This past week was filled with so many highs, and two strong lows. My parents flew all the way to Chiang Mai, Thailand to spend five days with me and many of my squadmates and their parents for our Parent Vision Trip (PVT). Here’s an overview of what happened this past week.
So, I might have broken the rules and seen my parents a day before I was technically supposed to. But how could I not, knowing after eight months they were in the same city as me?? I went to their hotel and got to surprise them as they pulled up in their taxi from the airport. At first I couldn’t tell if it was them in the taxi, but then I saw my dad excitedly pointing at me through the window. Finally seeing them in person after eight months was so great, and I really realized how much I’d missed them. Together, we got to learn from my fellow teammates, worship, do Ask The Lord ministry, do listening prayer, take communion, and just explore the city of Chiang Mai together. Before PVT I’d been praying that my parents would grow more in their faith during PVT like I have since I’ve been gone. But it was so cool to see that they’ve grown these past eight months too. I’m so blessed that they got to come out to Thailand and spend this time with me. And even though saying goodbye to them was hard, it’s only three more months. I’m in the final quarter of the race and I can see the finish line. And while I’ll be sad when the race is over, I’ll be so excited to be back home with my family.
On our Adventure day we got to go feed, play with, bathe, and get kisses from so many sweet elephants. We also got to go zip lining.
Now, for the hard part.
I have been with my sweet teammate Tori seven out of eight months on the race. She’s the only person I’ve been on a team with that long. Tori has a nerve disorder in her foot that makes her have really high arches and gives her a lot of foot pain. Unfortunately, while we were in Malaysia, her foot started to get worse. It swelled up like a balloon and was causing her way more pain than usual. She had a stress fracture in her foot. So, we started to pray over it. Almost daily we prayed that God would heal her foot. But it didn’t get better. After a few weeks Tori decided that if her foot wasn’t better by the end of PVT, she was going to have to go home. So we prayed harder. And still nothing. During PVT she went to the doctor and they said she needed rest and physical therapy. When she told the doctor she had three months left of work and constant travel to do and could she rest it while still being on the race, he laughed. So she booked a flight home. And we prayed even harder. We had all of the parents and racers at PVT pray over Tori’s foot. I thought for sure this would be it. But still nothing. So, last night I had to say goodbye to my teammate Tori and one of my best friends. I was prepared to say bye to my parents, I knew PVT would come to an end and they’d have to go. I wasn’t prepared to say goodbye to Tori.
To be honest, I’m frustrated with God. Why would He bring her out on the race to not let her be able to finish it? Why wouldn’t He heal her? Why would He take her from my team? And I have no answers to these questions. But one of the biggest things I’ve learned from Tori is trusting in God. It can be really hard sometimes. It definitely is right now. And it’s okay to be upset or frustrated. But even though I think now is the time for God to heal Tori and make this nerve disorder completely disappear, His plan is better than mine. I know God will one day heal Tori’s foot, and He will use that healing in ways none of us can even imagine. So even though I’m frustrated as I’m writing this, I’m also hopeful and full of joy for Tori. She did amazing things on the race and I know she will continue to do great things for the Kingdom back in the states. Even though I already miss her a bunch (currently wearing her shirt she let me keep cause I miss her) I know she is a forever friend who I’ll see many many times the rest of our lives.
Tori and I in our Safari van.
Tori and I exploring Penang, Malaysia together.
So, I’d like to end this blog post with a prayer.
Dear Yahweh,
Thank you for letting my parents be able to come to Thailand. Thank you for a week full of good conversation, lots of laughs, adventure, prayer, and growth. Thank you for parents who are so supportive of me and love me unconditionally. Thank you that I get to see them again soon in three months. Thank you for Tori. Thank you for her friendship and her amazing faith in you. Thank you that I got to learn so much from her in seven short months. Thank you for her wisdom, her ability to laugh at almost anything, her strength, her words that are always full of truth and kindness, and for all that she’s helped me through on the race. I continue to pray for her foot. I pray for full healing so she can run and jump and dance with no pain. I pray you use her feet to take her places where she can spread the good news to everyone she meets. And I pray our friendship continues to grow and strengthen in new and exciting ways as we part ways for a while.
Amen.
Now to end this blog post as cliche and sappy as possible, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.
