An Early Departure

Dear Family and Friends,

We are all okay. We are healthy, and we are safe. It is with a broken heart though, that I share with you that we will be coming back to America next week, much earlier than expected.

Please cover us in prayer as we journey through our last 5 days here, filled with heartbreak and hard good-byes.

Due to powers beyond our control and our need to do what is best for our family, we will be coming home. We had no idea that this was coming, and were taken aback just on Tuesday to find out our plans needed to change almost immediately. It has been a shocking and difficult week.

We spent a crazy two days packing, and now we are on to the hard part, saying quick good-byes to all of those we have come to know and love dearly in our time here. We are fortunate to have developed such incredible friendships and to have been loved so well here, but, of course, it makes leaving that much harder. 

Tonight, at our Good Friday service, Calvary Chapel Jinja, our church home-away-from-home, who have taken us in as family, gathered around us and prayed over us. To think that this is all coming to an and is difficult. There is so much that we are going to miss. So, so many wonderful people who have taught us so much.

The kids were so excited on Tuesday when we told them that we got to go home early, but as the reality has sunken in, that excitement has wavered. We have built a life here in the past 10 months. We loved deep, and we loved well. We gave our whole hearts to the people and the work here.

As we stood in church tonight, singing worship songs, Carter buried his head in my chest and sobbed heaving sobs. I held him and we simply cried together. I so, so much want to protect the hearts of my children. I want to take away their pain and heartache. At the same time, I know that the only way to do that would have been for me to deny them this whole wonderful journey.

I have to keep reminding myself that all of this love, all of this experience, it was absolutely worth the pain of this week. And it is Holy Week of all weeks. 

We are living in a Good Friday season right now, but Sunday is coming. It may take our hearts more than 3 days, but we live in the hope of brighter days.

Please pray that Dave and I can finish well, that our words and actions bring nothing but glory and honor to God, that our emotions are kept in check, and that we hold it together for the kids.

Please pray for the kids' precious, innocent, open, loving hearts to be protected. May they suffer only as much is as needed to grow, and may that suffering give life to new strength, courage and understanding.

What an incredible journey this has been. You all have carried us through love and prayers, and we are forever grateful.

Please be patient with us as we re-enter life in America. Our hearts are tender, and we can’t quite wrap our minds around all that these past months have meant to us yet. We are over-joyed to be able to see everyone at home again, but we are overwhelmed with all that we are leaving behind. We will need some time to heal and to find our new normal in America.

We love you!

Cara, Dave, and the Mckids J

P.S. We fly out of Entebbe, Uganda on April 8^th at 10:45pm our time, (2:45pm in IL). We have an 8 hour flight, a 5 hour layover in Brussels, and then a 9 hour flight. Pray us home safely friends!