Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Hearts All Over the World Tonight

I am so blessed, unbelievably blessed to have this experience in Australia. This is experience is made so much easier by such great support from home. Skype, Facebook, and Outlook have saved my life, and I literally thank God for them all the time. Even tonight, I came home from dinner at a friends' house and there was another care package on my front steps. A beautiful manila envelope filled with candy, gum, notes, and my favorite part: drawings from two of my favorite blonde girls (Thank you, Crum family!). Every time I come home to a package or a card or an email or pictures posted on facebook, I can feel the love of home across the 15,000 miles.

Not only am I blessed by amazing support at home, I am also deeply and richly blessed by support and encouragement of my friends, shining God's light abroad. These women are a constant source of peace. They help carry burdens, understand this weird place of missing home and loving your new home, share advice, give perspective to struggles, and compare notes. Hearing of their perseverance and work in the Lord pushes me to do better, to be better. Even in the face of greatest adversity and loss, they rise strong and trusting, following even more closely to Him. Their names may never be known outside our small cirlce, but they have touched many lives and expanded the Kingdom. I am thankful for their examples of faith. I am thankful for their friendships. I am thankful to call them sisters.

To Jana, Rachel, Chelsea, and Kelsey,
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with JOY because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:3-5)