Hello Goodbye

The title is partly inspired by the recent USA Today article about 50 years of The Beatles, but actually, we've been saying a lot of goodbyes lately, and we are beginning to say more hellos. In the past week we've started the first step in our journey to our new mission field, St. Joseph, MO.

Saying goodbye is not easy or fun. It's awkward with some people, easy with others, and painful with others. And, in this case, it carries on for weeks, even months. Balance that with all the excitement we have of meeting new people, moving to a new place, into a new-to-us house, and new ministry to explore--and we are on a whirlwind of a transition.

First, it is always a tear-filled time when I say goodbye to one mission field and move onto another. I have invested so much into the lives of the people here, and I've seen how much God has worked in their lives through me. It's unbelievable and hard to leave behind. I also see A LOT more work that God has to do in the life of the people here, and a part of me knows that I could still make a big difference. That's what brings tears to my eyes: leaving behind a work-in-progress. But, I guess we are all works-in-progress.

Then, it is so awesome to be heading to something new. It's perfect and full of opportunity right now. It's a blank slate, ready for me to come in and mess it up---er, I mean...well, you know what I mean. It's so exciting to go and catch or start a wave of God's movement in a new place with new people.

Moving is a lot of work. It's emotional and stressful, and hard to leave. But, we are really looking forward to what God has next for us. We say "Goodbye" and "Hello" in a very short amount of time. I'm choosing to think of it as being "sent." We have been formed and shaped by the people we've spent time with here in Paris, MO, and we carry those experiences with us as they send us on to St. Joseph. We are carrying on the Spirit of Christ, and the we leave behind the Spirit of Christ. Oh, there's another song: "Blest Be the Tie that Binds."

Pray for us, and all of the other Methodist Missionaries who are moving this time of year. BTW, we plan to start an email prayer list soon, so check for the subscribe form here on the site. In it, we can keep you up to date on our prayer requests and what's going on as we embark on this new mission. Thanks for the prayers!

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