Dear Family and Friends,
I don’t think it has quite hit me yet that I am leaving you for eleven months. Scratch that. I know it hasn’t hit me yet. I’m currently sitting in my hotel room typing this letter with decent WiFi and a flushing toilet. I’m sure reality will set in after month two. I’ll feel as if my mission trip is reaching its end and I’ll be returning home in no time. But I won’t be.
I didn’t want to leave, however, without addressing some of the feelings I do have about saying good bye. You all are my family (even if we aren’t blood related). Without you, I would not have even thought about this journey. You encouraged, challenged, and supported me. When I had doubts or fears, you told me to fight.I will take your words and prayers with me in every country. If you have any other thoughts or prayers you would like to share over the course of this year, do not hesitate to email me or comment on this blog. Everything is appreciated!!!
I don’t want to you to be worried or anxious about this next year for me. Rather, I want you to ask God to change you. I don’t want to come home and see the same people I left. The speaker at our seminar last night asked the parents to have better stories of how God worked through them than the ones we bring back. Go out to your communities, churches, and spheres of influence and bring the Holy Spirit.
As we prayed over the parents present at the seminar, a verse struck a chord within me. It is a verse I have shared with you all before, but its truth still impresses me every day. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” 2 Timothy 1:7. Yes, I have nerves and anxiety over what is to come, but I won’t let it stop me from doing what the Lord asks. The more I say yes, the more He takes my fears. So, go to the Lord and see what He has in store for you.
I love you all dearly. We may not be able to keep in touch as often as we did, but when we do, our conversations will have the highest value. Talk to you soon!
