Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Nearing the end...

Well, we're almost finished our 2.5 years in Thailand and I'm having to remind myself of this a lot these days....

Hahaha.... I'm kidding (kind of) ;)

But there is indeed a lot to get done in these last days.  For quite a while, it felt as though the list just kept getting longer and longer, but rather than getting things checked OFF the list, they were being added faster than we could accomplish them.  It was getting to be a bit defeating at times.

 But, I'm happy to report that we're making good headway on crossing things off now, and its helping the stress level diminish, which means the excitement can build!!

As I look forward to re-engaging in Canada with friends and family, I must admit there are still many things I will miss about our life here in Thailand.  

Here are a few of them, in no particular order......

Ganyaa.... this woman is near and dear to my heart.
Gonna miss her a TON!
Ganyaa & Mae Dtu... love these women and so thankful God brought
them into our lives.  Still confident they WILL find Jesus! 

Our teammates, Jason & Corina.
When we return to Thailand in September, they won't be here anymore.
Just writing that makes me teary-eyed.
OK, moving on before I completely lose it.... ;(

Each one of the kids that come to our Sunday morning outreach every week.
Love these kids.

Ridiculously cheap and DELICIOUS Thai food and drinks.
Honestly... nothing compares.

Our house.
This place has become a true haven for me.
A place of peace and rest.
Thankful for it everyday.

Sunshine.
Now, don't be fooled.
I WILL NOT miss the humidity, but I will miss the guarantee of sun everyday. ;)

Our teammates

And of course,
my dear, dear friend, Lauren.
Literally wouldn't have survived these last 2.5 years without her.
Her friendship is one of those rare and precious gifts that comes along once in a lifetime.
Though we don't live in the same city anymore,
I'll still miss being in the same time zone as her and our regular texts and FaceTime calls.


So as I reflect on this past term, and I look at these pictures (and there are many more I could add), 
it reminds me again of the fact that God has never once left our side.  
There have been some tough times.... and I mean, tough.... 
but the gifts he has blessed us with... 
the relationships, the opportunities, the people....
I know this is where we were meant to be.
God has taught us more about ourselves than we ever dreamed possible.
He's stretched us and he's moulded us into more of the people he wants us to be.
And more than anything, He's shown us more of who he is as our Father...
loving, gracious, compassionate and oh so patient.
I'm humbled that He's called us to this journey and I'm eternally thankful for the fact that He promises to be here every step of the way. 

I can't wait to see what He has in store for us next :)