Picture this: you have just spent eleven days in Georgia, surrounded by new friends whom you are about to embark on a life changing adventure with. The Lord has used these eleven days to challenge you spiritually, mentally and physically. You have been stretched, you have cried, you have grown. It is the last day. You have developed a close bond with your new friends and though you are ready to return home and exchange your cold tent for your warm room, you are not ready to say farewell to these sweet people. Collectively many of you decide to make a group Starbucks run before you all hit the road. While at Starbucks, you overhear someone from another squad, who also decided Starbucks was a necessity that morning, state his plans to hitchhike part of the way home.
Thus, begins the detour. Me, being me, could not stand the thought of this man, who I had maybe spoken three words to before this encounter, attempting to hitchhike. In a spirit of yes, I happily and somewhat forcefully (I’ll be honest) offered to take this, hopefully nice, man the rest of the way home. Good news, I am still here! *Insert sighs of relief* Yeah, yeah I know some of you are probably thinking I was not being safe picking up a practical stranger. To that I have two responses: 1) we met at training camp, I knew at minimum that he liked Jesus and 2) this is not even the worst part, wait for it.
I safely delivered my new friend to his destination, which happened to be slightly more out of the way than I realized it would be. Upon entering my address into my GPS and seeing I still had four hours to go on my journey home I settled in for what I knew would feel like I LONG drive home. As I drive along beautiful backroads in Tennessee the sun sinks lower and darkness grows. I round a curve and see a dog on the side of the road. A wave of guilt rushes over me as I continue to drive. Having seen numerous deer already, I feel certain that in this area highly inhabited by wildlife there were sure to be coyotes. I say a silent prayer for the dog’s safety and continue on my way. Within ten minutes I round another curve and almost hit a pup that is MUCH smaller. With this I stop. In my mind I feel positive that if I do not save this pup he will become dinner to the coyotes I have already determined are lurking off in the woods.
Seven houses and over thirty minutes later, Little Pup and I sit in my car feeling defeated. Yes, I named the dog. Yes, I know I am really creative. Yes, I stopped and knocked on random doors. Yes, I was in the middle of nowhere and unfamiliar with my surroundings. Yes, I acknowledge that this was not the safest life choice I have ever made. It is seven o’clock in the evening on a Saturday. All of the shelters and pounds I have looked up are closed. I feel faced with two options: release Little Pup to the wilderness and pray for his safety or take him to Indiana with me and attempt to find his home on Monday. Again, please remember that I was exhausted on all levels. It was an amazing but rough eleven days, y’all.
At this point I am still over three hours away from home. I feel so torn. I have grown attached to Little Pup but I am selfishly tired and ready to be in my cozy bed. I know if I call my mom she will become upset with me for driving a random stranger home, picking up a random dog and going to so many random houses. In pure desperation I call my new friend Meredith, one of the girls on my squad who I had just been at training camp with. She is geographically the closest to me, maybe somehow she knows of a place I can take Little Pup? I explain everything that has happened and she kindly talks me through my choices. She prays over it with me. We mutually come to the conclusion that it is best for me to release Little Pup and pray that the Lord safely guides him home. As I drive away and see him chasing my car, tears come streaming from my eyes.
Why, you might ask, am I telling you this? In that moment, as I looked in my rearview mirror and saw Little Pup’s tiny legs propelling him after my car, giving it everything he had to get back to me, all I could think about were the people I would meet along the race. All of the tiny humans my heart would undoubtedly fall for. In that moment my heart ached for friends I had not even made yet. In that moment I knew how impossibly heart breaking transitioning from country to country would be for me. I am here, heading into my last couple of days in my first country, to tell you the fear I felt that night has become a reality. In three days I will get into a van a drive away from this beauty place. I will leave my Haitian friends and travel to Dominican Republic, where new friends await my arrival.
I have loved my time in Haiti, I have loved getting to know the people at Grace So Amazing. The hardworking mamas, energetic teachers and precious children have shown me Jesus in such an incredible way. I hear Him in their giggles, see Him in their eyes and feel Him in their warm embraces. I dread saying farewell to these people, this place. Just as I had to trust the Lord with Little Pup, I know that I have to trust the Lord with the people I meet as I travel. They are His to keep, not mine. As much as I love them, how much more must the Lord. As I prepare my heart for these goodbyes, that simple truth is what I will cling to.
The next time you hear from me I will be in the DR! Prayers for safe travels, funds to continue to come in as I am still short of my goal and good health would be greatly appreciated. Please pray over my last couple of days here in this beautiful nation and for my time in the DR. That the Lord would hold me as I am ushered through a string of hellos and goodbyes. That as my chapter in Haiti comes to an end I may feel peace. Honestly, I do not want to leave at all, but I know the Lord has called me to this journey for a reason. I am blessed by each of you who take the time to read my words and continue to pour out your love to me.
All my love,
Bekah
