The words have been on the tip of my tongue for weeks and months… okay, since the day I applied for the World Race.
However, over the past few weeks since returning to America, I've more so wanted to scream them from the mountain top so all of you could hear. But I don't have a mountain anywhere near and even if I yelled as loud as I could I'd be too scared that one of you might miss the most important thing I need to tell you right now.
Thank you.
Those words don't seem adequate at all, they seem too small… but maybethey aren't.
Those two words are full of moments and memories and miracles that I never would have seen or done without you.
Tabby & I in the Red Light District in Chiang Mai, Thailand
They are full of God's love that might never have been experienced without you.
Spending time in the slums in Honduras
And they are full of beautiful children's smiles and the praises of the church from around the world that I wouldn't know without you.
Some of the little ones in Rwanda
So thank you for praying
thank you for giving
thank you for the kind words
thank you for reading this blog
thank you for loving me
thank you for caring about me
thank you for the hugs
thank you for the presents
thank you for being my family
thank you for being my friends
thank you for saying "welcome home"
thank you for being almost more excited about my life than I am
thank you for cheering me on!
thank you for your obedience
thank you for your hospitality
thank you for sharing my stories
thank you for facebook stalking me
thank you for skyping me
thank you for emailing me
thank you for leaving me blog comments (they're my favorite!)
thank you for following me the whole year long… that's dedication right there!
thank you for liking my statuses (instagram photos and other random postings)
thank you for watching my videos (if only I would have made more…)
But seriously,
thank you for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself
thank you for bringing the Kingdom down to earth in my life
Volunteering at a Special Needs Home in Tanzania
and theirs.
Some little girls from a school we worked at in El Salvador
and thank you for giving me moments like this
Our mom, Behm, in Nepal. She is amazing!
and this
We spent in the Qatar airport on our way to Africa… we had JUST woken up 🙂
and this
Classic jump photo with our friends from The Passport (college aged) team in Nicaragua
and even this
Crossing the Thailand/Cambodia border after taking an overnight bus… the border crossing took 4 hours.
oh, and this one too!
The great LICE infestation of Nica
Sure, I went around the world, but it never would have happened without you.
I only wish the gratefulness I feel in my heart could be transfered to yours, so you could know in every sense of the world how much you all mean to me.
Thank you for giving me this year and allowing me to be used by God in 11 different countries. I will never forget what you all have done (and neither will God), in giving me a beautiful gift:
The World Race.
E squad right before we left the country in January of 2012!
You have done more than you know and changed more lives than I would ever have time to tell you about.
So once again.
Thank you,
Beka Joy
P.S. Happy New Year!
