December 31st, officially the last day of 2007 and cause for me to reflect on where I was this time last year and what has happened between then and now. It is also cause for me to speculate about the coming year and what it will hold.
This time last year I was relaxing and enjoying the break between semesters, no assignments looming just the promise of a fresh semester and new beginnings. 2007 began for me with the company of friends from both near and far, I spent New Years Eve with Lisa and Paul and Victor...good memories. In 2007 I completed the work required for my bachelor degree in theology and missions. (note I say completed the work, not graduated, because technically I am STILL waiting for my last class to be transfered so I can actually have a diploma...something to look forward to in 2008 I guess.) A highlight of completing that work this year was taking a cultural anthropology class at ACU in May. I was blessed immensely by that experience, saw a lot of old friends and met many new ones. I had my first experience at training an LST team, and a great team we were! I returned to Brazil, the place where my heart lives, for 7 weeks. I left Brazil for the first time not knowing when the next time I would return would be, maybe one of the hardest things I did all year. Included in hard things this year was losing my friend Brian Windell in August. The fact that he's gone is something I am still working through and trying to deal with. In August I also began a new job which I love and which I have already quit, ok so I gave my notice, I still have five days of work left.
And so this is when my mind turns to what 2008 will hold for me. Like I said earlier, five more days of work and some serious packing and getting organized and then I'm off to India. To be completely honest I am very unsure of what to expect from the first five and a half months of 2008. India will be a completely new experience for me. I'm looking forward to getting to know Ray and Ellen better and hopefully to be an encouragement and help to them in their work in India. I also am looking forward to knowing Autumn and Andrew better and hope to be a positive influence in their lives. I'm looking forward to working with Raysha and getting to know her better as well. I'm excited to be in a new country and experience a new culture. I'm excited about the new people I will meet and the friends that I will make. I am excited and bit nervous about the ways in which God is going to grow and change me through this new experience. I am also looking forward to what will be in store for me during the second half of this new year, after I return from India. It's too soon for me to speculate about what life will be like then because so much is going to happen over the next six months. I hope you'll stay tuned in to the blog and accompany me on my journey.
I pray that 2008 will be filled with joy and blessings for you! Happy New Year!
Oh and by the way, there are 8 days left until I leave for India.
No comments:
Post a Comment