As my tour at Arlington comes to a close, I can hardly believe how rapidly the last two years have passed. I find myself with mixed feelings as I prepare in these last couple of weeks to transition to my assignment in Korea. I am looking forward the challenge of base level ministry once again, but I find that I will miss the unique, powerful and special ministry here at Arlington as well as the folks I have been working with, for they are truly exceptional.
I will also miss the ability to take time to visit with family in Tennessee and visit the land in which I grew up. My family and I had the joy of spending a week in a cabin on top of Ole Smokey - that is down in the Smoky Mountains. We got to know some great folks who are local there including a couple of dulcimer players who were incredible. We made a special trip into Gatlinburg just to listen to them play during the evening hours.
Mostly we just relaxed but we did have a very good day leisurely exploring Craftsman Valley outside the main strip in Gatlinburg (I highly recommend leaving the chintzy stores of downtown Gatlinburg behind to visit the craftsman loop.) We also traveled over to Cherokee North Carolina, the first time I've been there in many years. Sufficient to say we were highly dissapointed. The moutains were serene and refreshing, as they usually are.
My replacement is here and will be a great addition to the team. I'll be working with him this week to finalize his training and have him out on his first funerals.
