lasts, goodbyes, and lots of processing!

  1 sleep! That's it. That's the amount of time I have left in this beautiful city. Although this past week has been filled with lasts, goodbyes, and processing...it has been a good week. The Lord has really, really blessed this week. Almost every day this week we said goodbye to another ministry site and more people whom I have fallen in love with and may never see again. While these were not necessarily easy or fun because these people have changed my life, I'm okay with the place I'm in. God has me in a place of contentment right now, which is definitely an answered prayer! This week has been slow, but in a very good way in which I was able to soak up every moment of it.
  Through much of my processing I've realized how difficult and frustrating my time here has been at times, but I've also realized how much I've fallen in love and how much there is yet to be done and how much God is doing! So often I felt useless or felt as if I was chipping away at a rock solid wall and making no progress, but in these quiet moments God reminded me that I was at that specific ministry at that certain time for a reason, and I was there to love hard and to shine His love on these girls and women. Leaving is difficult, but I am so hopeful because God is NOT done here. God is so much bigger than we are and He is continuously working! I have to remind myself that for seven weeks we are only a small, small part of God's plan for this city and that He will continue to fight for these women and children-- He'll fight for their good!
 Thursday was our last day of ministry, and after many goodbyes we took one day to be all American tourists, which was fun after seven weeks of doing life here day in and day out. We took a beautiful drive and toured a palace, which was again so so beautiful and intricate. The entire place blew me away. Then we got to ride an elephant! I almost cried getting on, but then I was fine. We finished our day by going to another beautiful dam/garden in the midst of the jungle, or something that resembled a jungle? It was just a very refreshing, fun day to finish off our trip! The next two days are packed with finals such as debriefing, shopping, packing, and more goodbyes. I am beyond excited to go home and give everyone a big, big hug! While I will miss this place and these people, they will forever be in my heart and continuously be lifted up in prayer.
 While this week was definitely a blessing, there were still difficult moments and in those moments I clung to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are bing renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Specific prayer requests:
- good health and safe travels back home! Darc and I just discovered we're on different flights going from Germany to Chicago so we'll all be traveling alone for the second half of our trip..eeek!
- peace about leaving this city and these people! and please, please continue to pray for this city, but specifically for the women and children who are still in the midst of hurt each day. Pray they would draw near to Jesus and drink the living water.
- a smooth adjustment back into American culture, this has not been easy for me in the past.

1 sleep! I'm so excited to see y'all, share stories, and catch up on life back home. I'm looking forward to many, many coffee dates! America, I can't wait for your delicious steak, my own clothes, a comfortable bed, an adjustment, and an actual shower! See you soon!