leaving oxford!

we are in the process of packing up our little house here in oxford. we are a little over halfway through (i think). bech will get the uhaul tomorrow. then his dad and he will pack it up and we will head to jackson/brookhaven. all of our stuff (or most of our stuff) will be kept in a storage unit til we need it again! such a weird thought! it is a strange feeling to pack up things we use everyday. our house is a wreck. the big living/dining room is FULL of boxes! bech is going crazy, because all i say now is "ouch" or "oops". i am naturally a very clumsy person, so having tons of stuff all over the floor creates even more opportunities for me to run into things.

but soon everything will be all packed up and we'll be gone! i have loved living in oxford the last three years. i will miss so much here: bottletree bakery (home of the best danish in the world!), marimekko and art openinings, jubilee (home of the skylab!!!), christ pres (our church, which we have loved and enjoyed so much), the grove, etc. i will miss all of the little things that make oxford loveable. i love how every spring oxford is filled with a million daffodils, literally. i will miss the excitement of game weekends (if you happen to be reading this blog and are not from mississippi, ole miss game weekends are an amazing experiences! everyone sets up tents and the grove and fills the tables with really great food. everyone dresses up a bunch.). i also love the christmas parade on the square. ohhh thats another great thing...the square in general! i will miss square books (and jr and off square). i really will miss oxford so much.

we got a somewhat scary email from the mcdonalds yesterday. here are two items it contained...

1. On Sunday, former President Bakili Muluzi was arrested at the Lilongwe Airport by current government officials for treason. Muluzi, along with several former government officials, are accused of planning a coup d'etat scheduled for June 10. The plan was to seize control of the Parliament, send the nation into chaos, and then re-seize control of the government. The plot was discovered, several have been arrested, with the former President being the "big catch." Police have been a very visible presence throughout the city. Some Muluzi supporters were even shot Sunday just a few miles from our house. This is not atypical (unfortunately), but certainly a note of concern. We do not know what to expect. Pray for the nation as it fails to learn history from the many nations surrounding her. Pray also for us and those we know as we have no choice but to travel through crowded streets and villages to get groceries, preach, etc.

2. There is predicted to be a serious food crisis by August! The maize crop was good this year, but much of the supply has been sent to neighboring Zimbabwe which has essentially completely collapsed. The people are understandably getting nervous. Pray for peace, calm, and the Lord's provision.

i say scary, but the news doesn't change our plans at all! please pray for malawi, though. pray for the safety of missionaries over there now.