holidays, transitions

Wow, so much has happened since I last wrote... Apologies to all for the delay.

2316 Christmas Eve, 2014:
Left work at the Lancaster General Hospital Emergency Department for the last time as I terminated my employment of 2.5 years.  It was such an odd feeling walking out and being "unemployed"!  I felt a rush of excitement and a sense of accomplishment mixed with a bit of apprehension as I mentally reviewed my recent completion of school and work and looked toward an unknown future.  I have never before been in a position where so few future details are realized.  It's rather thrilling: makes me feel a bit young, crazy, and unconventional, but carries with it a great many unidentified challenges.

Holidays with family:
In early December, we spent a week with the Yoder/Kauffman family at a cabin in Port Royal Pennsylvania.  It was so fun being together with my siblings and their families from out of state, as well as my parents and extended family who live locally.  Christmas Day was spent in PA with my parents and sister and her family.  Two days later, we were en route to South Dakota to spend most of a week with Jason's family at a cabin.  (Jason has two sisters who live in SD with their families, and his parents and the rest of his siblings from PA all traveled west.)  The timing for this latter trip was perhaps not ideal, but we were so grateful for the chance to incorporate extended time with the entire Hurst and Yoder families into December prior to our planned departure January 9. 

Next week:
Tomorrow we plan to return to Lancaster from SD and begin the madness of the next week.  I'll admit it looks a bit overwhelming with packing for our travels, packing and moving out of our apartment, saying farewells, finishing up a multitude of last-minute details, and squeezing in time with friends and family in the few remaining days we have left before leaving for California.  We will miss our life and friends in the east!  Then we'll begin our train trek to San Francisco: a period of [hopefully] relaxation, reflection, and transition before beginning the next chapter of life.

I cannot believe this is all coming up so fast.  There are two components of these plans that I am particularly excited about: 1) gaining a broader perspective of the needs of the world, where/how God is moving, and how we fit in to all that, and 2) completing this in tandem with my best friend, Jason: studying together, learning new concepts, meeting people, discovering places and cultures, and serving together.  For the past few years, although we have stayed involved in each others worlds, we have had very different foci--Jason with business, me with school and nursing.  I am greatly anticipating the opportunity to do something like this together.  Yes, this upcoming phase is exciting, but certainly not glamorous.  We are well aware that it holds countless challenges and struggles that we cannot quite anticipate.  For this reason, we greatly appreciate your prayers and support as we plunge into these unknowns.  Thank you for caring and being involved!

-Sara