Reflecting

Before Picture

June 9, 2013. Seth and I left Jackson, Mississippi to move across the Atlantic. 

There were lots of "unknowns" before us---where will we live? who will our friends be? how will we talk to family? when will we come back? and so many more. We refused to be blinded by the unknowns, and we leaned on the what we knew as truth. 

God has called us to serve Him, and we are going to be obedient. Our ministry is going to be working with international youth, and our only experience is actually being a youth a few years back. We are going to learn a new language, and we have 6 weeks to do it. We have 4 suitcases, and we are pretty sure everything we own will be useless in the desert. Luckily, we aren't on our own. The phrase "God has gone before you, will go with you, and will remain" is certainly true in our situation. 

We did Paris for 6 weeks. It was a great season. We spent some much-needed time "just us". After being dorm parents for over a year, fundraising like crazy for 4 months, and saying emotional goodbyes, we soaked up time together. It was the first time in our married lives we had privacy and an actual break. We did language study 5 hours every day, and the other 19 (well, we slept a little) we saw Paris. I forced Seth to go with me to every monument, museum, and anything slightly interesting. We lived in a 27 square meter apartment with a bed that pulled down from the ceiling and cooked all our food in a microwave. We went almost 2 months without driving a car. We walked 6-7 miles a day and ate apples for dinner. In reflection, those were the "salad days". The days I look back on as fresh and remember when this adventure started. 

August 1, 2013, we packed up our bags again and headed to Ouagadougou. We were greeted with hugs from our field contacts and taken to the Baptist Mission. We began preparing our house, learned to drive, and started our ministry beginning our first day in country. That's pretty quick! Our first year involved a lot of learning experiences--students, ministry, living overseas, marriage. We ate a lot of spaghetti and homemade pizzas. But we made it. Fall 2013 through Spring 2014 had its share of frustrations and struggles, but they made Year 2 seem easier. After a rough first year, we came back stateside for a few weeks of summer R&R. We went back ready to conquer Year 2.

 Fall 2014 was a blur, filled with youth events, Bible studies, my parents' visit, teaching English, conferences and trips, and taking grad classes. Every night was an activity or event. I was never so happy to see the end of a semester because I was exhausted. As Spring 2015 took off, we knew we needed to finish strong our last semester. 

May 20, 2015, we boarded our final plane leaving the Ouagadougou airport. We left with tears in our eyes and heavyhearted. Such a mix of emotions. Feeling uncertain about future plans, but knowing God has our lives in His hands. Saying goodbye was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. My heart broke with every hug to our students and friends. I wanted to put into words how much each person meant, but the sob in my throat kept the words from coming. I never could have expected to have such an amazing community when God called us to Burkina. To form relationships that will last a lifetime.  

After Picture

Over 2 years, I learned more about myself than I could have imagined. I saw myself in the most "good, bad, and ugly" way. Having conversations in French with women in the market to ignoring phone calls to yelling at neighbor kids. At the end of some days, I would try to distinguish how many emotions I had experienced. It was usually every corner of the spectrum. I began our term as a 22 year old whose biggest struggles were homesickness and cooking in Africa, and I ended our term as a 24 year old who has seen students give their lives to Christ and, in turn, desire true life change. I am honest in saying that I am so glad God can use me in spite of myself. That God can use me in my weaknesses and make Himself known. I've learned about the character of God. I've learned about being faithful and depending on His strength because I have nothing else and am running on empty.

As we enter this new season of transition, I'm reminded of where we have come from and where we are headed. I know the road isn't going to be easy, but I am thankful I don't have to do it on my own. Praise God for being beyond sufficient and always present in my struggles! I love the song Christ is Enough by Hillsong, and it is particularly true for this season. He is enough, and I am eternally grateful that my final home is in heaven.

"Christ Is Enough"

Christ is my reward
And all of my devotion
Now there's nothing in this world
That could ever satisfy

Through every trial
My soul will sing
No turning back
I've been set free

Christ is enough for me
Christ is enough for me
Everything I need is in You
Everything I need

Christ my all in all
The joy of my salvation
And this hope will never fail
Heaven is our home

Through every storm
My soul will sing
Jesus is here
To God be the glory

I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back
No turning back

The cross before me
The world behind me
No turning back
No turning back