Goodbyes are hard. Saying goodbye to my family was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. The day I had to leave I couldn’t even say goodbye to my dogs without crying. Then my mom and sister dropped me off at the airport and I didn’t want to let go when they were hugging me. My heart was breaking. To be honest I didn’t want to leave at that moment.
Saying goodbye for 9 months when you’re 18 or any other age is so hard. So you guys can imagine how my day went. I was either crying, tearing up, or on the verge of crying. The thing is, this isn’t easy, but if it was then are we really dropping everything to follow Him like he says in Luke 18? He’s called me to this trip, no doubt about that. I don’t raise $13,000, He does.
When I first heard about this trip, it was when I was reading this book by Francis Chan “Crazy Love”. In that book he asks “Would you drop everything for the Lord and follow Him?” I said of course, I’m not very materialistic and I know I want to do some sort of missions with my life. But he goes deeper into the question and asks, “Would you leave without saying goodbye to anyone to follow Him?” I couldn’t fathom the idea of leaving without saying goodbye to my mom; I love her to death but I had to realize in a way, that’s making her an idol. That’s putting her in a position that only God should have in my life.
That’s why the Lord has me going on this trip. He’s shown me there’s definitely some areas in my life that I need to work on and get closer to Him. So yes, goodbyes are hard, but I know the Lord is going to bless my obedience for going on this trip. I’m very excited about what He’s going to do through me. Excited for my new home in El Salvador! 
