Last week was one for the books! After 8 months of being on the field my mom came all the way to Romania to spend the week with me! We had been talking about this week for months! And the thing I love most about my mom is her empathy. She has such a big heart that feels so strong for what you feel. Though me leaving for 11 months wasn’t her most favorite she saw my heart and took on the excitement I felt about intentionally being on mission.
Since she knew she was coming to PVT (parent vision trip) she has done all she could to come into this environment and culture and be A PART of it. She didn’t want to just come and visit but she wanted to make the most out of this week! From the moment we first hugged she was already amazed at all God had already done and I think it was because she came into this not with her own agenda but ready to follow God’s will.
We had such a good week where we got to serve in ministry together, worship, play games and hangout with other racers and parents, and spent time one on one where I got to show her aspects of what life is like on race.
Sometimes parents might come and this is a week for racers and parents to work through anything together. Multiple times my mom asked if there was anything we needed to reconcile or talk about. Again, I love that she was going ALL IN to this week! My answer every time was no mom. And I really meant it.
But the last night of worship we had a time to share letters written to each other and us racers washed our parents’ feet. So I began reading my letter to my mom thinking it wasn’t that special. Then as I read, I got to my favorite memory with my mom…
The only other time we had spent a week together separate from the rest of my family was when my fiancé and I had called off our wedding. She dropped everything and immediately drove 5 hours to be with me.
This week was honestly a week from hell. I constantly cried and felt like the puddle I was leaving on the floor of my apartment. I know it wasn’t easy for my mom to see her daughter reach that low of a point and have to sit there with her. That’s exhausting! And emotionally draining! But she stayed. She cried with me. She took care of me. She was a real mother to me. Which is what I needed.
So I shared this memory in my letter and before I could even get the words out of my mouth I completely lost it. We sat there in worship as I choked over my letter and then she read hers to me as tears flowed down both our cheeks. But the beautiful thing was that we were crying together in thankfulness to be celebrating the freedom and redemption I’ve found. It’s been two years since she sat in that brokenness with me and I’m so glad we got to reflect and celebrate together.
Freedom is what I have found and walked in most throughout the race. And what I realized is that my mom needed to see that. Earlier in the day before worship I had shared my testimony with all the parents. My mom told me later it was the first time for her to hear it out loud all together. She had known I had found healing from that breakup but for her to go through that emotionally draining time with me it was important for her to let go of it too. She loved me so well and she felt what I felt to such a deep level that it was really special to get to cry out together in gratefulness for freedom! These tears were tears of overwhelming celebration!
Thanks mom for having my back and being my biggest supporter! And thanks God for giving us another week together that completely contrasted the one from 2 years ago!
LIFE UPDATE AND PRAYER REQUESTS:
– we are headed to Africa on Sunday for the last continent of the race! So prayers for safe travels would be great!
– I’m still fundraising for squad leading with gap year and starting tomorrow I will be partnering with go rings! So prayers that that goes well and if you want please go check it out and buy under my name to help support me!
– only 3 months left on the race! So prayers to stay present and end well while also preparing for our futures!
thanks!
kyn
