We officially got our tickets three days ago. We leave on the 19th of September. I get one week of early fall before re-entering my endless summer that started last June. Don't get me wrong, I love summer and I love Venezuelan weather in a crazy person sort of way. I just never missed fall until I couldn't have it. Ain't that how it goes. We're now closing in on seven days. That's a week. I think I just had an internal freak out writing that.
There is something I really want to write here on this blog though beyond my seemingly obsessive thoughts. I am sad to leave. I am excited to go to Venezuela. It feels like I've talked about it long enough that it should have materialized before me by now. You know, "blah blah blah... my friend Haifa... oh and there she is now! Literally there's my friends and the colorful bus that plays ear breaking music! Wahooo!" That's unfortunately not how things went though it would have been interesting to experience.
Anyways, I'm excited to go back but sad to leave. That makes sense with leaving family and friends again. I don't think that actually gets easier with time. I may have gotten better at holding tears at bay but my heart has hurt no less during these goodbyes. That makes sense. What I am just in awe by is how sad I am to leave Waynesfield. Going into this summer I didn't think I'd feel this way about it. I really thought I would be screaming "get me outta here!" Nope, I'd actually like to stay thank you very much. God's funny, isn't He.
I've been in this town since second grade, whatever age that is. I grew up here. Some of my best friends come from this place and it was through His intervention in this community I came to know Jesus. Then college came and Columbus is this dazzling city where so much growth happened. Plus, I just sort of turned into a city girl. I love to walk and ride a bike to places that are so close and sometimes far. The vibrancy and atmosphere won me over before I even got to Columbus.
When I came back this summer I longed to live in C-bus. I remember staying there for a weekend early on and crying as I drove back to Waynesfield. Somewhere during the four years of college I had transitioned from Waynesfield being my home to Columbus being my home. Granted family wasn't there but in terms of where I felt that I belonged, it was Columbus. It makes sense considering how much I had grown while there and just simply learned to really claim a place as my own little niche in the world. This summer God slowly brought my heart to reside a bit more in Waynesfield, probably more than it did even before I left five years ago. I would still love to live in Columbus again. I think it's a great city. But as for belonging and growing, well that can happen anywhere, including a hometown.
I have loved meeting with so many of my ministry partners this summer. I'm not saying that to just be nice either. It was a genuine form of community across this town, and beyond, I couldn't have imagined. Last summer it was nice to meet people or explain my passion for missions in Venezuela. This summer it was amazing to share what God had done this past year and hear more about what He was doing in people's lives right here in Waynesfield and the surrounding area. I loved hearing people's hearts for local ministry, family, and friends. They encouraged me greatly and prayed for me much in regards to my own ministry. This was with many people I hadn't really talked to or met before last summer, even if I had known their names due to the small size of this town. It has been an amazing experience to meet these people and see God at work in such a small place.
I have even been given the privilege to go to a small group the past month from my home church. It's the first small group for the church and has been such a blessing for me to be a part of. To share with people in different places in life, come together and study the Word of God and pray is so powerful and I have learned much. To experience God is always powerful and to do that with others is better than a Reese's cup. (I have been peanut butter deprived this past year so that seems like a drastic thing to me).
God is doing so much in this small town and in my home church. I am just flabbergasted by what I've witnessed Him do in a few months and am excited to see what He continues to do here. I will continue to pray for this town and that God's Holy fire would fall down just as it did when Elijah called it down. I pray revival is nearing Ohio, nearing Waynesfield. I find even now I cannot put into words how encouraging, loving, and supportive everyone has been to me. This is such a blessing from God. I did not except it nor could have imagined at the beginning of this summer how good it would all be.
God is good and He truly does bless us. He is preparing me through this time for the upcoming season of Venezuela and I am glad He choose to do it here, in Waynesfield. I am sad to leave this place and think that's a wonderful thing. That means I was here, really here, where God wanted me to be. What better thing than to be where God has you?
Anyways, I'm excited to go back but sad to leave. That makes sense with leaving family and friends again. I don't think that actually gets easier with time. I may have gotten better at holding tears at bay but my heart has hurt no less during these goodbyes. That makes sense. What I am just in awe by is how sad I am to leave Waynesfield. Going into this summer I didn't think I'd feel this way about it. I really thought I would be screaming "get me outta here!" Nope, I'd actually like to stay thank you very much. God's funny, isn't He.
I've been in this town since second grade, whatever age that is. I grew up here. Some of my best friends come from this place and it was through His intervention in this community I came to know Jesus. Then college came and Columbus is this dazzling city where so much growth happened. Plus, I just sort of turned into a city girl. I love to walk and ride a bike to places that are so close and sometimes far. The vibrancy and atmosphere won me over before I even got to Columbus.
When I came back this summer I longed to live in C-bus. I remember staying there for a weekend early on and crying as I drove back to Waynesfield. Somewhere during the four years of college I had transitioned from Waynesfield being my home to Columbus being my home. Granted family wasn't there but in terms of where I felt that I belonged, it was Columbus. It makes sense considering how much I had grown while there and just simply learned to really claim a place as my own little niche in the world. This summer God slowly brought my heart to reside a bit more in Waynesfield, probably more than it did even before I left five years ago. I would still love to live in Columbus again. I think it's a great city. But as for belonging and growing, well that can happen anywhere, including a hometown.
I have loved meeting with so many of my ministry partners this summer. I'm not saying that to just be nice either. It was a genuine form of community across this town, and beyond, I couldn't have imagined. Last summer it was nice to meet people or explain my passion for missions in Venezuela. This summer it was amazing to share what God had done this past year and hear more about what He was doing in people's lives right here in Waynesfield and the surrounding area. I loved hearing people's hearts for local ministry, family, and friends. They encouraged me greatly and prayed for me much in regards to my own ministry. This was with many people I hadn't really talked to or met before last summer, even if I had known their names due to the small size of this town. It has been an amazing experience to meet these people and see God at work in such a small place.
I have even been given the privilege to go to a small group the past month from my home church. It's the first small group for the church and has been such a blessing for me to be a part of. To share with people in different places in life, come together and study the Word of God and pray is so powerful and I have learned much. To experience God is always powerful and to do that with others is better than a Reese's cup. (I have been peanut butter deprived this past year so that seems like a drastic thing to me).
God is doing so much in this small town and in my home church. I am just flabbergasted by what I've witnessed Him do in a few months and am excited to see what He continues to do here. I will continue to pray for this town and that God's Holy fire would fall down just as it did when Elijah called it down. I pray revival is nearing Ohio, nearing Waynesfield. I find even now I cannot put into words how encouraging, loving, and supportive everyone has been to me. This is such a blessing from God. I did not except it nor could have imagined at the beginning of this summer how good it would all be.
God is good and He truly does bless us. He is preparing me through this time for the upcoming season of Venezuela and I am glad He choose to do it here, in Waynesfield. I am sad to leave this place and think that's a wonderful thing. That means I was here, really here, where God wanted me to be. What better thing than to be where God has you?
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