I have written and re-written this post several times over, and I never know how to start it. Things are different now. They just are. I always knew they would be, I knew that change was coming. But it's real and it's here and I'm still processing it all.
Where do I even begin? Let's start with where I was the first time I tried to type up this post. I was in the middle of Mission Team Training. I was sitting outside of a Caribou Coffee (aka my newest obsession), soaking up the sunshine and reflecting on the Lord's goodness. It was so good to be back in the mission leader community. It was so good to begin each day praising the Lord in worship. It was so good to start planning for the year, to begin filling up my schedule, to start really getting ready for the year. It was overwhelming at times, but it was just so good. After Mission Team Training, we had a restful day and a half off before jumping right into the School of the New Evangelization, or SNE. What an anointed week. It was so good to have rest in the days leading up to the conference, and it was at the same time so good to be in the full swing of things. It was so good to see all of my beloved Texans that drove up from San Marcos. It was so good to learn from all of the incredible speakers and get re-convicted of why I am serving with SPO. It was so good to meet most of the women I will be living with and it was so good to be welcomed by so many students from the U of M that know me as "the new missionary." I was exhausted beyond belief and I didn't think that my heart could be stretched any more, but the Lord showed up and His grace got me through and it was good. Now, everything is over; but at the same time, it's all just beginning. I'm finishing this post at a different Caribou Coffee. My heart is heavy from all of the goodbyes I've had to say this weekend, goodbyes that I've never had to say before. The sun isn't shining today and it seems fitting. But the Lord is still good. I am moving into my new house today and staying there. My missionary brothers and sisters have all gone off to their respective chapters. And that is a good thing. That's the point of it all, isn't it? We come together as missionaries with the purpose of leaving. During the last talk of SNE, our founder, Gordy, reminded us that to "come then go" is good news - because now we get to go and share the gospel of our Lord on campus. And that is not just a good thing - it is the best thing. So, in the end, I can't be too sad, because the Lord is a Father who only wants good things for His children. He posed a question to me at training: "Do you believe that I want good things for you?" I know He does. And I choose to wholeheartedly believe that. The next couple of weeks are when the real work begins. May the Lord cover my team and I in His grace, and may the Holy Spirit be near us to enlighten and strengthen us. And so the wonderful adventure continues. To Jesus through Mary, Rebecca
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WELCOME!My name is Rebecca. This blog is a documentation of my life as a missionary with Saint Paul's Outreach - in Minnesota, Florida, and everywhere in-between. Thanks for stopping by! Categories
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