To Jonathan

I got up at 4 a.m. this morning and put my love on a plane to Nicaragua. No fun. Not so much because I will miss having him home with me (though I will), but because I will miss being with him on his adventure. One of our favorite things to do as a couple is traveling, and since we have been married all of our big adventures have been together. But this one is Jonathan's alone, and that is awesome. But that doesn't mean I can't be jealous ;)

I had great intentions of writing him a letter to leave in his suitcase, but in all the action of a busy week at work and helping him get situated for his trip, it slipped my mind. So on the chance that he has internet service and might check in while he's gone, here are the highlights of what I would have said in that note (with the exemption of several choice tidbits that are...ahem....personal ;) :

Warning: Cheesiness Ahead

Jonathan,

I am so proud of you! You never take the easy way out. It is not easy to decide to change careers at almost 30 years old. It is not easy to endure a year and a half of undergraduate prerequisite classes when you already have a bachelors and a masters degree. It is not easy to persevere through 4 years of optometry school. It is not easy to make the choice that your experience in optometry school will be more than going to class, coming home to study, and going to bed. It is not easy to choose to enhance these years with involvement in a church, with making friends, with giving up your Spring Break for a medical mission trip. No, you never choose the easy way. You choose to take the basic situations of your life and make them full, extraordinary. For this, I respect you.

Remember when we were dating and engaged? We spoke often of the life we wanted to live together. One word that came up often was "adventurous." Not in the skydiving, white water rafting sense, but in the sense that we would be willing to go where God leads, to avoid being swayed by a life of comfort and predictability. We are definitely living that life, and for the most part that is due to your leadership in our marriage. Though it has not always been easy to follow this path, when I see the way God has provided for us, the way He has led you to a field that is rewarding and fulfilling to you, and the way He has allowed you to combine these new skills with your long held passion for missions, I know that your obedience to His plan for our lives has been blessed.

Have I mentioned how handsome you are when you are headed off on an adventure? I remember a moment early in our relationship; I took you to the airport to leave on a month-long trek through Southeast Asia. You had your backpack ready, your hat on backwards, an excited twinkle in your eye, but a sad twinge to your smile as you said goodbye. You had that same look this morning, and I love that face. The face that shows me you are entirely in your element, thrilled to be heading off on another adventure. Because that's where you find your joy. I love that about you. And I especially love that even in those moments of excitement, you are still wishing that I were going with you.

You will be home before long and we will be back to the grind, but I'm afraid I don't tell you these things enough. I love you. I am proud of you. I respect and admire you. And I can't wait to hear all about your adventure.