a little time for reading and prayer myself. :-) Then the physical therapist (called "kine" (key-nay) came and I had a few minutes to finish readying myself for the day. Right after kine, the hairdresser came to wash Rebecca's hair (she comes weekly), and I helped get the water, etc. for her. While we were doing this, Dennis Coll (the pastor of our "sister" church in Lancaster, and Bill Hightower (from Alabama) arrived. They're both long-time friends of the Petries and have been here many times. I have met and know both of them a little. I helped get lunch together and we all ate, then Annie and I took the shih tzu's to the groomer. Then everybody was ready for naps, so I helped Rebecca get comfortable, cleaned up lunch, and had an hour or so to read and rest. I did both, although again, actually napped, which is somewhat uncommon for me. Guess I was tired again! It's nice to have that restful time, "if needed"!

Later, I helped Annie prepare dinner for a possible 12 people, (dinner at the Kopechek's? :-) and eventually the guests arrived. The dinner was casual and laid-back, which was nice (the Petries can throw some very fancy dinners, which are quite a bit of work and I feel a bit more out of place :-) The two guys who had arrived from the states were here (They're staying in the Petrie home), plus the songwriter Michael Hunter Ochs, and an "ambassador"-ish guy from Israel and his "deputy". Another music-writer person from Oslo, Norway also came. He was baptized in the Jordan river by Dennis Coll a few years ago. (!!!) The two Israeli guys were from Jerusalem and Galilee. Can you imagine! These guys LIVE where Jesus lived!!!!! Amazing! They were fairly quiet, but very nice, and it was fun to listen to the conversation between them all.

I am in an interesting position of being very interested in all of this, but also wanting/having to make sure my role as Rebecca's caregiver never gets pushed out of the way from my own desire to hear more or ask questions, etc. In many ways, I am like a volunteer servant here... and how incredibly rewarding and wonderful it is! Jesus was not joking when He talked about the importance of "being a servant". I think one of the highlights of the evening was hearing one of the Jewish guests talking about his Palestinian friends from this group, and talking about radical muslim-hating people and how upset that made him. Can you believe it? A Jewish person upset over people hating his Palestinian FRIENDS? It gave me chills!

The final special part of the evening was the CD's the guys left. The group of top Middle-Eastern, Scandinavian, and American performers and song-writers have formed a "band" and produced a CD called "My Favorite Enemy". I have a copy that I can bring home! I can't wait to share it with you! It contains traditional middle-Eastern music, some very poignant songs about peace, and is very, very cool!

Tuesday is the big event at the Parliament, and it will be fun now that we have met a few

of the people involved. Should be quite the production! :-) I can't wait!

Tuesday, 6/21/11

Happy first day of Summer!

Phew! What an evening! I think I said that yesterday too, but wow... today was another wild and wonderful day! :-) This morning was somewhat the usual, but with a bit of added stress and "anticipation" for the evening. Poor Rebecca was really tired and I think stressed and nervous about the thought of having to get ready and go out. Anyhow, we had lunch and I made a couple nectarine/strawberry tart/pie things with some fruit that needed eaten ASAP. Rebecca took a long nap, and I took a bit of one also. Once she woke up, it was a flurry of activity getting clothes ironed and on, her make-up done, everything together, etc. We finally piled into their van (Rebecca, Annie, a friend, Laura, and Bill Hightower, from Alabama driving). The van is small, so Annie and Bill were in the front, Rebecca and her wheelchair took up the back of the van, and Laura and I sat on cushions on the floor, facing Rebecca. It wasn't the most scenic or safe way to travel, but it worked, and we enjoyed it. :-) We got to the Parliament with plenty of time to spare, despite a bit of "confusion", and Paul met us and helped us get through the security (much like airport security). They let us in really smoothly (I think they knew we were coming, and Paul gets around pretty easily there), and then we were headed up to the performance. I of course don't know anybody (other than those who came over last night), but it was weird to be among these "famous" and really important people. I always feel so out of place! Nevertheless, the environment was relaxed and fun, and the music performance was AWESOME! They played songs from the CD, but watching them perform in person was so cool! They all were so happy and goofy and just having a good time! I caught several clips on my camera to share later. :-) It was, as expected, so amazing to see Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Americans, and Norwegians not just "co-existing", but thoroughly enjoying eachother, and obviously very good friends! And these aren't just "anybody's" in their culture - they're top musicians!

During the performance, servers from the Parliament came around offering wine, champagne, and fancy little finger foods. I again, felt so out of place! :-) I thoroughly enjoy events like these, but also recognize that God did not program me to spend my life in that kind of atmosphere. Somehow, I'm more at home in the big open spaces of the outdoors, with mud, boots, jeans, t-shirt, and animals!

We got home around 10 or 10:30, and Paul went right to bed (he tries to go to bed at 9 p.m. prompt every night). Rebecca is more like me, and stays up. :-) Anyhow, a bunch of us were hungry because we hadn't had a proper dinner, so at 10:30 last night I was scrambling eggs and making toast for Rebecca, and eating left-over lasagna. :-) After all that, Rebecca was exhausted, so I helped her get ready for bed, and had a about 30-40 minutes to wind down and get ready for bed before the midnight turn.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I just finished a deathly-delicious dessert of Belgian chocolatey goodness. Mmmm. I also received a most enjoyable letter from my sweetheart today, addressed to a "mademoiselle Mary Elizabeth Kopechek". I felt very important and distinguished... :-)

Today was another very "Belgian" day, and relatively relaxing - especially after the last two! This morning and most of the afternoon was cloudy, with a mix of rain and clearing periods with sun. It has been chilly (in the low 60's), but is supposed to warm up this weekend. Laura (Rebecca's friend and the same lady who went to the Parliament with us last night) comes on Wednesday mornings to help with Rebecca and to visit and be with her, so my morning was free. I slept great last night and slept in (much needed after all the excitement the last two nights!). In the afternoon I called home and got to talk to Mom and Dad for a nice long-ish while. I had not talked on the phone with them since... Hmmm... can't remember? I talked to Daniel on Friday, but neither Mom nor Dad were home. Anyhow, it was nice to visit and hear their voices and get filled in on some of the goings-ons... although there is so much more I missed and could have gone on asking about! Afterwards, I took a walk to the bank to try to get my money exchanged (how's that? 13 days in a foreign country and still hadn't exchanged my money... or used any! The Petries are very generous! :-) Anyhow, turns out the bank I went to is under construction and I got to try to use a little French with a lady to see if I could exchange money. She spoke a little English and explained that they weren't able to right now, and I would have to go to another bank. So... I still have no exchanged my dollars for euros! Hopefully tomorrow! Nevertheless, the weather was nice for the moment, so I took a brisk, short walk instead.

The evening was fairly quiet. I found out that Paul's secretary/assistant, who visits often, is going to be having knee-surgery next week and has asked the Petries to keep her dog (a friendly, small/medium-ish terrier mix). I've met Penny many times as Mary usually brings her here when she visits. Anyhow, she's asked if I might help take care of her (in other words, mainly just let her sleep with me at night :-) You certainly don't have to ask me twice! While I would be a bit overwhelmed with having to take care of a high-maintenance dog in this situation, Penny is low-key, and I believe will be a blessing to have! It will give me company in my lonely room and something soft and furry to pet and snuggle.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

I have had a good day, although my days off can be a little "odd" for me. It's hard NOT to "work" when I am around, and when I leave, I can't wait to get back "home"... although at the same time, I recognize the importance of taking advantage of a day off in order to help myself be more mentally and physically able to serve my best the rest of the week. The concept is both important and healthy, and I appreciate having a day off each week. You can pray that I will be able to take advantage of them to rest, recharge, etc... although so far I haven't felt I "need" a day off.

I was awakened once in the night to help Rebecca get more comfortable, but other than that, slept great! When I got up, I had another leisurely morning and was able to take a shower, read and write some e-mails, and play the piano a bit before Diana arrived. I also walked down to another bank to try to exchange my money, but alas, I am not a bank "member" and the lady was giving me a hard time about exchanging my money (and didn't seem to speak any English either), so I left with my American dollars in my pocket still. I exchanged some dollars for euros with Paul to get me by for awhile. My Dutch friend Diana arrived at 11 and we went down to the grocery to get some foods for lunch, and then drove down to a beautiful, large park a few miles from the petries (I think it's about 3-4 miles away... it's where I walked nearly to on Saturday). We had a delicious picnic lunch and got caught up. It was beautiful out, though a bit chilly. It has rained off and on every day this week, and today was the first sunny morning. I was so thankful! After lunch we took a few photos around the Chateau and garden, and then she drove me over to her house, nearby. At Diana's house we looked at pictures from various trips and of family members. We ate some more and talked some more, and then she brought me back to Petries. I took a quick walk as it was still lovely out. I listened to music as I walked, and am finding this very peaceful and soothing. I like to walk quickly so as to get my heart beating faster, (but yet, not running), and just take in the sights, sounds, and smells. I walked by the school/daycare that is behind the Petries' house and past a playground full of little children playing and fighting. It's amazing to see so many children under the care of so few adults. Yikes! At the same time, I do have to say the sound of their little French voices is simply adorable! I wish I could somehow walk by and record them. :-) They are very, very cute!

Shortly after getting back to the Petries, guess what? It started to rain! First time today! Yes, God is good! I smile again as I think about how beautiful the weather was all morning and afternoon, until I was safe and sound and dry at the Petries. God doesn't have to do that for me... and yet He does! I feel so loved! :-)

The rest of the afternoon has been spent "organizing", writing, looking up some recipes, and relaxing. It is still hard to not "work", but I am "working hard" to relax, and looking forward to another full day with Rebecca and the Petrie household tomorrow :-) It will be Annie's day off tomorrow, so I will be busy - and I don't mind!

Photos from Week #1

First return to my favorite lake!

"No fishing, private lake" (in Dutch)

"No fishing, private lake" (in French)

One half of this lake lies in the French speaking part of Belgium. The other half lies along the Dutch speaking part of Belgium, and thus, the signs and road names on either side of the lake are different. It humors me every time! :-)

I intended to take a photo in front of the Chateau, but messed up my self-timer, and caught myself moving into position instead. And thus, you get a perfectly candid picture of me walking around Lake Genval! :-)

The clouds rolling into my walk at Lake Genval. Quite beautiful!

The littlest European car I've seen yet! I should have gotten a picture of me standing next to it to give you an idea of the proportions. It made ME look big! :-)

Bits from Belgium - Volume 3 - Issue 1

Bits from Belgium! (From various e-mails sent out in the past week :-)

June 11, 4:22 a.m. (Ohio time)

Hello dear all!

Just wanted to send you a very quick message to let you know I am safe and sound in Genval, Belgium!!! I will send a longer update later, but just wanted to let you know I made it, and it is WONDERFUL! I am exhausted, but excited and was greeted by not one, not two, but THREE delightful, love-filled notes (two carefully hidden in my bags, and one mailed from Wooster, awaiting my arrival :-)

Off to have some tea with Rebecca. I will write more later!

Happy Saturday! Hope you're sleeping soundly!

~ MB

June 12, 2011

I am doing well. I slept for nearly 12 hours last night (woke up a few times, but was able to get back to sleep). That was so good. Today I have been tired, but much more myself, and much more functional. The weather this morning was gorgeous: sunny, blue skies, about 60 degrees. It is cloudy now and kind of gray. Typical Belgium. :-) Today has been quiet, which is nice. Paul went to the garden store today to get more flowers (their flower gardens are amazing!), and we talked him into bringing two tomato plants home! :-) I planted them this afternoon. I am not terribly confident in my abilities to care for them and/or their ability to grow in the Belgian weather, but we will see!

Some other interesting news around here. Today is Pentacost, which is a holiday, so tomorrow a lot of places are closed. It is a bit ironic that in a highly "unreligious" culture, many very "religious" holidays are observed - even those which aren't really celebrated in the states. Next week, Paul and many people from the European Parliament will be holding a gathering of important people from the Middle-East in a really neat peaceful conference that encourages dialogue, communication, and relationship building. They have been doing this for a few years now, but this is the first year it will be held in Brussels. I don't know a whole lot of the details, but I do know that they would appreciate your prayers - especially Paul, as he's fairly worn down from the events of the past few months and will need strength to help lead this event. It sounds like we all (Rebecca, Annie, and I) might get to go for a part of it as well, which could be really neat! It's next Tuesday evening. Finally, I found out that another caregiver will be coming June 29 (to stay until September), and yet another mid-July (to stay through August). This will be good, as it will lighten the "load" on Paul and Annie, and will also probably lighten things a little for me - although I don't mind and am used to a pretty full schedule when I am here. :-) This also guarantees that I can come home when scheduled... not that I had any doubts that I wouldn't! :-)

I'm doing my first "midnight" tonight (which involves going down to Rebecca's room at midnight and turning her from her side to her back, putting on some braces, making sure she's comfortable, and then taking a pager with me to bed in case she needs anything. If you think of us, pray we all get another good night's sleep! It has been a rather hectic month or two for everybody here, and they're all quite tired. Please pray that they will all be able to rest, relax, and be strengthened and encouraged.

June 13, 2011

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt (in full) every situation you believe to be the will of God." - Jim Elliot (Elisabeth Elliot's husband) from "Let Me Be A Woman" by Elisabeth Elliot

Monday, June 13, 2011

The sky is beginning to darken at last (it's 11:05 p.m.), and an almost full moon is shining right in my window. I hope you get to see the moon tonight... the same one I am looking at!

I am very much enjoying my time with Paul, Rebecca, and Annie, and this quiet weekend has been especially nice in helping me settle in. I feel quite like myself now... just a bit tired version of me.

I had the opportunity to go outside for a walk this morning. It was cloudy, but that delightful warmish/cool where just a light sweater is all I needed. The walk was wonderful, and I tried to take in everything that is familiarly new (in other words, familiar from previous visits, but "different" from Ohio). The houses here have quite interesting and varied architecture. Maybe I'll try to take some pictures of them. Many are very narrow and tall (like the Petrie's: 4 floors, very narrow). The sidewalks are very narrow, and most vehicles are small. I think gas here is quite expensive (I'm not totally sure because they sell it per liter, and the price is in euros, and I've never made the effort to do the conversion :-)

My tomato plants are a little pale on a few bottom leaves today, but the rest of the plant looks "ok". We had a peak of sun and I moved the plant that's in a large pot to an area of more sun. I'm not optimistic about their survival (with me as their caretaker!), but I am hopeful!

I made dinner tonight, which turned out okay! Miracles do happen around here! ;-) It was a marsala chicken (Indian dish) from a seasoning packet, with rice and steamed broccoli. Paul and Rebecca are into a TV series "Poirot", about a French detective. We watched one tonight. They're kind of like Sherlock Holmes type mysteries - generally murders, and very complicated, but so fascinating to see how he figures them out. :-)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

As I type this, a lunar eclipse is taking place behind me. How cool is that? I don't recall if I've ever seen an eclipse, and certainly not one as big as this! It's supposed to be a full moon out, for awhile it was pitch black, then looked like a tiny sliver of moon, and now it's about a half-moon. Soon it will be back to a full moon. All in one night! Sweet!

Tomorrow I hope to take a little walk to Lake Genval - one of my favorite and most beautiful places to think, pray, walk, think, and ponder. It is a gorgeous place. I am so amazed and thankful for how smooth and peaceful my transition and time is and has been here. I have been so incredibly at peace with everything... the busyness, the quietness, the running around, the sitting still. Things sort of ebb and flow here, so there are moments of "controlled chaos" as well as moments of waiting quietly, being available but not doing anything, or just quiet. Both are good for me, and can be outside my "comfort zone". I think that is one of things that makes being here so wonderful, challenging, and growing. There is such a necessity for moment by moment dependence on the Lord, every new hour, new day, situation, challenge... you can't help but spend more time each day and each hour thinking about Him, praying to Him, and watching Him work mini-miracles all the time! It is something I want to learn and practice forever, everywhere, all the time; but is harder to do when I'm "comfortable". Not to say I'm not "comfortable" here, but it's not just my comfort I am concerned about when I am here. "My" comfort is determined, to some extent, by everyone else's comfort, so I'm praying for all four of us (Rebecca, Paul, Annie, and myself). It is a joyful "weight" to bare, and as an author once stated, "Prayer gives us the dignity of causality"... meaning, it allows us to feel a part of something the Lord is doing. What a privilege! Anyhow, I don't know if I make any sense; I'm just now trying to understand myself, and trying to put the experiences and thought processes that I go through here can be difficult sometimes.

Thursday 6/16/11

It's raining here this morning. Funny, because last night I was just realizing I had been here almost a week and we had not had more than one quick rain shower (very unusual for Belgium!) I may not get to the lake this afternoon afterall, but that's okay. There's more time for it later! Besides, this is Belgium, so it could be perfectly clear and sunny in another 10 minutes! :-) The rain sounds so soothing on my skylight, and the clouds are magnificent too.

...God worked another mini-miracle for me this afternoon. As you know, it was raining on and off this morning, with just a little bit of sun. This afternoon, the sun came out for awhile and I was able to walk to and around Lake Genval again. It was so wonderful. I walked, listened to music, took a few pictures, and prayed and thought. As I was walking, some large, darker clouds started to roll in. I wasn't too concerned about walking home in the rain (that's exciting too), but I thought "wouldn't it be neat if God held off the rain just until I got home?" Not quite a prayer, but a fun little discussion with God and allowing Him to do as He pleased. Sure enough, as I rounded the corner to head up the street to the house, it started to sprinkle. I walked inside, and about 15 minutes later, it started pouring down rain and thundering. God is good, and it's little things like that that make me feel so special and loved.

Introducing...

It has become a bit of a routine now for me to come to Belgium and miss at least one large family event while I am here. The first time I came to Belgium, my oldest brother, Jonathan, asked his girlfriend Pam to marry him. (He was so very thoughtful as to write me a letter to read on the flight over, which hinted that such a delightful thing just might happen while I was away :-). Pam said yes, and we have been so blessed! Last year, I returned for a second visit to Belgium, and while I was away... lo and behold, my next youngest brother, Josh, proposed to his girlfriend Bethany! (This also, did not come as a surprise, but oh, what a joy!). I like to joke that when the time comes, I will have to return to Belgium 5 more times in order for my younger brothers to be able to propose to their future wives! Thankfully (or not?), I do not have any brothers (or sisters) close to engagement this trip. :-) But, not to be outdone, this morning brought the birth of Jonathan and Pam's second child (first son!), John David Kopechek. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. and was 21 inches long. I am beyond thrilled to be an aunt again! It is difficult to be so very far away geographically, but they are all very close to my heart... especially right now! So proud and happy for them all (and us!) Congratulations Jonathan and Pam!

Lunar Eclipse!

The almost-full moon on Tuesday night, 6/14/11

Photo taken outside my bedroom window

The eclipsing moon, Wednesday 6/15/11

Photo taken outside my bedroom window

As I type this, a total lunar eclipse is finishing here in Belgium. I don't recall if I have ever seen an eclipse, and certainly not one as full and clear as this! Interestingly, though viewable from most continents, it is not viewable in North America (too light out still!) It doesn't really get dark enough here to even see the moon until between 11 and 11:30 p.m. (and dawn arrives around 5:00 a.m. :-) When the moon had finally risen, I couldn't anything for awhile, then a small sliver of moon, then a quarter, then half, and now, it's at about a three-quarter moon. Pretty amazing for a night that is supposed to be a full moon! In about a half hour, it will be full again. What a cool thing to get to experience while I am here! :-)

A rare total lunar eclipse is happening today, June 15, and will be visible in parts of South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The event will be the longest lunar eclipse in 11 years, beginning at 1:24 p.m. EDT (17:24 GMT) and ending at 7 p.m. EDT (23:00 GMT). During this time, the Earth's shadow will completely cover the moon for one hour and 41 minutes."

A Note From My CCI Puppy, Michael III

(Michael, my current CCI puppy, is in the most excellent hands of long-time CCI puppy raisers and friends, Marty and Dave Carvour. I can't thank them enough for taking care of my CCI pups when I am out of the country! It's so comforting to not worry about them and know I will return home to find them in as good, if not better shape than when I left! I got this e-mail from Michael today... (please excuse his spelling and grammar - he's not quite 9 months old :-)

dear mom

michael angel boy here i asked marty where you were and why

i couldnt go home to you and she said you werent home you

were in belgium whats a belgium and she showed me on this big

ball where you are well that makes no sense to me its only this

far_____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

______________________________________ so why cant i be with

you

im having fun here with nathan he is a lot of fun and he gets tired like

me so we sleep and play and sleep and play and sleep and play we got

to run outside together yesterday i had to drag a long rope but i didnt

mind I could still run fast so can nathan so we ran side by side most of

the time marty called us and we came running we almost hit her but

she didnt mind because we came when she called and that made her

happy so I guess its ok to runned into her

i get food here and water and marty says my poop looks good should

she say things like that you dont say things like that I sleep in a wire

room its comfortable i can sleep on my back and my paws are off the

floor they stay cool so does my tummy

they dont have any animals here cept dogs and rabbits and birds and

no kids i miss the kids i miss you too even though you dont think i do i

do

i also get lap time and scritches daves a nice person i havent gone

anywhere they dont go to school here is that ok i kind of like not

having to get up and hurry off to school i can play with nathan we

have a blast

i have to go now i hope i can see you tomorrow dream about me and

ill dream about you bye

Bonjour, Belgium!

A small part of my wonderful "sending off" committee! Friday, 6/10/11 :-)

Bonjour from Belgium!

Ahhhh... it is wonderful to be back in my European home and amongst my European family! Thank you all for your prayers these past weeks, days, and hours. They were heard!

Yesterday's good-bye's went very smoothly and I was peaceful and excited. The check-in and security went smoothly, and then the excitement started. When I reached my boarding gate in Columbus, we were told that "our" plane had a not arrived yet, but should be there in about 10 minutes. No big deal... I had a 1 hr 11 minute layover to my next flight, so could afford a few minutes delay. 10 minutes turned into about 20, and we finally began boarding. After we boarded our plane to Atlanta, the captain notified us that a runway had been shut down in Atlanta and there was a back-up of planes there, so we were not being given clearance to leave Columbus until that was dealt with. We waited about 30 more minutes, and at that point, I realized that unless my flight in Atlanta was also delayed, I probably wasn't going to make it to Belgium on that flight. Oh well, I thought. I love airports and travelling adventures, so whatever happens, happens. The flight to Atlanta was very smooth and fast. I played the "inflight trivia" game on the fancy computer screen in the seat in front of me, and had a great time, winning 2 out of the 3 rounds... despite the fact that I had almost no clue as to what half the questions were talking about! :-) The pilot must have been going a little over the air "speed limit", because despite the fact that we left about an hour later than scheduled, we arrived only 1/2 hour later than scheduled. My seat neighbor had a "fancy technological device" that was able to look up my gate and find out that my flight was on time (!). So, with about 15 minutes left until my Brussel's flight's scheduled departure time, I de-boarded the plane from Columbus and began the walk-run across the Atlanta airport. The terminal we landed in and the terminal I had to get to were the two opposite sides of the airport - about the longest distance possible from one terminal to another. At any rate, between the little subway thing, escalators, and my walk/running through the airport, I made it to my gate just after hearing the PA system call out the last boarding call for my flight (they called a couple other peoples' names, but not mine... :-) I got checked in and boarded the plane and sat down huffing, puffing, and sweating, and very happy. At that point, I pretty much expected my luggage to follow on a future plane, but I was just glad to make it on that flight! Once again, the flight itself was very smooth and uneventful. I was able to doze on and off for about 3 hours of the flight (from 3 a.m. - 6 a.m.), enjoyed the food and once again, was struck by the oddity of spending 8 1/2 hours and a short night's sleep with about a hundred of my closest strangers. At any rate, we arrived in Belgium this morning and customs and border patrol went super smoothly (in fact, not a question was asked or word said other than "hello" :-). Paul Petrie met me at the airport and took me "home", and I have unpacked, taken a short nap, and thoroughly enjoyed visiting with everybody again. Stephen Petrie's wife, Sarah, her sister Emily, and Stephen and Sarah's 8 month old daughter are still here (they've been taking care of Rebecca the last couple weeks). They will leave on Monday, but it's been wonderful to get to meet the final Petrie's I had not met, and it is of course enjoyable to have an adorable baby in the house! I have been able to pick right up with some of the responsibilities here, with a lot of freedom to rest and settle in as well. The responsibilities will pick up more in the upcoming days! :-)

Please pray that I get a good night's sleep tonight and that my body adjusts quickly to the time change. Other than that, I am healthy, happy, and so very grateful for the exciting and successful trip! :-)

Happy weekend, all!

A la prochaine,

Mary Beth