TOMORROW, I start my World Race journey. At 3 AM, I will be piling into my car along with my parents to drive down to Atlanta, Georgia. After a few more days of training and orientation, I will be leaving the country for Costa Rica on September 9. I can’t believe it’s finally time!
Goodbyes have been hard. There are a few particularly hard goodbyes that stick out. They began when I left my home in Nevada a little over a month ago. My first hard goodbye was to these two.
These are my good friends Chelsea and Brad. This amazing couple opened their home to me for a period of time while I was living in Nevada. They not only gave me a home but encouraged me and pointed me to Jesus on a daily basis, went on adventures with me and were always there for me when I needed a friend. They have both taught me so much. This couple is a huge reason why leaving Nevada was so hard for me. I will be forever grateful the Lord orchestrated our lives together for a season.
My next hard goodbye…
This is the Murdock family: Jeff & Shana and their kids, Brad and Juliette. Oh, and Roger (the dog). This beautiful family also opened their home to me during my time in Nevada. They were some of the first to make me really feel like a part of the family. Like I belonged. They have been instrumentally influential in my life and I love them to pieces.
Another hard Nevada goodbye…
This is the Anderson family: Kyle & Jen and their two girls Aven and Jovi. Kyle and Jen were my community group leaders and also dear friends. I learned a lot from this sweet family.
Shortly after my roadtrip back to New York from Nevada, it was time to say goodbye to this girl.
My sister, Sarah. She left to go back to China a few days after I got back from World Race training. I’m so thankful she was able to make the roadtrip with me (along with my mom and youngest sister) so we could spend some time together before we both headed out to different parts of the world.
I love that we got to eat pizza at the Grand Canyon together.
And I’ll always remember that time we literally ran into a bear together on a morning jog in Tahoe.
And the views we enjoyed together.
I can’t wait to swap stories about the exciting travel adventures we’ll each experience separately in this next year. She is one of my heroes.
A few weeks ago, I was able to spend two weeks up in Rochester with some of my family. I am so thankful for the time with them.
This is my nephew, Daniel. He will probably be walking and talking by the time I see him next! It’s hard knowing I’ll be missing such a big part of his early life.
But again, I’m so thankful for the few days I was able to spend with this happy boy (and his parents!).
I spent the two weeks up in Rochester with my sister, Suzanne.
This girl is not only my sister, but one of my best friends. She just got engaged (to an amazing, Godly man who so obviously loves her completely) the first week I was visiting her this summer (I might have played a part in the proposal) and will be getting married next summer, thankfully after I get back from World Race. But I’ll miss most of the wedding planning and preparation. I won’t be there to go dress shopping. I won’t be there to help plan the details. Knowing that is hard.
Goodbye was hard.
On my way back to the Binghamton area (where my parents live), I stopped by Syracuse to see my brother Tim and sister-in-law Katie. I also got to spend a few days with them two weeks before when I was driving up to Rochester. Katie and I had to chance to re-live the first time we went kayaking together, on Skaneateles Lake.
Just for kicks, here’s a photo from the first time we kayaked on this lake. (below)
This^^ was before she became my sister-in-law and was just my roommate in college. 😉 One of our first real bonding experiences. =) Katie and I have gone through a lot together and are pretty OK with being stuck with each other for life (since she married my brother).
Saying goodbye to this girl definitely wasn’t easy.
And just last night I had to say goodbye to another (basically) sister.
It seems like Bekah has been a part of my life for pretty much forever. She was roommates with Suzanne in college and since then has basically been adopted by my family. She will be embarking on her own missions venture along with her husband to Thailand next fall. Anyone who knows Bekah can’t help but love her. Seeing her develop into the Godly woman she is today has been such a joy and inspiration.
Yep. Goodbye was hard.
Just writing this blog brings tears to my eyes as I think about leaving all of these wonderful people for an entire year. Of course, there are many other people not pictured here who also mean a lot to me and I will miss them all as well.
In this midst of the pain of saying goodbye, I am reminded that it is not as much “goodbye” as it is “see you later.” When I reflect on these friendships and people who mean so much to me, I am filled with gratitude that I have been so richly blessed. How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. – Winnie the Pooh
With all the World Race preparation, goodbyes, and life transition, it has been easy to become somewhat anxious about the road ahead. In the middle of the nervousness and stress, this passage has been a huge comfort to me:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. – Matthew 6:25-34
Despite the difficult aspects of leaving for a year, I am still beyond thrilled and excited for this new adventure ahead of me. I look forward to watching the Lord work not only in me, but in the lives of those I will meet around the world. Thank you all for joining me for this incredible journey!
Blessings,
Em
FUNDS UPDATE:
Thanks again to all of you who have shown me so much incredible love and support. I have now raised $15,810 and am well on my way to being fully funded. If you feel led to support me on this journey, you will be able to do so through the orange “support” me button on this blog through December of this year. My personal goal is to raise $18,000 by then.
