Ready or not, the adventures about to begin

Well, I am officially spending my last day in Indiana for 2 years. I leave for Dallas Texas at 6:40am! Wow, has time honestly sped up and am I really getting ready to leave everything behind and start this new chapter and journey in my life? Yep, I sure am and I am both excited but also a little anxious. I am ready to meet everyone at my placement site and to see what God has in store for me down there but it’s hard to leave my home and everyone behind.

 I was glad to spend 1 last Sunday with my home church (Poplar Grove United Methodist Church) and speak to them about how I got to where I am right now (partnering with the General Board of Global Ministries) and what it is that I will be doing these next 2 years, even though there is a lot of logistics that I am not aware of right now. Attending church was a good way to end my time spent at home and knowing that I have the prayers and support of my home church and church family is a great feeling and appreciated! I don’t know what I would be doing if it weren’t for their prayers and support through this entire adventure. When I had doubts about the path I chose, they were the first ones I went to for prayers (well, besides 2 of my best friends). It will be interesting to see what church God leads me to and where it is that I am going to call “home” for the next 2 years.

So, as I titles this post, “ready or not, the adventures about to begin” and that is exactly how I feel right now as I have been saying my final good-byes, packing, and getting everything ready for Texas. For this adventure, I don’t know the chapters or the pages in the book but God does and I am following Him on this adventure! I am praying that I am ready but even if I am not, the adventure is about to begin. So, am I ready for this adventure, am I ready to leave, and what's ahead of me??? Those are things I can't fully answer but God can!

I can honestly say that the wave of emotions didn’t hit me fully until I started to hug and kiss my niece and nephews and knowing that this is the last time I will be hugging and kissing them for 2 years. That’s probably one of the hardest parts about this journey, leaving my family and nieces and nephews. I have been around them since they were born and have already had to miss birthdays and first day of kindergarten. I am praying that I am ready to leave but they will always be on my mind. They have been a part of me since they were born and they will be dearly missed. I will be saying my last good bye to my parents tomorrow as they drop me off at the airport to catch my flight.

Luke 8:57-62 truly reflects where I am right now. God told those in this passage to follow Him and not go back home, not to say bye to their family, etc and I couldn’t imagine leaving right now without saying bye or spending 1 last night with them. It would have been hard especially since it is hard for me right now to be leaving but I know that God’s got everything under control and He will guide and lead me. My life is in His hands and I trust that He will put me into a community that I will enter into and call my own. That God will lead me to a church that can become a part of my story these next 2 years, that God would put people into my life… Yeah, I put complete trust in God since I have no control and that’s a hard thing for me to deal with since I like knowing what’s going on and having some control but this journey is God’s journey and I am excited about these next 2 years.

 I would love your continued prayers and hope to stay in touch. Hope you are able to follow this blog and see what God’s doing through me and the organization that I am partnering with in Dallas Texas! It’s my goal to post a new blog every other week (so at least twice a month) so keep looking back and feel free to leave a comment since I would LOVE to hear from you all!!

Blessings and praying for you all as I leave!