Hello Goodbye

“You say goodbye and I say hello. Hello, hello. I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello”
The Beatles

Hello blog.  I’ve been away for quite some time.  When trying to summarize the last month of my life hellos and goodbyes just kept coming to mind.  My location and my emotions have both been all over the place over the last 5 weeks, but it has been really wonderful time.

I think that one of the hardest things about my life right now is that the only constant is change.  Well, that and Jesus.  And I am so thankful for Jesus.  Honestly in the midst of so many hellos and goodbyes and feeling like a fish out of water and unknown by so many people… I am so thankful that my home lies in knowing Jesus and resting in Him.  He knows me on the good days and the bad days and the days when my heart is just ugly.  And He loves me, and he pursues me, and He reminds me that His love is good and sweet and full of hope and belonging.  And there I find rest.  I lay my anxiety at His feet and I am able to just rest.  I have never been so aware of how sweet that is until now.

Hello/Goodbye #1
On December 10th I said goodbye to my two dear friends here in Costa Rica, Abby and Abbey, and also to some dear families who are headed around Latin America.  Abby was in my class all summer and fall and we lived life together every day.  We went on vacation, ate lots of ice cream, ran errands, studied the Word, prayed, studying Spanish… I’m so thankful for each of those days and I wish she was still here.  Abbey is my younger sister in heart, we decided that we may as well be family.  She loves Jesus with her whole heart and has a desire to love and serve people well and see them know the Lord.  I think she’ll be bringing her nursing/Spanish-speaking self to see me in Honduras :)  She better…

Hello/Goodbye #2
Surprise family and friends!  I’m home for Christmas :)  Making the decision to stay in language school gave me a couple weeks off for Christmas so I spent it at home with family and friends.  If you haven’t watched the surprise videos on a previous post, you should because they are great!  I didn’t include the one where my friend Katy was so excited that she yelled “SHUT UP” and threw an open jar of peanut butter at my mom.  HA!  Time at home was full of chick-fil-a, baking, moes, visiting, steak, games, trader joes, shopping, snow and more food :)  I wanted to eat everything that I’ve missed all at one time.  One huge highlight was getting to visit my friend Halla who is living near Charlotte and spending time with the sweet girls who made the roadtrip with me.  I also loved singing at the Christmas Eve service with my family, even Xan and Bethany, which is a minor miracle!  I hate that I got bronchitis while there, but that’s what happens when you go from the tropics to the freezing weather.  Also, I got made fun of for wearing socks with my shoes and having pants that were too short… Cassie kindly informed me that it was time to go shopping.  I love that I got to see her for a longer period of time than we have spent together since college!  And of course, I love my family and pseudo-family and getting to spend lots of time with them!

Hello/Goodbye #3
Four girls from home, Tyler, Sara, Cori, and Mary came to visit me in Honduras, so off we went :)  It was wonderful!  We had some relaxing vacation time and then worked with my team.  We cleaned house and sorted school supplies, hung out with kids from Armenia Bonito, presented the Gospel in Spanish using the colors on a Gospel bracelet, attended church, and just hung out.  I loved it and I love that they know my life there now.  Well… my future life there.  And I got to spend time with my team and start to really be able to see my life there.  I have a house lined up and an idea of what I’ll be doing… and I’m just excited.  I didn’t want to leave.  You know what’s crazy… I felt more at home in Honduras than anywhere else right now even though it’s the only place I haven’t lived yet.  That can only be the Lord.  And I’m so ready to be there permanently.

Hello/Goodbye #4
I got back to Costa Rica at 10pm Monday night in time to start classes on Tuesday morning.  I’m foolish.  Over the break I found out that it takes me about 5 days to adjust to being in a new place.  So if you spent time with me before 5 days in a new country… forgive me.  I was socially awkward and a little unstable.  So, now I’m there again.  Thanks travel.  But no worries.  I’ll normalize soon and be back to myself again.  Still socially awkward and a little unstable, but without an excuse for it! :)

Thanks for putting up with this novel, now you’re caught up on my life… ish.