Made it!
Okay, so not to Indonesia yet — but we’re here in Atlanta doing some last minute training & preparing to hop a plane wicked early tomorrow morning for our first country & I am stoked! My squad is just as wonderful as I remembered & we are pumped to serve Jesus & each other. It was a whirlwind getting here, but it was beautiful.
I basically had the most amazing send off ever…it started with getting snowed in with my brother, sister-in-law, & their 4 kiddos. They were a blast & so supportive! Christopher gave me a really challenging & helpful talk about servant leadership, Kristen & I got in one more puzzle, & I got in some really great final hugs! I also got sucked in to a new favorite game that I can’t wait to play with them again…next year (;
My last Sunday in church filled me to the brim. The singing was full of words that I eagerly lifted to our God along with so many wonderful Christ-followers around me. The message was so relevant & then I got to tell my church family my heart & thank them for sending me. They have given me so much & I am so humbled to be a part of that body. & the kids! Several kids from church are excited for this journey & were so supportive in prayer & with their change…it melted my heart. At the end, hands were laid & prayers were said & I was so honored to be sent by my church. So many faithful friends encouraged me with words straight from the heart of God & I will never forget that love poured out on me when I needed it most. Thanks to all who gave — from change collected to amounts that hurt — you showed me the love of Jesus in your giving & I cannot wait to share with you what He does with your gifts.
I could mention so many, but a few special shout outs to some of my financial & personal supporters. To my best friend who came up to spend the whole day with me…Mick — I’ve already seen the great wisdom in your words — things about myself that I need to keep a watch on to better love my team. You were gracious and wise & I love that you never stop sharpening me, but that we always still have fun. Bonus — your kid is adorable & we got to see a little Pride & Prejudice — we can’t ask for much more! But your words & your friendship mean so much. Thank you — I love you immensely, sister. Renee, who now knows about as much as I do about World Race & will be doing her own race in 2019! Kidding! I know you’ll hate being mentioned, but that time with you & Everette was precious. I loved all your practical wisdom & one of the best hugs you’ve give me to date. Thank you for caring about this. Love you. Jeanne — my old mentor! Your belief in me always astounds me. Thank you for making time to see me & for spurring me on. You are wonderful & I love you. Becca Ostrow Murphy (& my bro Cory!) — thank you for being flexible. I know it was a sacrifice, but I loved every moment we spent together & how we always pick up exactly where we left off — you are so precious! Your love for Jesus always spills into everything we talk about & I am always left feeling encouraged. Thanks for all the laughter — one of these days I’lll actually know where my own tattoo is! Love you, friend! For anyone I forgot or didn’t get to see — wish I could have fit everyone in! But I am so grateful for you all.
My small group had its own goodbye dinner that was really cool…I loved that everyone already had verses picked out for me & that they were so life giving. Even more precious were the prayers — especially the ones that came from the kids. That meant more to me than I could say. Thank you for being family to me & for taking the time when the ice storm changed our week to still come out & support me. I will miss you big time & will be praying for you while I’m gone.
Shout out to the PACU at CHOP — you guys rock! Thank you for the card & for the cash — you guys have been so awesome being excited for me — love you guys!
Finally, family game night! Nothing like food, family, & games. We crammed it in on a weeknight, but you made it happen, you wonderful people, you! I loved how much fun we all are together — that the laughter flows & the competition is fierce! Thanks for that, but mostly for the time praying for me. That was such an amazing night before launch…you guys loved me so well in your prayers, & I am so thankful that you saw & prayed for the whole picture. It was the right way to go, & I am so lucky to have you guys & am so thankful for the kind words you sent me with. Love yas!
See? GREAT send off. But there are a couple more people who need props, so if you feel like I missed you, look for the next part! If you ever are going on an 11 month mission trip, I recommend having friends like mine!
