I am coming home!!!!
This day always seemed so far away and now here it is just days away (11 to be exact)! The thought of it brings an overload of feelings, but one of the strongest is gratitude.
- I am thankful God called me out of my comfort zone and deeper into His kingdom.
- I am thankful I have been able to build incredible relationships with people around the world.
- I am thankful to have learned more about different cultures and histories.
- I am thankful for P Squad and the community I have been able to travel with this year.
- I am thankful for how my relationship with the Lord has grown and continues to grow.
- And I am thankful for the community and support that I have from back home (aka all of you who are reading this).
I know I have said this before and I will say it again, I could not have lived this year as fully as I have without all of you. When I receive a message of encouragement, a comment on my blog, a bible verse or a prayer, I get all warm and fuzzy inside and am giddy for the rest of the day. Having each of you in my corner has shown me another way God provides for His children. He has used you to strengthen me, fill me up and push me forward. I would not be the person I am today without you. You have been my supporters since before I ever mentioned the World Race. You have been my foundation for years of my life (some of you for my entire life). Thank you for continuing to stand by my side and believing in me through the thick and thin.
As I have shared my story and heard the stories of many others, I am in awe and honored that I get to include all of you in my story. I have realized how spoiled I am when I think about the friends and family who have taught me about The Lord and strengthened my faith. I cannot separate my story from the community I have been raised in. Very few people have a foundation that I have and I thank God for the ways He has blessed me.
Thank you for your patience with me.
Thank you for the joy and love you continually send.
Thank you for your personal pursuit of the Lord and living your life as an example to those around you.
Thank you prayer warriors for your faithfulness.
Thank you for caring and checking in with me.
Thank you for loving my family deeply.
Thank you for challenging me in my faith to get me this far.
Thank you for trusting in me and what God has called me into.
When I think about coming back to America, it can be a bit overwhelming. Life has changed a lot since I have left. My perspective has been shifted and I am sure many things at home have shifted also. There are days where I think about leaving the World Race – my new normal – and I get a pit in my stomach. These moments are filled with nerves, fear, and mourning. But then I have days where I think about home and I can’t sleep because I am full of excitement and expectation. Yes it is quite confusing to feel such polar opposite emotions at the same time about the same thing. However I find a huge comfort in knowing who I am coming back to. All the adjusting and processing is significantly less daunting knowing that I have such an incredible group of people around me. I love you all dearly and am very ready to feel the warmth and comfort that only you can bring.
I am so very excited to share stories with you from the past 11 months. Please know that my heart is scattered across this world, and that is scary for me.
- Part of my heart is in El Salvador with the kiddos living in the pink castle and blue house.
- Part of my heart is with the woman working endless hours in Cambodia to send money home to Nepal.
- Part of my heart is with the crazy people of P Squad.
- Part of my heart is with the family who welcomed me in and loved me as their sister in Rwanda.
- Part of my heart is in Uganda with the children of LightForce and Luwanda Children’s Home.
- And of course my heart is in America with my family.
Not all of me is coming home, in Luke 12:34 it says “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. God showed me His treasures all over the world and therefore my heart is there with His. So if there are times where I get down or sad, give me a minute to reminisce. If you want to hear about my trip please do not hesitate to ask, the more specific the better! There is so much information and memories going on in my head it would be helpful for me to know what specifically you want to hear about instead of general questions like “how was your trip?”.
This has not just been my journey, you all have lived the same 11 months just differently and I want to know all that I have missed. It may seem small to you, but I care about the details. I want to hear about anything and everything that you want to share. You are my people and I have missed you, so please please tell me all the things. Just as much as you want to know about my time, I want to know about your life too.
Thank you all for being people I can depend on and a safe place I get to call my home. As of right now I do not know what I will be doing after The Race. Be patient with me as I figure out how to translate all I have learned and seen into life in America. I am seeking the Lord and His guidance. I am expectant and ready to step into this next season of life with God leading me. I know He will not disappoint.
I cannot wait to see all of you again face to face and hug your necks. I am smiling ear to ear just thinking about it! I hope all of you have had a fantastic end to summer.
SEE YOU SO SOON!
Martha Sue
