I've got to be honest, it's a little unreal that I am back on Kona. All of the PhotogenX outreach teams arrived back yesterday at various times. I spent the hour before I went to bed sitting outside on my back porch, in my new room, listening the amazing sound of pouring rain coming down in front of me, dripping ever so refreshingly on my toes. It was a moment of peace, of excitement, of hope, of vision, of accomplishment and of rest.
For the past 2 1/2 months, I was on "Go Mode". I didn't realize how exhausting it had become either until I came to a place that will forever be ingrained in my heart as a home for me. I didn't realize how heavy I had been, how I had been fighting and wrestling for the past couple of months. India provided some of the hardest times for me, but it also provided some of the best. Ridiculously amazing and awful memories were made. At the end of the day, my soul and heart cry out "God Is GOOD!" No matter what hardships came my way, along with them came the faithfulness of my amazing Father, who I am honored by, who is pleased with ME. India was struggle, but it was also victory. I will refrain from going into so much detail, because the treasures that the Lord birthed inside of my heart over these past 6 months, I would much rather share in person. So please, if you would like to hear it, I would love to tell it.
I am sitting here in the common area of the two rooms that connect with various girls from each team. I get to room with one of my very best friends here, Emily... We roomed together in Lecture Phase. Right next store in 2 of my other roommates, Elizabeth and Michelle. I also have some of one of my from DTS in my room, and the other two in the room across the common area. I sit here... in a cool room, as the Hawaiian breeze comes through the double doors that have a porch connected to them... I look out the windows and I see the mountains in the distance. "I'm after your heart" by Misty Edwards is playing... I am finally in a dress with Toms! This morning we had worship, finally all 50 of us in the whole DTS is back together. We shared a couple of stories, reflected on expectations that were or weren't met, and enjoyed the pleasure of the Father over us. Coming home to my family here has been incredible. I didn't realize how much of a real family we had created during Lecture phase, until I came back and experienced last night and this morning with all of them. I couldn't help but cry as I thought about leaving. I didn't expect to miss them as much honestly, I didn't expect to not want to leave them, I didn't expect to have this feeling in my heart like somehow I belong here and some day I am coming back. What that would entail, I do not know... but I do know there is this feeling my heart I could not deny if I wanted to. I have fallen in love with the people here, with Kona, with India... God has done something in me that will forever be ingrained in my heart. It is undeniable... and all of the prophesies over me saying "You will never be the same" ring truer than I imagined. Again, God is GOOD! I am so thankful. My heart is overflowing with thanksgiving to my Abba. I am deeply in love with Jesus, I am overwhelmed by God, I am filled with the Holy Spirit.
I want to thank all of you again who have participated with me in this journey. Whether you gave financially, whether you invested prayer, whether you listened to me, whether you were touched by the words in my journal... in whatever way you experienced some of this season with me... Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I literally could not have done it without you, and I am deeply thankful for you. This season of my life has been the most rewarding season of my life. I am so excited for what my Father has planned for me. I am overly joyed for the life that we have together, diving into the depths of each others hearts. I am full of vision, purpose, and identity. God is Good.
I will write more later. Throughout the week about little things that the Lord is doing in my heart. And probably about what the next season for me holds, or at least the dreams I have for it.
May Abba bless you, keep you close, and overwhelm you with His goodness as He has done for me.
from the crappy kona breakfasts' to alli drive to corporate worship to that long walk up the university hill to the plaza of nations to the myriad of other nationalities at your lunch table...you will miss kona. and you will mourn your friends and your life there. you will. but i think you hit the nail on the head...it's one of your homes. you'll be back. and it'll be just as magical. i promise.
ReplyDeletePerfect ending to a masterpiece of a season.
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