Farewells & Send offs from a place we love
We've been spending these last days and weeks preparing to leave a place we love and point ourselves towards a place we barely know. Our days and nights have been spent preparing for the move, and seeing people that are dear to us. Sharing meals and prayers. Laughs and tears.
As excited as we are about the move to Memphis and the hope that lies there, we are equally saddened to be leaving Fresno; a place we have come to call home. This past and last week in Fresno has been special. Our community here has loved us very well this week and is sending us off to Memphis with full prayers and full hearts.
Lisa and I team preached at Fresno First Baptist last Sunday (2/24/08). Those of you in the Fresno area can tune in and watch our sermon on TV; Fox 26 @ 8am! ;) It was a wonderful and tearful experience. I knew it would be a hard sermon to preach, but a necessary one. We spoke on things we're packing with us to Memphis and things we're hoping to leave with Fresno. Things we're taking are those things Fresno has instilled in our hearts and lives. Those things: 1) a love for the City 2) a care for the poor & marginalized 3) Hospitality & Generosity. Things we hope to leave...things we hope to have instilled in the heart of our church and our community: 1) heart for the nations 2) Living in Community gives life 3) Hope for the Future.
Wednesday evening (2/27/08) Randy & Tina White hosted a send off party for us at their home. We've been living with the White's for nearly two months and have joined the wonderful, life giving rhythms of their family. The special experience of living with them will have to be its own post later. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 folks showed up to hug us one more time, wish us well and demand that we keep in touch. It was an amazing reminder to us of how much we're loved, how much we love and the great cross sections of the Fresno world we've managed to intersect and bring together.
Friday night, our last night in Fresno, we spent it at the Pink House at their annual Black Tie Bunko Night Fundraiser. We figured it would be a fitting final night; downtown, in the Pink House, surrounded by folks who care about the city of Fresno. It was a great time. Lisa won a prize. A free membership to the local rock climbing gym. She passed it along to folks who would use it.
Saturday morning (today) we packed up the Element and began heading east. Before we took off, a few of our downtown saints stopped by to pray for us and see us off. Another opportunity to thank God for our time in Fresno and celebrate the new journey ahead. And another chance to cry. Again.
Now, i'm sitting in a Best Western somewhere in Arizona. Looking through pictures of our past week. Preparing to post them. And thanking God for such a great city, such a great community and the rich blessing they have been to us. Fresno has taught the Watsons so much about ourselves, our God and our world. I hope we're able to transplant half of that learning, doing and being in the black Memphis soil; and see God do miracles again.
