What happend in Rome...

After a LONG flight home, I finally arrived in Riga at 3am this morning! But praise God we arrived safe and sound, as we had to wait over and over again at the airport in Amsterdam because of “technical difficulties”! That is always such a nice way of putting it, don’t you think?

Anyway, this trip was more than beautiful for my whole being! Mind, body, and especially spirit! If any of you have been reading my updates or have spoken with me in the past months you could be sure to know that I have been struggling quite a bit. My spirit has just been a little down since I arrived here in Latvia. Not that I have had a terrible time so far. Not that I haven’t seen the Lord working here and in me. Not that I am second-guessing this calling.
I have just been felling different than ever before since I have come here for the “long term”. There have been many close friends and family of mine that have commented on my mood. How I am just “not my self” and I am “different”. All of what has made me quite uneasy about how I am handling this transition and this call of “missionary”, wondering if I am cut out for this, wondering if someone else should be here instead.

Jesus is SO GOOD TO ME!!!! I met with 35 women from all over Eastern Europe, who are also in full time missions, and who are my sisters in JV, and about half of those were SINGLE women!!!! And I got to talk to so many of them, ask them all the questions that I had about this crazy world that I just entered, and had some questions answered that I didn’t even know to ask!

One of which came on the last night together and I was talking to two singles that have been on the field for 2 to 3 years, Christina and Anna. We were just talking and Christina asked how long I had been in Latvia. I told her that I had been there for a little over 4 months. She just sighed (in unison with Anna!) and said, oh so you are not doing so good are you? And I just stood there in wonder. How did she know? So I asked what does she mean and she just said that looking back that part of her time in her new country was the hardest time of her life, and looking back she cannot believe how hard it really was, and was trying to think about how she got through it!

As she and Anna spoke about their transition they echoed my life right now and what I am going through and how people are responding to me in this time. It was such a relief to know I am not the only one, to know that this is quite normal!!

So…I am ok! Even if I am not ok! I will get through, and even better than “getting through” I will see God holding me, I will rest in Christ in me!!! It will get better, I will see light, I will see joy, I will!

What a blessing that was!

I also got to talk with many other women, one being a single missionary that has been in missions for over 10 years in Poland. Susan is nothing short of a true inspiration! She taught me about expectation of people, being the nationals, being people back home, being supporters, and how we will never make everyone happy with how we serve the Lord! We talked about money, and ministry, about being single and about living the “long term”. It was a much needed, much appreciated time! Thanks you Susan!!

And with all this wonderfulness, I got to see ROME!!! Here are the pictures! It was amazing! And to think about Jesus, the creator of the mind that created all of this!!! WOW!!!

(click the picture to see more pictures)

So now I am back and ready to take on LIFE!!!! Whatever that may hold!

Comment me, email me, or call me!!!! I want to share more!!!! (If you want to hear it!)