A HARD GOOD BYE

My sweet, sweet Ella and her dog, Nala…and Nala’s pup, Peanut (behind) whom Ella delivered around this time last year!! Nala has been Ella’s dog since we moved down to Soddo almost 2 years ago!! This sweet dog has been her best friend and companion…they have done early morning walks, running, playing, snuggling…truly the best kind of friend for an 11 year old girl!!  BUT, having puppies (8!) and us leaving for 8 months did bad things to Nala’s disposition and she tried to bite 3 kids (including a successful attempt on Selah) over the past month.  We had to say goodbye.  Ella has handled it beautifully and maturely, but with deep grief.  It’s hard to lose a pet in the States, but being overseas magnified this loss quite a bit for her heart…thank you for praying.  I think God is growing her in some really special ways, but it’s hard to watch God work on my girl’s heart.