I have arrived!! I’m on AIM base as we speak. Today was alot of days for lasts as well as firsts.
last soft comfortable warm bed for a year
last hugs with parents for a year
last LONG warm shower
last eating out meal (w/parents)
…
first time to be together as a team
first time to see my friend Caroline since April
first time to meet new teammates
first time leaving parents for this long
…
I don’t know where to begin with today because it has been a day full of mixed emotions (my thoughts may be scattered a bit here). I was SO excited to see my teammates when we showed up here on base and pumped about this next year. I had the opportunity to show my parents around and introduce them to some of my teammates. They stayed for supper and then the three of us prayed awhile and then had to say our good-byes and see you next year. As mom was crying I had to fight back the tears (and I wouldn’t consider myself an emotional person), but as I went to talk to my teammates more, I enjoyed that time and was really excited to see how God was going to bring us all together. Then tonight during my “first” meeting of LAUNCH training, it hit me, my parents are gone for the year! WoW!! I already miss them so much and started wondering if I let them know how much I love them, how much I appreciate them, how much I’m going to miss them and on and on.
God has blessed me so much with just the right people at the right time!! My friend Caroline, whom I met the last day of training back in April, is officially on staff here now and we have been reunited! We have kept in contact via e-mail, phone, and myspace these past few months, been able to pray for each other on the phone and now, tonight we did so much encouraging, catching up, crying together, more talking, and tons of praying for each other. We have claimed each other as sisters working together all for the same purpose. She seems to experience the same things I do, thinks the same way I do, and just always ends up saying the same things I’m thinking and feeling. God truely brought us together right when we needed it!
I have pictures to post later in the week as I have time, but I wanted to give you a little update since Caroline gave me the opportunity on her computer.
God knows what He’s doing! I’m right where He wants me and the team God has given me are just the people He handpicked for my team. I am SO excited to see where God is going to take me, who He has prepared for me to talk to this year, the bonding my team will do, how He’s going to break me, and where He’s going to guide me in the future for my life!
I pray that He does that for you this year! As you follow me around the world and into the lives of people who need God’s love, I pray that God would be growing you and stretching you right where you’re at throughout this year. I pray that He would take you out of your comfort zone into a scary place where you have to be dependant on Him, but a place where He can show you things you’ve never seen before! I pray that He guides you clearly in the direction He has for your life. There is more and I pray you get to experience that…with me too!!
UPDATE on the September World Racers:
We are officially leaving the country on September 15th (instead of the 12th)
Yesterday I said good-bye to my aunt and uncle (and of course the dogs Chico and Spike) so I thought I’d post a picture of them.
As were arriving GA, we thought it’d be fun to document the first steps of my journey…on my way to AIM base! (well, the pictures didn’t work as planned so I’ll have to post those two and more later….)
Thank you for all your prayers – I feel VERY prayed for!!
