I’ve found that leaving is always painful.
Leaving, of all kinds. Leaving family, leaving friends, leaving places, leaving pieces of yourself behind in order to step into growth.
It’s painful to abandon these things and to detach ourselves from them. It’s messy and unruly. It’s uncomfortable. It stretches us.
Four days ago, I grasped my loved ones close to me for a final moment, and then, boarded a plane to Atlanta.
Since then, I have begun living out my last moments on sweet, sweet American soil until next year.
I’ve found myself feeling rather nostalgic over mundane, every day moments. Sunsets as they skim the tree- lined horizon of my backyard. My regular order of a vanilla latte, and the steam as it gently rises against my face. A groggy, muttered “good morning” as a family member enters the kitchen.
Also, chic fil a.
As I enter into this new season, I have been feeling so grateful and so much gratitude for this beautiful, beautiful life I’ve been given. For all of the people I’ve been given to love and to cherish. For the beautiful journey, that I get to live out and be a part of. I am looking forward with a heart of such excitement and anticipation
God doesn’t need me to change the world. God doesn’t need me to change hearts, and lives. But, because he’s our Father, and He wants us to know Him better, because he wants to forge relationships with us- He has invited us along for the ride. He has invited me along for the ride. I can’t wait to be carried through every moment of this journey in my Father’s arms.
My heart yearns to live simply, to love well, to feel all of the joy and all of the pain this life has to offer, to find more of our Father, and to know him better through it all.
Everywhere I will go in the next year, God is already there. He is stirring. He is beginning to cultivate hope, and light in places of abrupt brokenness.
For the past four days, my team and I have been in Atlanta preparing, and readying our hearts for all that the next year will bring.
As I’m writing this, all thirty- eight of us are sitting in the Atlanta airport, waiting to board our flight to Guatemala. EXCITING TIMES.
For the first two weeks, my entire team will be living together, in community in Antigua, Guatemala- doing ministry together. After that, my smaller team of seven people and I will be going to Quiche, Guatemala to continue doing ministry for the rest of our time in Guatemala. We are so excited, our hearts are so full, and we are so appreciative of all of your prayers and encouragement.
Well friends, this is it.
My next blog will come to you from Guatemala.
A lil update:
I have officially reached my $10,000 goal!!!
God is so, so good and I’m overwhelmed by his faithfulness and provision through each of you.
Thank you for your willingness to give and your support, as well as, all of the support so many of you have shown me prayerfully.
I can hardly express my gratitude.
At las, I only have $3,800 left to raise before November!
WOW. GOD IS SO GOOD. (I know I say it all the time, but it’s always true.)
If at any point, you feel led to give towards that, you can do so directly on my blog by clicking the “donate” button in the top- right- hand corner of this page!
I’d appreciate it a whole bunch.
I, also, have a few personal expenses that I’ll need to meet each month. If you’d like to financially support me monthly for that, or want to give towards that exclusively- message me on facebook, and I’ll let you know how you can do so!
