So bare with me in these blogs and perhaps I will get better at writing them without the concern of trying to entertain and educate you as a reader with my wit and charm (or lack of wit and charm, which is more likely to happen.)
Regardless-feel free to keep reading as I progress from the raising support stage to the getting-ready-to-go state! I am excited to see how God will change me in all of these processes. Stay tuned and be blessed!
Oo! It should be noted that this list of expectations is not in order of significance. 🙂
1. I will miss my friends and our adventures together.
2. I will miss the comfort of my bed-even though I am looking forward to sleeping in my tent for 11 months!
3. I will miss being a vegetarian.
4. I will miss my family.
5. I will miss being able to go to a coffee shop at anytime of day or night to hang out with my friends.
6. I will miss being able to verbally communicate thoroughly.
7. I will be challenged to learn new languages and different forms of communication.
8. I will try a medley of foods.
9. I will be challenged in my faith.
10. I will be close and dependent upon my team.
11. I will lead.
12. I will follow.
13. I will work as a teammember.
14. I will independently.
15. I will have to adjust to different sleep patterns.
16. I will be out of my comfort zone-again and again! Perhaps constantly-I am excited (but a little anxious)!
17. I will learn how to view life differently.
18. My values will change.
19. My passbook will be more worn by the end of the adventure.
20. I will miss listening to my music.
21. I will learn to find joy in the littlest things-even more than I currently do.
22. I will see, live in, and experience poverty like never before.
23. My heart will break again and again.
24. My dreams will change.
25. I will cry like never before.
26. My life’s goals and aspirations will be altered.
27. Through various activities, my definition of “adventure” will be changed. 🙂
28. I will learn life-long lessons that will shape me for the rest of my days.
29. My faith will grow.
30. My faith will falter.
31. Some of my fears will dissipate.
32. Some new and old fears will be revealed.
33. I will miss going to the library and bookstores to read whatever and whenever.
34. I will covet air conditioning.
35. I will value relationships more.
36. I will value people more.
37. I will live in poverty.
38. I will value people over materialistic “things.”
39. The concept of eternity will no longer be a concept, but a reality.
40. My career path and affiliated goals may change.
41. I will view my family differently.
42. I will cry myself asleep at the brokenness around me.
43. I will miss going to museums with the Bartoszeks.
44. My time management tendencies will change.
45. My lifestyle will be different, perhaps “better.”
46. I will spend my money differently.
47. I will serve others like never before.
48. I will spiritually ache.
49. I will change spiritually.
50. I will learn to thoroughly rely on God.
51. I will learn to rely on my team.
52. I will learn to trust those God places in my life.
53. My sin nature will be revealed.
54. My prayer life will be altered.
55. I will make friends in all of the countries that we visit.
56. I will follow Jesus’ instructions in the Great Commission to “…go into all nations…”
57. I will be missed being loved by my good friends.
58. I will love.
59. I will be loved.
60. I will have doubts about myself, my value, my God.
61. I will miss the comfy couch at Aaron’s.
62. I will miss celebrating Thanksgiving with friends.
63. I will love the loved-less.
64. I will be scared.
65. I will miss having spinach salads.
66. I will be used by God in way that I cannot imagine.
67. I will be broken.
68. I will be stressed out.
69. My personal strengths will be put the test.
70. My personal weaknesses will be revealed.
71. The Holy Spirit will surprise me.
72. I will miss Starbucks® with StarLeigh
73. I will return a different person.
74. I will find joy admid adversity.
75. My quiet time with God may not be very quiet. 😉
76. I will miss late-night talks with Aaron.
77. I will miss sipping tea and analyzing life and music with those I love.
78. I will miss the CRAHL.
79. I will miss my apartment in Nashville and my wonderful roomie, Jeanie.
80. I will see death.
81. I will reevaluate myself again and again.
82. I may give my possessions away when I return to the States.
83. I will miss driving around in my little convertible on warm autumn days with friends.
84. I will see life.
85. I hope and/or expect to come back to the States being more focused on God.
86. I hope and/or expect to live my life differently and much more God-focused.
87. I expect to come back to my (Stateside) life and want to make a lot of changes to it.
88. I expect to come back with a thousand stories of God’s work, of love, and of brokenness.
89. I expect that I will desire Christian community more than I already do.
90. I expect that I will experience culture shock on a regular basis.
91. I expect to have a ton of fun!
92. I expect to be challenged in countless ways by God, my team, and those I serve and serve with.
93. I expect that this adventure will help me decide if seminary school (for a graduate degree) is part of my future path.
94. I expect to be picked on for my quirky-ness. 😉
95. I expect to feel lonely at times.
96. I expect to be overwhelmed at times and need of His love and grace more than I can currently imagine.
97. I will learn to truly value the beauty of others and how they reflect God’s love and goodness, even if they are unaware of it.
98. I to be physically challenged with all of the various mountains, outback settings, rivers, lakes, oceans, rural areas, city areas, and et al that my team and I will reside in.
99. I expect that this list may be semi-accurate, but VERY different that I expect.
100. ?
