I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I will miss while I am gone. I figured I would miss the typical stuff – hot showers, reliable internet, a cell phone, the ability to find chocolate whenever I want. But over the last few weeks I have realized just how much I love the people I interact with on a daily basis and I am overwhelmed. I have been shown crazy-amazing support for this trip through monetary donations alone. But even beyond that, my friends and family are so excited about what I am doing that they will share my story with complete strangers and go out of their way to make sure everyone knows what I am getting into.
I knew I would miss my friends and family, but I didn’t know it would be this strong of a feeling. I just spent a weekend on retreat with my junior high students and had a blast. I have watched them grow so much over the last couple of years and I’m excited for where they are going. But I am going to miss a whole year of their lives – that is a LONG time for a junior high student. They are going to be entirely different people when I see them again. And I am going to miss that so much.
I live with the coolest most awesome people on the planet, and I totally did not expect that to happen. To live with two strong Christian women who are immensely supportive, loving, can sing beautifully, and be super silly is a gift. I am going to miss listening to them sing Broadway tunes and practice for Sunday worship in our living room so much.
I work with some really great people all around at the hospital. I was hopeful that I would like my first job when I graduated, but I did not expect the amazing amount of support that I have received and continue to receive. My coworkers – fellow nurses, techs, secretaries, therapists of all kinds, and really everyone I run into – are the biggest reason I am happy to go to work in the morning. I will truly miss working with such great people. They are always there to help and to have a good laugh. I know they have my back when it’s a rough day.
The prospect of leaving all of that behind is frightening, but this is not supposed to be easy. We talked with my junior high students on retreat about having to “quit” things in order to have time to get closer to Jesus and follow his will. I didn’t realize it at first, but not only am I quitting a lot of things, I’m quitting a lot of people too. People that I truly love and care about. This is going to hurt and sting and be really hard, but it is going to allow me to break away from all that is comfortable and familiar so that Jesus can use me without distractions. I will make new friends, new families and develop a deeper love for Jesus than I ever could here at home where I am comfortable. I’m used to taking the easy way in my relationship with Jesus, so it is only necessary that I take drastic measures to go deeper and get away from my usual distractions, and get out of my comfort zone.
So if I happen to run into you in the next few weeks and can’t stop blubbering about how much I love you (or if I just shut down and can’t express myself), just understand that I am trying to process all that is about to change. And that I really do love you.
Updates: I am almost 75% funded! This is amazing! Just a side note, as I get closer to my goal, anything that I raise over the total will go into the general Adventures in Missions fund. Anything made out to me will be used for flight tickets and malaria medications!
I have official departure dates for launch: Either June 27 or 28. Please keep me in your prayers on those days as I embark on this amazing journey.
