Friday, June 22, 2007

Bye, Bye Kamloops - Thanks for the memories

The big truck in our driveway and a sold sign on the front lawn combined with the papers we signed today all point to the fact that we are going, going, going .... gone in less than 36 hours. The memories of this city will stay with us for a long time. We came here as a family of 3 and leave as a family of 5 plus a dog. Our boys were born here. Brittany is moving back to the city of her birth. The sunset was magnificent tonight. We will only see one more as residents of the city. It was as though the sky was painted.

Tomorrow we will say our final goodbyes to our friends and neighbours. We have been blessed with some amazing people around us. We prayed for good neighbours and God gave us the best! We will miss the Young's, Beveridge's, Frenkel's, etc, etc. Even the people we share the back fence with who we've never seen or spoken to will be missed. They always threw the ball back into our yard!

We came here with dreams, some of which were realized some that weren't. We leave with some disappointments and regrets, but these are the threads of our lives that contribute to the magnificent fabric that God is weaving into our lives to create the masterpiece that He envisioned for us in the beginning.

We are leaving 13 years to the week we came here very different than the way we came. We are older, wiser and changed because of our time here. My head is greyer and there is less hair than before. My head is smaller and my heart is certainly softer than it was at different points along the journey.

We are moving towards something fresh and new. It's a vision and dream that we have carried for years. It is so out of the ordinary, but at the same time so real and tangible. What we saw by faith, first in our hearts, then in a living room in Victoria and then through countless "God moments" is now becoming reality. I never cease to be amazed at how God makes something out of nothing and how He is gracious enough to include me in His plans. Thanks God!

So... tomorrow is the end of one chapter (maybe even a series of chapters...) and the beginning of a new one. This one was written in heaven before God said "Let there be" and one that will be completed on His terms and timeline. Thanks for praying, believing, sowing and standing with us. I'll post again from our Pacific Island home.

Tim


10 comments:

Lucas said...

What a lovely poetic farewell to the Gateway City!

I am so blessed to have been able to meet you and your family. You have left a legacy of faith and love in the hearts of your friends here. Before I met you and Barb I had given up on any relevance of God and church to my life, but now I can't imagine a life without them. Thank you for showing us what the Spirit can do if we allow it.

My thoughts and prayers,
Lucas

Janice said...

Thank you for always being transparent and letting Christ shine through you. You have changed Kamloops by being here and Vicotria will never be the same after you arrive! I look forward to reading the next chapter(s) in your story.

Anonymous said...

We will miss you guys.We didn't spend alot of time together but when we did meet up it was nice.When we heard you were moving to Victoria my first thought was, Oh ya he's gona kick some BUTT there. You were made for this!!.God bless you guys

Mike and Shannon Jenkins

Anonymous said...

God bless you guys in your new home. We look forward to hearing of further influences in the Capital.

~ Junah and Lana (trekking around Alaska)

D said...

Can I cry now?
Farewell Schindels! God Bless you!

Anonymous said...

Oi, achei teu blog pelo google tá bem interessante gostei desse post. Quando der dá uma passada pelo meu blog, é sobre camisetas personalizadas, mostra passo a passo como criar uma camiseta personalizada bem maneira. Até mais.

Louise said...

What!? You've been "settled in" for a whole weekend now and you haven't update with all the move info! JUST KIDDING! I must say, I don't live in Kamloops, I'm gonna see you in Victoria now (since I conveniently come to visit family once in awhile) and maybe we'll even keep up the summer camp tradition thing here... but your post still made me teary eyed! I hate goodbyes & you write so fabulously that I could just picture being there I guess! (pregnancy hormones!!!) I remember when you left Vic 13 years ago... Christie & I met Barb for lunch at Romeos and I had worked a night shift, so slept in and mom didn't wake me up and I was so upset cuz I thought I'd never see you/Barb again... blah, blah, blah! I eventually made it to lunch (late) and I still see you guys so there you have it! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Tim, Louise turned me on to your blog and I don't know how to get in touch with you! I would love to chat it has been for ever and so much has gone on. When I read what you were doinga nd things in your lives it brought me to tears! You played such an important part in my life! my email is sdgreenw@hotmail.com I hope that we can chat sometime as I don't know any other way to get a hold of you! Sonja (Skene) Greenwood

Al Funk said...

Hi Tim,
Your return to Victoria has brought tears to my eyes as well but for a whole different set of reasons.
Talk to you soon.

Tim Schindel said...

Thanks for all your comments. You have no idea how much your words mean to Barb and I. We are truly blessed to have been able to walk the journey with you. God used you to help us become the people we needed to be to take this next step. Thanks for being there!