New Life

I have begun my new life in Lynchburg, VA.  I have enjoyed spending time with friends in many States along the way.  What a joy it is to be able to connect with friends as if I had never been gone.  I continually sense God's blessing on this next step in the process of returning to Kazakhstan.  Today marks the first day of a six-week time of training and team building.  I am looking forward to getting to know my team members better and learning how to best communicate with one another.  I know I will learn much during this time.

I have already been blessed with many new friendships.  Last weekend I found myself missing my new friends here in Lynchburg in the midst of the joy of seeing old friends, as I spent the weekend in Muncie to attend a friend's wedding.  I am thankful that I already have a small group here.  Although I have only been a part of the group for two weeks, I feel like I belong.  Everyone has welcomed me into the group.  My small group in Muncie was such a blessing and encouragement.  The thought of leaving that group was one of the things that made the move to Lynchburg most difficult.  However, I see how God has provided a new group here.  This doesn't take away the importance of the old, but adds yet another layer of relationships to my life.  I look forward to seeing how these relationships will cause me to grow.

Sometimes the idea of making new friends overwhelms me, especially when I know that I will be leaving them soon.  I think back on the friends that I have had throughout my life (Kenya, CA, MD, IN, Taylor University, CO, Kazakhstan, and now VA) and realize how blessed I am.  However, as I realize this, I also realize how hard it is to leave.  My natural reaction is to want to protect myself from this by not adding more relationships to my life.  However, when I look back, I also realize that there is not one friend that has failed to make my life richer.  The pain of making new friends that I will have to leave becomes worth it when I dwell on the richness of my life.  As the next transition draws closer I hope to be able to hold onto this reminder and not allow the sorrow overwhelm me.