Flashback Friday...thanks for dancingwithnance

Seven years ago, I wrote my farewell newsletter to my faithful friends and family who had supported my mission work with their prayers and financial support for 13 years. I borrowed a phrase my good friend, Ray had invented: "dance with nance" and made it the theme of the letter...thanking my people for "dancing" with me thru all the various travels and projects that took place over the years.
In all honesty it was not an easy letter to write. Even tho I knew it was time to move on, the circumstances of me leaving were less than ideal and I was a jumble of emotions ranging from relieved, confused, hopeful, tired and a little freaked out about the unknown future. I had friends there who had the same mix of emotions going on about my departure.
Back then everyone who left got a little party, which usually consisted of a get together in the living room of the residential house that had been converted to an office. All I asked of them was to not have my going away party over lunch in the "very nice and respectable living room."

And boy did they ever out do themselves carrying out my request.

First:
We had the party at night...in the warehouse behind the office and they set it up to be like a coffee shop. That was cool.
Second:
They printed up flyers and posters with a freaky picture of me and a cool "dance with nance" logo. That was very cool.
Third:

Everyone there had submitted a song that made them think of me and they made a mix tape and played it while we mingled and ate a lot of pringles, nachos and drank cokes. Those songs were a healing balm and that was cool.

Fourth:
Rhonda tirelessly set up the old Paragon equipment and showed all the old multi-media slide shows that I had worked on over the years. Those shows made me smile and feel like I had done something worthwhile which was what I needed to know and the peace it brought was good for me.

Fifth:
They made a box and friends put cards and notes inside and they instructed me add things to it as I went along and if I missed them in the weeks to come I could open the box and re-read what was inside. That was thoughtful.
Sixth:
Joshua and a friend showed up and represented the Vandercar gang. Having family there made it even more especially cool.
Seventh:
There was a time for people to share stories and this made me laugh and cry (and as Dolly says, Laughter thru tears is my favorite emotion). And my good friends Mike and Jenny sang one of my favorite songs and Jimmy sang an incredible song about Route 66, Elvis, the ocean and roses that he had written after reading my 66 trip emails.
Hearing all these things was incredibly endearing.
Eighth:
They wanted to bow their heads and pray for me. Which was touching.
Ninth:
While they were praying for me they wheeled out an imac sitting on a cart and told me to open my eyes. I was thinking, oh, they made a show and now we're going to watch it....and then they gave me a list of names and said "all these people bought this for you...go tell your stories." That was unbelievably mind-blowing Awesome.


















After saving up some money,
I added a video camera to the mix
and that is how dance with nance was started!

I put that first imac to work right away and have had the privilege of telling your stories and in doing so, have hopefully given back a little of the joy that you all have brought to my life. I count it a tremendous honor to use whatever talents I have to show you all how much I love you and how beautiful life really is.
I'm now on my third mac (I gave the imac to Rhonda-who organized the original gift and later found herself leaving and in the same boat as I was) and just a week or so ago...my jaw dropped once again (sorry don't have a picture) when my family presented me with an early Christmas present: a projector that will make us all 10 feet tall on the wall in our next Christmas video!

You guys are great.

I love you all.

I thank you for giving me a story to tell.

Love,

Nancy

Directions to here:
The story continues! I'm on a working vacation...for the next 4 days spending time with Kelly and Jeremy. If you have good photos of them, email them to me!