Saying goodbye

It’s my last free week here.  The next seven weeks are camp, camp, hang out with camp people, team, team, travel, stop travelling/leave.  It’s weird to have so much time left in this country, but really to be done with my connections here.  I’ve spent my last visits with church people, school people, and some of my friends in the missionary community here.  I’ll be here for another month and a half, but I won’t really be here.

 

My suitcases still sit empty in my room.  My clothes are still hanging up.  I haven’t said goodbye to anyone yet.  It’s like I’m incapable of moving on.  Like I can’t move forward.  Once I finished teaching I realized how much I will hate leaving Bolivia, how much I love it here.  Now it’s warm during the days and cool during the nights, I’m starting to enjoy sitting around while I wait for things to start or people to show up, and I’m loving more than ever taking buses around, shopping in open air markets, and drinking Coca-Cola made from pure cane sugar.

 

I’m not ready to leave.  I’m not even ready for this partial leaving that I’ll be doing on Sunday—transitioning from missionary to team worker.  As I look back on what was probably the hardest year of my life so far, it has also been one of my most joyful.  I made so many mistakes, but I also let God use me in new ways.  I have loved being here in Bolivia, and although I couldn’t be more excited for the life ahead of me, I already miss my life here.

 

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

- Nehemiah 8:10