At Long Last

My visa arrived today! After all of the waiting, I'll be leaving this Friday afternoon. I was going to feel really silly if I didn't get to leave, after so many friends and family came to the going away party last night. =-) Yesterday was a really special day, from start to finish. My pastor did a commissioning service during church, which was a real blessing to me. I was really emotional, which I knew was going to happen. It's a little difficult to explain the emotions, since people read a lot into them. I've had quite a few people(at least a dozen) ask if I've had second thoughts about leaving. And I'm sure that upon seeing my tears yesterday, there were probably a few more people thinking along the same lines.

Let me start by saying that not once over the last year have I had second thoughts about what I'm getting ready to do. The time of thinking and praying about all of this has been such a long process for me, that once everything came together, I knew without any doubt that this is what I was to do. And once I knew what I was to do, the only thing I could do was obey. At this point, I'm stepping forth both in trust and in obedience.

I have always been a fairly sentimental person and therefore, this past year has been a year of many emotions for me. I have thought about things in terms of "Lasts"(at least for a while anyway): my last Fall, last Christmas at home, last day with my car =-), last time I see friends and family, last Mexican meal(a truly difficult last), and my last Sunday at church. Again, it doesn't mean I'm having second thoughts, it just means I'm thinking. My brother teases me about this sentimentality, but it's just part of what makes me ME. And though I've thought a lot about my "Lasts", I'm also very much looking forward to my "Firsts" : getting to meet the Sharers(teammates I haven't met before), joining in the ministry of the team, moving into my apartment, having the girls over for the first time, developing new relationships and discipleship opportunities and many, many other things. There are a lot of great things waiting over there for me. I just want to be sure that I say my goodbyes here first. Call me......sentimental...................