The end of a great adventure!

First, I would like to apologize for the delay in this final posting. To be honest I have been putting it off for a couple of weeks. It is hard to know how to summarize all that happened in the past six months. It is also extremely sad to admit that my time there is over. What a blessing it was!!! I learned more than I ever could have imagined. I saw the Lord work in mighty ways! It was incredible to watch my friends grow in their faith and in their knowledge of the Lord. The two Bible studies that I was able to lead blew me away in terms of their commitment and desire to study God's Word. During our last meetings together, each person shared what God had been teaching them and what they were taking away from the study. It was so encouraging to hear from each of them. One young boy even said, "you have made us qualified to study the Bible on our own" and that group has decided to continue meeting on Saturday afternoons. I will in no way take credit for "qualifying them", but I was honored to be a small part of it and have the opportunity to watch God work. The goodbyes were extremely hard! It seemed that they would never end. I felt like I was saying one goodbye after another for two weeks straight. It was painful to leave friends that have become so dear to me.

I am still processing all that happened and what it means for my time at home. What I do know is that I am overwhelmed with gratitude! I am thankful for God's mercy and faithfulness. I am thankful for all the amazing people that I was able to meet. I am thankful for the opportunity to experience a different culture. I am thankful for all of the prayers and support that I received from home. I am thankful for all that I have learned and for the opportunity to serve God in the States. I am returning home very excited to see what the Lord has planned next!