It's incredibly surreal... Has it always been this green? Where did all of these trees come from?! Who are all of these Americans?
This ain't Texas anymore, y'all.
This summer has been quite the adventure. There were so many good moments, & a fair share of difficult ones. But isn't that the case in any God-sized adventure? I've loved each moment of it-- the good, the bad, yes even the ugly. Each of those moments has changed me forever. Some moments broke my heart, & some filled it more than I thought possible.
There was that one semi-embarrassing moment when Amanda & I almost missed our flight & had our names paged a few times over the loud speaker... {Our pilot takes punctuality to a new level...our dads thought the situation was hilarious.}
There were the moments when I realized that different people from my intern team & the community had become my second family. Heart-to-heart conversations, house church, milkshake runs, English classes, evenings spent at the playground & soccer field, endless rounds of UNO.
There was the moment when I gave my Iraqi friend her first Bible & watched her receive it with an amount of joy I've never seen before. So many moments come to mind when I think of her. The day I shared the Gospel with her. The day we watched the Jesus Film together in Arabic & she remembered all of the parts I had shared with her. The day I shared my own story with her. The day she asked me to tell her the story of the wandering son {Luke 15} again, because she thought it was beautiful & couldn't stop thinking about it.
There were moments spent, memories made, & friendships created with many of the short term teams. It's been a privilege to get to know them, lead them, & watch them grow through their experiences in Houston. So many of them have blessed & encouraged me more than they know through in-depth conversations, their eagerness to learn, exposing me to Whataburger for the first time, & watching their passion for Jesus & the nations pour out & make a difference in the community.
There were the moments when my favorite four year old Iraqi boy rode his little bicycle to our apartment at 7 o'clock every morning to draw "pitch-cures" {pictures} for us on our dry erase board. There was the moment that really tugged on my heartstrings when he begged to move with us at the end of the summer. And there were the countless moments when he tackle-hugged each of us & said, "I like you!"
There were the bittersweet moments on the last day of Kids Club, when I realized just how attached I'd gotten to each of the children. My heart melted as I sat in the floor with them, making bracelets & laughing & craving more time with them. And there was the moment when it was time to say goodbye. Tears were shed. Hugs were shared. Many of the kids didn't want to let go...neither did I. Those children taught me that love knows no language, race, or culture. They taught me to see the beauty in life, & that the littlest things take up the most room in your heart.
And there was the moment in the airport when I saw my family & best friends for the first time in two months. There's nothing more refreshing than sharing hugs & happy tears, followed by dinner & ice cream, with the people you love most. The people you can call {& have called on multiple occasions} when your heart is breaking from a situation beyond your control, or when you're feeling a little homesick & need to hear their voices. The people you can count on to pray with you & for you, to encourage you in the midst of frustration, & to give you a little bit of tough love when you need it. {Thanks, Dad.} This adventure wouldn't have been what it was without them & their support.
Like I said, each of these moments has changed me & blessed me beyond measure. I still can't believe God would choose me to be part of this incredible journey, but I'm thankful that He did. He's definitely used it to grow me & mold me more into who He wants me to be as He revealed to me things about Himself that I had forgotten or had yet to learn. Through all of the twists & turns, He's been faithful & He's been good. I'm excited to see what kind of adventures He has planned next!
{I've attached a few pictures that I haven't shared yet. I hope you enjoy them as you catch a glimpse of the various moments that have touched my heart.} :)
"You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of living & loving people in more than one place."
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