I’m dreamin’ tonight of a place I love
Even more then I usually do
And although I know it’s a long road back
I promise you

I’ll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams

 
 Many a night I have laid in bed and dreamed of things like cold weather, warm yummy coffee drinks, and that inviting candle glow that surround the Christmas season.  This is the 2nd year in a row I have missed the holiday season and it has definitely been in my dreams.
 
When I broached the subject of going on the Race a second time with my family they were completely supportive, with one rule :”You will be home for Christmas!”  I promised I would try and packed up my backpack one more time.  Throughout the Fall it became increasingly clear that trying to fly home twice in 2 months was not only cost-prohibitive but just plain crazy.  When I was home in October for a family wedding the jetlag and re-entry were confirmation that it was too tough to try and go back and forth.  I played Santa in October and promised to be home next year. 
 
I returned to China with the squad and nagging thoughts entered my mind with “honor your mother and father” being the main line of thinking.  Things on the cancer front with mom have not been so good here lately and I knew that more than anything she wanted me home for Christmas.  At the same time yet another trans-continental flight and all the fun that comes with traveling to the States was on the bottom of my Christmas list; not to mention the responsibility that I feel towards my squad.  I continued to pray and seek counsel.  The Lord confirmed 3 times my need to go and the final straw was a cheap plane ticket! 
 
All that being said I board a plane tonight at 11PM bound for Ohio!  I have LONG layovers in both Amsterdam and JFK and will arrive Tuesday night about 10PM.  
 
I am thrilled to be able to celebrate with family and friends and am pretty excited about Christmas cookies, cold weather, lots of laughs and Santa!!   Along with all the excitement if you guys could pray on a couple of fronts it would be awesome:
 
**No cancer in Jesus’ name!
 
**Safe, non-eventful, travel and supernatural rest as I fly
 
**Easy transition.  There is no way to describe what it is like to go from the African bush to America at Christmas.  I get the shakes just thinking about it.  grace, grace, grace…
 
**My 2nd family:  the OCTOBER WORLD RACERS.  It breaks my heart to leave them again and I will miss them so much.  Pray they celebrate with each other and enjoy every minute of their special Christmas this year.  I’ll be back soon with lots of goodies!  Love you guys!!
 
**Pray that we honor Jesus this season.  It is not about long flights, Christmas cookies, or gifts–this day is the reason I am doing what I am doing.  I want to honor Him as much in America as I do in Africa. 
 
Merry Christmas!!