I feel like this next chapter season of my life will begin with tear filled eyes. When I think about how the World Race will start in 3 days I think about how I will go up the escalators to security at the airport and look down to see my family at the bottom of them, knowing that I wont be able to hug them for a while.
When I was 3 I went to the airport with my mom to drop off my aunt for college. My mom and her sister are very, very close, needless to say my mom was crying after my aunt left. An older woman walked up to my mom and I and asked if she was okay and if she could pray with her. My mom answered yes and after she was done praying and my mom was done crying, my mom asked why she was at the airport. The woman replied, “My son is a missionary. I know that whenever he comes home he’s not here to stay.” My mom again started crying and began praying that my brother would never be a missionary, but she never prayed that I wouldn’t be one. Gods a funny guy, right? We could of never guessed that God was preparing my family for the future. Now my mom has become that woman she met in the airport 21 years ago.
Growing up and being so close to my family that story would break my heart to hear how he would leave his family, but now I know that it broke his heart too. Sometimes I wonder about the stranger I never met. I wonder if he was still a missionary, how he became one, but mostly I wonder if leaving ever got easier. They say its always easier to be the one leaving than to be the one who was left. If thats so then it’s going to be REALLY tough for my family because my heart is BREAKING, but I know that God will be with my family. I love spending time with my family at home but I am the happiest when I am in the field. I am so excited to go back out and tell the world about the gospel of Christ but I am not excited to say goodbye.
I can add up all of my families and friends names and each one would be a reason I don’t want to leave, but when I think about all the other names in this big world we live in and it gives me a whole lot more reasons to go. Please pray for my family as we are a part this next year. Thank you and God bless! – Marissa
