leavings

To anyone and everyone who gave me the best farewell week ever...thank you.

It started last weekend at the theater when co-workers actually realized I was truly leaving for the summer. They were incredibly good at acting sad that I wasn't going to be around constantly. ;)

Then Youth Sunday. I am heavily involved in my home youth group, and last Sunday was our special youth-run service. Halfway through the rehearsal for the band, it hit me that I won't be around for a while. I won't see these kids that I've grown so used to being around. I'm really going to miss them, I'm going to miss out on experiences and mission trips and Student Life for the second year in a row. And it didn't really make an impact until I realized on Sunday morning that I am missing out on that. I haven't cried so much in church in years. My youth pastor was absolutely precious when he told me that he's mad at me for leaving.

Then Sunday night, my last youth group. I spoke on Monuments and how they're viewed in the Bible. (Basically, I found 4 biblical purposes for monuments: to remember good times; to remember hard times; to remember the actions of God/people; to remember your heritage.) The kids responded well and started using the word, "monumental." (Point for me!) They all gathered around and prayed for me, for safe travels, for the impact I'm going to make, for the people I'm staying with, for my ministry in the youth group to continue.

All week I was saying goodbye to friends as the occasions happened. A few of them were hard to say goodbye; a few of them were so darn excited for me that it was difficult to feel loneliness.

On Thursday evening, my family invited several of my close friends and our neighbors over for dinner and a movie. We played Apples to Apples for hours; ate until we felt sick; watched "The Rescuers." Life is good.

Then last night, I realized I am really leaving my family for the entire summer. I'm so used to being around them all the time that it's going to be difficult to not have them around. The Michael Jackson Dance Experience Wii game will gather dust this summer because I won't be pushing them to play with me. They'll go see movies without me and vice versa. They'll have experiences in church and with friends that I'm completely missing out on.

I'll be honest: I completely LOVED these past few months. No UNO. Preparing for Louisiana Tech. Having a smartphone. Working two jobs--one at the movie theater which I LOVE and will miss deeply, and one at my church as the media intern which I also loved. Watching movies. Being with friends. Being at home with my family. Developing friendships with certain people. I'm leaving a chapter of my life that I will never be able to return to.

As tough as that is, I also noticed that I'm going to be okay on my own. I'm doing something that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it involves some sacrifices. I know I'm heading into a life adventure that will change the way I view foreign missions, Australia, and community churches. It's making my summer worthwhile (not that working and watching movies isn't, but you know what I mean). And it's a springboard into whatever comes next. Life is good. God is good.

All I gotta do is find a way to survive this 13 hour layover in Los Angeles and the 15 hour flight to Sydney...