A couple days ago I woke up, threw on my sport shorts, oversized t-shirt and chacos, had a hot cup of coffee and strolled around the grounds of the hostel that we are staying at for final debrief. I sat under a jackfruit tree and gazed out over the Nile river, up at the blue sky and down at the amazing green grass all around me. I took a deep breath and exhaled it out slowly. It was such a sweet gift of a morning from the Lord, but the comfort, the hot showers at the hostel, the green grass I can run bare foot through, none of those things are what fill me with joy. I am filled with joy because I know that the Lord is my Shepherd and I lack nothing.
Ministry has wrapped up and we are in the process of saying our goodbyes at final debrief. I am going to be saying goodbye to countries, ministries, experiences and of course my people. I have been on a bus for three straight days with these people, holding a bag for my friend to throw up in and trying not pass out from altitude sickness. I have seen us step up and mess up. I have watched us grieve the children that we could not take with us, the people whose hearts stayed hard, and the countries that grabbed our hearts. I have watched us celebrate, busting open pinatas and jumping up and down as we worship. I have watched us pray, oh have I watched us pray, interceding from the depth of our souls. We have not always liked each other, but we always have each-others’ backs. I could go on and on.
This past month of ministry was one of my top three. I love being an advocate, a writer, a researcher and preacher all rolled into one. In between the hours spent researching foundations and grant making organizations, teaching in the class room with my beloved P-3 (late elementary) students and playing pick-up games of soccer and keep away with the kids at our organization, I have loved every minute of this final month. It truly has been the, “last month, best month” that my team prayed for and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
In less than two days, I will be on a plane, headed home to the good ol’ USA. And the thing is, I am ready. I am ready to obnoxiously sing the Star Spangled Banner as we touch down on home ground at seven in the morning, ready to run into my parent’s arms, ready to sit with my family and friends again. I am preparing to sit with the Lord and see what He has next for me, to sit in silence and be at peace with that silence. I don’t have a long term plan yet and really feel that the Lord has asked me to stop trying to come up with one and to fully step into and experience the first two or three weeks of re-entry first.
If you would like to meet up for coffee, chat on the phone, or shoot me an in depth e-mail full of questions or thoughts, I would love that. My first two weeks are going to be a little shaky as far as the getting back to you, but I have set aside the month of December for this and really want to be available and open. I will continue blogging through the re-entry process and am sure that the Lord has a lot of spiritual richness for me in this next season.
Finally for the friends and family who are going to be with me these next couple weeks, some things that I will be prioritizing are time with Jesus, time to workout and care for my body, time to process and time to catch up. A lot has happened for all of us this year and I would love to share and even more so, to hear what has been going on in your life. While I do not want to cry during my first time in the grocery store or lose my temper when I walk into the mall during Christmas, I know that there will be unexpected moments of emotions, realizations and thoughts hitting me. Please have grace for me. The thing is, I love ya’ll so much and my heart and desire is to serve you, love you and to join you in glorifying Christ. My heart is not to bring a critical eye that has been exposed to the developing world, but to encourage you and build you up in what the Lord has called you to right now.
So, onto the final goodbyes and the long awaited hellos! Thanks and God BlessJ
Life Updates…
I have been listening to…Hidden by United Pursuit
I have really enjoyed…the opportunity to swim, eat tropical fruit and really experience the “summer” season before I go home.
I have been learning about…meditating on and praying through the Psalms
I am really looking forward to…Seeing people in person, not just via Skype
I am going to miss…bota rides, colorful clothes, all the children holding my hands, the beautiful women I got to live with this past month, sleeping in a room full of my teammates, team time, breakfast with the team, and so many other things that would make this blog pages and pages too long.
