The past couple weeks have been so bittersweet. They have been weeks full of overflowing love and constant encouragement. They have been weeks full of sweet last visits with friends with a new coffee or lunch date each day. These past couple weeks have filled me to the brim with joy and my heart is SO full. I can’t even begin to explain the overwhelming sense of love I have received from sweet friends and family. The Lord has really showed me over the last few weeks how truly loved and cared for I am by so many. He has showed me that I don’t have to be afraid of the unknown because I have so many awesome friends and family back home praying for me and my safety. These past couple weeks truly have been full of SO many blessings. But they have also been filled with some sadness too.
I knew saying goodbye to the people I’ve known for years and the place I have called home for so long would be extremely hard, but I didn’t think it would be this hard. While these weeks have been filled with great joy and sweet new memories, they have also been filled with great brokenness and heartbreak. It seemed like each day, there was a new person I had to say goodbye to and it really hurt my heart. I thought that maybe they would become easier with the more time that passed and the more goodbyes I said, but they never did. I’ve learned that no goodbye is ever easy. It’s not easy to say goodbye to your old life, because things are comfortable there. You have the people you know and love surrounding you and you’re in a familiar place that feels like home. But through the heartbreak I’ve gone through since getting home from training camp, the Lord has taught me that you have to say goodbye in order to say hello. He has showed me that He has the biggest adventure ahead of me and I will never be able to fully take hold of that journey if I stay at home where I am comfortable because we were not made for comfort. So while these weeks have hurt my heart and put many cracks in it, I know that it will all be worth it. All the hurt is going to be worth it. The Lord is going to heal these cracks in my heart in the new season and make me so much stronger because of it.
So I have come to the conclusion that I am very done with goodbyes. I have once again confirmed that they are no fun and they hurt a whole lot. But I have also learned that they are necessary in order to say hello to the next adventure God has planned for you. I’m done with goodbyes and I’m ready to say HELLO! Hello to new places and new faces. Hello to new cultures and seeing God in new ways. Hello to being uncomfortable but in the greatest sense of the word because discomfort leads to great growth. Hello to living in a strong community of people who just wanna follow the Lord’s command and love people. Hello to a new season of challenging but fruitful experiences.
I can’t contain the excitement I have for these next 9 months. My heart is in such a good place now and I am so ready for whatever the Lord has for me. I have grown so much in the past couple weeks in who I am and my relationship with Christ. I thank you so much for making this possible. Without all of you, this would have never been possible. Thank you for loving me so well. Thank you for continually pushing me to become more and more like the person God wants me to be. Thank you for your financial support and all your sweet prayers. I’m overwhelmed by all the love and support. With that, I would like to give the great news that I am fully funded. I can’t thank y’all enough.
I ask that you would please continue to pray for me and my team as we venture into the unknown and serve the people of Thailand. We leave for Thailand on September 9th and will be in there until early December and will then go to South Africa after that and I am SO excited.The time has finally come! The Lord has some great things planned and I cannot wait to see what they are!!
Lots of love,
Reya
