could be us. I mean, not exactly but...” He trailed off, eyeing me warily.
I laughed as I realised that was exactly what I wanted him to say. “I can’t see me giving a sermon like Julia did, but I can definitely see us working somewhere like this. To carry on using my legal skills in this way, to help kids like Leon, would be a dream come true.” A wave of joy bubbled up in me as the words left my mouth. An inner voice cried out yes, loudly. But I’d always been the practical one, and as soon as I leaned into the possibility of a new future, doubts came hot on the heels of that possibility.
Hayden noticed the change in my expression and gave a wry smile. “I can sense a ‘but’ coming on.”
“You know me too well.” Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. “I was just thinking you are right. We can’t simply up and leave. To make major changes like that, I mean, we’re talking about becoming missionaries here...it will require a lot of planning.”
He nodded slowly. “You’re right.”
We ordered some coffees to wash down the delicious dinner, and I started to feel excited again as we began to chat about the possibilities and options. Should we sell or rent the house? Should we study abroad or back in Australia?
“Our parents would miss Elijah and Rosie so much if we were to move this far away. I suppose they could visit,” Hayden mused.
I nodded. “It’s another thing to consider. The kids’ welfare must come first. Perhaps when we get home next week, we can start making plans then. This shouldn’t be rushed. We have to plan properly.”
Hayden nodded his agreement, although there was a flash of disappointment in his eyes. The thought of giving up everything to become missionaries was so romantic, but I didn’t want to do anything rashly.
“Let’s spend some time in prayer when we get back to the cabin,” I suggested. “This is a big step however we go about it. We need God’s guidance for sure.”
“Yes, let’s do that,” Hayden agreed.
We finished our coffees and left the restaurant, strolling hand in hand towards the taxi rank. A peace had settled between us, and on the drive back to the camp I laid my head on Hayden’s shoulder and thanked God for the blessing of our marriage. “This is our last week,” I reminded him.
Hayden kissed the top of my head. “For now, anyway.”
Penny
The next few days passed in a blur. Hayden was overseeing the final touches to Felipe and Maria’s new home, and I was working on the referral pathway which was finally coming together. After all the effort I’d put into it, I desperately wanted to be here to oversee its implementation, but that wasn’t going to happen, and I knew I’d have to let go and accept that it could carry on without me.
I checked on Leon a few times. He worried me. It had been good to see him at church, but something was wrong. There’d been no other sign of his friend hanging around, but I didn’t believe that would be the end of it, and Leon was too subdued. However, I knew that to question him too deeply would only push him further away.
On Wednesday morning I was making my way to David’s office when Marly came running towards me, her face stricken. Immediately I knew it was Leon. “Marly? What is it?”
She skidded to a halt. “Leon’s gone.” Her voice was distraught.
My stomach dropped. “Gone?”
“He didn’t come to class...I went to his dorm and his bed doesn’t look slept in.”
I took a deep breath and prayed there might be any explanation other than the obvious one.
“Do you think he’s gone back to the gang?” Marly asked, voicing my suspicions.
“It’s quite possible,” I reluctantly admitted. “Let’s find David or Julia and see what they think.”
As I followed Marly to the hall, I continued to pray silently. Lord, please keep Leon safe. Let him know that You love him and he has a home here. Break the chains that bind him and bring him back to us.
David and Julia were seated at their table in the hall. When Marly told them what she’d told me, Julia put her hands over her face while David nodded sadly.
“What do we do?” I asked.
David shook his head. “There’s nothing we can do, really. We can’t force him to stay. We can only pray he returns.”
Frustrated, I sat down while I