Bittersweet Goodbyes (Or "An Open Letter to My Faraway Friends")

For many years, I have been forming deep friendships, only to turn around months or years later and have to say goodbye.  They were graduating or I was graduating.  They were moving or I was moving.  Friends got married and left.  Many (including myself) have moved overseas to serve the Lord in missions.  Even over the course of the next couple of weeks, our team in Mexico will largely disband as missionaries leave after having spent a couple of months to a couple of years working here.  Goodbyes, in many ways, don't seem to ever get any easier.  Yet, as I sit here and reflect, I realize that there is definitely a very sweet element to these bittersweet goodbyes.

Because of the way that God has led our paths, I rejoice to see the newsletters of friends who are doing mission work around the world in India, China, Honduras, Germany, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Egypt, Costa Rica, South Africa, Brazil, Zambia, Spain, Romania, Bosnia, and the "Middle East" (I'm sure that I am missing countries, but those are the ones that come to mind).  I also have friends who have graduated seminary and are serving in many of those countries mentioned above, as well as in the United States and Canada.  This list doesn't even begin to come close to the other hundreds of faithful men and women who are serving the Lord in their careers, families, relationships, and respective congregations.  Facebook, phone calls, emails, and the occasional wonderful visit show a picture of sacrifice and faithfulness in the "mundane" day in, day out of life.  

Though God's calling has led to goodbyes and to lives in vastly different parts of the world, still I am thankful to have a glimpse of the fruit that is being borne by that calling!  It fills my heart to know that the pain and tears of heart-wrenching goodbyes is giving way to tears of joy and thankfulness as I see the wonderful work that God is weaving through the story of our lives.  I am so glad to know you, my dear friends, and I am so glad that you are following the Lord where He has led you.  

OverDrive

Hey there, readers!  I should probably be writing something about Mexico, or missions, or leaving home, or Mother's Day, or (most importantly!!) the greatness of God!  However, I am too overwhelmed by all of those thoughts at the moment, and will have to wait until further reflection to delve back into those waters.  In the meantime, I wanted to share with you all a resource that I have found to be absolutely wonderful, and I hope that you may be able to enjoy it as well!  :-)

In January, I was considering subscribing to Audible, since I really wanted to challenge myself to read more books.  I was a bit disillusioned by the thought of paying for it (especially since I had already done a trial run, and didn't end up using it enough to justify the expense).  Accordingly, I set myself to researching alternatives.  It was through that process that I discovered the app called OverDrive (Here is a link to the website, if you'd like to explore it some more! https://www.overdrive.com)  This lovely little resource is a free app that you can get on your smartphone, or access online, if you prefer.  To use it, you must simply have a free library card that is connected to a library with OverDrive resources.  From there, you just need to follow a few quick steps to set it up.  It's all free, and I have been so pleased with the number of good books I have been able to find on there!  I can say that, at least in my experience, I have found a ton of resources through the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.  I would imagine that many other libraries have similar programs.

Ok, well, that's all for now!  I will let you all look into that, if you're interested, or contact me if you have any further questions or need further glowing reviews!  ;-)

P.S.  I am somewhere around 6 books down so far this year ... and counting!  (I might be forgetting one or two, but that's all that are coming to mind right now!  I also didn't include unfinished books on here.)
-- "Les Miserables," by Victor Hugo
-- "Great Expectations," by Charles Dickens
-- "Watership Down," by Richard Adams
-- "Don't Give Up, Don't Give In," by Louis Zamperini
-- "Out of the Silent Planet," by C. S. Lewis
-- "The Screwtape Letters," by C. S. Lewis

Mini-Vacation and Royal Treatment

Last Monday, I had surgery, but in some ways, it was rather like a spa --

-- They give you as many heated blankets as you want; you just have to ask

-- They put these awesome leg massagers on you before surgery.  Like, seriously, they are the best things ever!  Wondering what it would take to get some...?

-- They gave me some kind of thing in my IV drip that the nurse said was equivalent to a glass of Merlot.  Sweet!  Nice and relaxing.

-- I would probably have remembered more, but whatever they gave me in my IV during the surgery was stronger than a glass of Merlot... let's just put it that way.

Once I got home, though, the real mini-vacation started!

-- My room is full of flowers, interspersed with cards of those who love me.

-- My email inbox was also filled with love and prayers by so many who have impacted my life in incredible ways.

-- I get breakfast, lunch, and dinner in bed everyday.

-- I have ample time to pray, read my Bible, and some other great books that I have been meaning to get to.

-- I have also had plenty of time to crush through some free audiobooks on my phone.

-- Some of my dearest friends (many of whom live at a considerable distance) have come in to visit me.

-- Oh, also, WAY better than pre-heated blankets at the spa, I actually have an electric blanket!!!  GAHHH!!! The best!

-- I have tons of beautiful music to listen to, and can just sit an enjoy it, when I don't have the strength to do anything else.  :-)  (Guys, the new Cinderella soundtrack.  Just wow.)

-- Unlimited Ginger Ale for when I'm feeling queasy.  :-)

There's probably lots more that I could say, but I don't want to make you all jealous... ;-)

All Is Well

He lowers us to raise us
So we can sing His praises
Whatever is His way all is well

He makes us rich and poor
That we might trust Him more
Whatever is His way all is well

Pre-chorus:
All my changes come from Him He who never changes
I'm held firm in the grasp of the Rock of all the ages

Chorus:
All is well with my soul
He is God in control
I know not all His plans
But I know I'm in His hands

He clothes us now then strips us
Yet with His Word equips us
Whatever is His way all is well

And though our seasons change
We still exalt His name
Whatever is His way all is well


Here's a recording of it, too, if you want to listen to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EPQjXIMxv0


Song by Robin Mark

Cultivate Gratitude

One saddening fact that I heard during my training in North Carolina was that American missionaries (or Americans, in general) tend to be some of the most ungrateful people that nationals know.  This is unfathomable and disheartening to those from other countries, as they can easily see how MUCH Americans have for which to be grateful, especially as compared with people from almost anywhere else in the world.  We were challenged, therefore, to focus on cultivating hearts of gratitude, over the course of our time in missions training.  It was a true challenge, at times, but one that I want to continue to take up!  So, here are a few things that I'm grateful for today!

-- Amazing access to medical help, and the ability to afford it.  I am so thankful for the way that God has provided for me to have all of the medical attention that I have needed, and that, as I look over my past, I can see how He has ultimately been the one to heal my body.

-- I am so thankful for my loving family, who all live very close to me in Pittsburgh (at least, at this moment).  ;-)  It is a blessing to be able to see each of them multiple times a week, even though three of my siblings are now moved out of the house.

-- I am so so grateful for First Evangelical Free Church, and the dear relationships that I have had there, since I was two years old.  I am thankful that it is a place where the Gospel is clearly preached from the pulpit, as well as life-on-life.  My heart is full as I think of the dear saints who have weathered many storms there and chosen a path of humility, sacrifice, grace, forgiveness, patience, and love.  I am thankful for the precious friends who are no longer there, but have gone on to faithfully serve the Lord and His church elsewhere.

-- I could probably go on all day, talking about Mexico, Cedarville, the seminary, CIT (training), and all of the dear people that I have met at those places and the wonderful, godly men and women who have poured into my life so much more than I could ever in my wildest, most selfish dreams have hoped to deserve.  I am thankful for God's grace, and lavishing me with so many good gifts that I could never deserve.  I am thankful for Christ, because even if I had never been given any of these sweet gifts, so prized by the world ... because I have Christ, I have all.




Note:  I hope to do another gratitude post again before too long, but I needed to cut this one short for now, because I could literally be writing for days.  The cool thing is, that, although complaining and self-pity lead to more complaining and self-pity... the same is true for gratitude!  Once I begin to focus on all the good things that God has given me, it's hard to stop!  (And, unlike complaining, there's no reason TO stop!  Haha!)

The Mind of a (Cross-Cultural) Servant

I spent the whole month of February in North Carolina at a pre-field missions training, whose goal was to "equip the heart and mind of a servant".  Although the trainings lasted 6-8 hours per day (not counting homework), I will try to briefly highlight some of the most important ideas I am taking away.  We were encouraged to keep "snapshot" cards to encapsulate nuggets that we took away from different elements of the training.  Here are some of mine:

-- "Transition deficit" is when we feel that we are losing more (from the country/situation that we are leaving) than we have yet gained (in the new country/situation to which we have moved).  Transition shock is different than simply culture shock.

-- I thank the LORD that He is using the difficulty and uncertainty of transitions to develop His character in me ... and that my lessons/growth can also lead to blessing and encouragement for others. 

-- A greater self-awareness and awareness of others should lead to more humility, grace, patience, unity, and love.

--"The cross is the lightening rod of grace that short-circuits God's wrath to Christ so that only the light of His love remains for believers." -- A. W. Tozer

-- We may impress people with our strengths, but we connect with people through our weaknesses.

-- "The best thing that you can do for your first year overseas is survive.  Eventually, if you stay there long enough, by God's grace, you'll thrive." -- Andy LaBreche, one of the facilitators for the training

-- If you don't go humbly, don't go!

--  Spiritual warfare is an opportunity for God's power to be displayed.

-- In regard to spiritual warfare: We do not need to be afraid; we need to be alert. 

-- We often used the phrase of different cultural elements that they were "not right or wrong, just different."  One of my friends and fellow trainees added yet another consideration:  To say "It's not right or wrong, it's just different" implies that we are still the standard by which the customs of the rest of the world must be judged.  Instead, we should seek to see our OWN culture as neither right nor wrong, just different.

This is just a tiny sampling of the many things that we discussed at the training, but I hope to continue to share more as I review that time.  Stay tuned!

Yet Constantly I Am with You

Over the past month and a half, I have learned and grown a lot through intensive pre-field trainings and retreats.  God has been sharpening my ministry skills, as well as purifying my heart.  Through it all, I have seen how much I need the presence of the Lord in my life in order to produce any fruit spiritually.  He has also been my deep source of comfort throughout a staggering number of meetings and goodbyes; much travel; and just feeling overwhelmed by the pace of it all.  He is the One who never changes, and my heart rests securely in Him.  

This psalm (73C) has been in my heart and on my lips a lot over the past many days.  I hope that it is an encouragement to you as well!

Yet constantly I am with You; 
You've taken hold of my right hand.
Your counsel shows me what to do,
And guides me in the things I plan; 
And afterward, so shall it be,
You will with honor welcome me.

Are You not all I have in heav'n? 
None else on earth do I desire.
Though human strength come to an end --
My flesh may fail, my heart expire --
My heart's strength God Himself will be,
My portion through eternity.

Those far from You will surely die, 
Who dealt with You unfaithfully.
But as for me, I will draw nigh.
How good that God is near to me!
I refuge take in God the LORD,
That all your works I may record.