One of the BEST years of my life… (Post 1)

If you HAD to pick 5 of the BEST years of your life–what would they be? I am standing amazed at how God works…so for the next couple of weeks when I have time–I want to share 5 different posts…this one being the FIRST…of what I like to call the 5 best years of my life and how God changed me in them. This…hands down–was the first of those 5…

10 years ago I had recently graduated from college–but I didn’t do the thing most college graduates do. Instead–10 years ago this year, I was living across the world…and oh my–realizing that it has been 10 years exactly brings back so many nostalgic feelings! I got out the album a few weeks ago–and it really took me back…

After my junior year at Auburn University, I spent a summer in East Asia with a campus ministry–and after I graduated–I decided to return. Honestly, my flesh did not want to go back. I honestly thought the summer was a hard experience, but the campus pastor at school asked me to pray about–so I did. AND weeks later I was asking my parents for their blessing to let their daughter go across the world for a year–or however long the Lord led. I had just finished up my student teaching, and I raised support–and a few weeks later I was off. On my way out–I squeezed in a moment as a bridesmaid in my sister April’s wedding (she is just 14 months older than me!)–and I left the day after her wedding to head across the world (April–I can’t believe you and Harris have been married for 10 years this year!)…

SO…I went straight from a wedding to a concrete dorm room–where my team and I would spend the next year together. We were the “dream team”…the SWEETEST group of people so dear to my heart…5 boys and 2 girls–and for the next year if we wanted to speak English it’d have to be to one another or broken English to the friends we’d make in this new country…

Some of my FAVORITE memories are with these people…and there is not a thing I would not do for any one of them at any hour of the night or day. They are forever deep and true sisters and brothers in Christ to me. We would wake before dawn and pray together…we’d worship together–and we’d nurse one another to health when we got sick…so far away from home. SO many fun and funny memories too…

Like…our gate keeper Mr.Miegi and his cat Tofu…oh–I can STILL hear his laugh! He spoke ZERO English, but he pretended he did–and he would try his best to say “Ha-LOW!” followed by his laughter…

This was the year that truly prepared me for LIFE. I learned more than I wanted to about confrontation, friendship, trials, hardship, homesickness…and I had ONE girl to communicate with for a year. We went in not knowing one another at all–and came out closer than ever…we were in one another’s weddings…we still prank call one another in Mandarin…and Blaire is one of my dearest friends to this day. I can’t imagine this amazing year of my life without her…

I remember when I was interviewed to join this ministry’s staff and the question was asked, “What is one of the most important things to you when it comes to ministry?” My answer remains, “Fun.” I just think LIFE should be ministry…and it’s too short not to be FUN–no matter the condition or where you are…with some creativity it can always be that. AND…Blaire and I made ministry FUN. While we did the norm of language class and meeting with people and such…we also signed up to participate in crazy things that made the BEST memories.

Like Kungfu fighting…

We did some interpretive dancing on campus and would draw crowds…which later led to our university asking us to perform for QUITE the crowd and making national television. HILARIOUS, right?! Yes–we were there doing ministry…but it didn’t stop us from rockin’ it out in the process…

I mean–check out the CROWD…we were awful–but they loved it…

Of course we did ministry too (however, I can argue that that performance was too:)…but visiting the blind school was one of my most life changing moments while there…something was birthed in my heart for special needs children in that experience…

When we had long weekend breaks–us girls would get pulled into more adventure than we wanted (being 5 to 2 we were always outnumbered when it came to votes and when we traveled we had to stick with the boys…so we had to go with the flow). We took a 3 day train ride to Urumqi…I had to eat boiled eggs the whole time and sleep in a bunk across from this Asian man who would sleep in tighty whities. Talk about a long train ride! BUT it was worth it when we got to our destination…

OR SO I THOUGHT! I didn’t realize we’d be staying for a week out there…and our first night off the 3 day train ride was this “hotel”…a yurt…

And dinner was this…

Here’s dinner baaing his last baa…poor guy…

AND THEN…finally I got to return back to our dorms back in East Asia! EVERY Saturday morning–I was awakened to little taps at my door–and behind my door these cuties would be waiting for some English practice. We’d eat cookies, have tea and practice English and Mandarin together…

I also fell in love with a little girl name DanDan…to this DAY she has a special place in my heart and I can’t believe she’s 13 now! DanDan with her cousin…

Even after I got married and had children…this picture remained up in our house…

At the end of that year–this little one was definitely the hardest to say goodbye too…

It was so hard to say goodbye–and I knew saying goodbye to DanDan I officially had a mommy heart. It ached to leave…and my heart still aches to think of her. This sweetie and I saw one another every day…and she was the highlight of my year. I think of her…and pray for her…and hope one day she knows Jesus…

Although leaving was hard…it was one sweet airport homecoming. And I loved seeing this picture…how amazing is it that my sweet friend Melissa who just brought home her son from Uganda was one of the first to greet me at the airport welcome home party?!

HOW FUN it was to see so many I hadn’t seen in a year that were such dear friends…

And what does one eat after a year of drinking Fanta and eating rice??? A simple but long-craved-for turkey sandwich and a Dr.P on the ride home from the airport!

Truly–that year changed my life…and that continent will forever be a part of my heart. I learned A LOT of hard lessons.

I learned through my team–that things are not always easy in friendships–yet it is so much better to work THROUGH things than to run. In our culture–if you don’t get along with someone–you can avoid them. But on that team–we had to work it out. It was SO hard–but SO good. Honestly, it was THE best preparation for marriage.

I learned that God is POWERFUL…and He is the one that does the work–ALL. OF. THE. WORK. And if you trust Him–you will be amazed at how He provides, protects and IS ENOUGH.

I learned how important it is to LAUGH…and to look for things to laugh about…to be able to laugh at yourself…and to even some times go out of your way to create things that make others laugh. Life is too short not to.

I learned that the Holy Spirit is real–He is powerful…and I could blow you away with stories from this year alone…He is ever present to those who call upon His name. When you step to the front lines of ministry–things will be hard…but the Holy Spirit will fight for you as you perservere and call upon Him.

I learned that God knows our deepest desire and although it may seem like a lifetime until He fills that desire–that He puts desires in your heart for a PURPOSE…and HE WILL fill that desire one day…it may be next week or 10 years…but He knows your heart–He created it…and He will come through and fill the desires He placed there in His perfect timing.

And you had to know about THIS year…to understand Post 2…the next best year of my life…when Richard asked me to marry him…and with dreams to return across the world–I’d have to leave this dream at the cross and follow my husband–and trust the Lord with what was to come…