Finishing

I have been back in the states for about a week now. And what a hetic week it has been. 4 flights, several cities and a couple of stops at a Chick-Fil-a, I made it to Wake Forest, N.C.

When I was in China, I always thought about this last letter. About what I would say, what I could write, what I could communicate about the heartbreak I was sure would happen when I left. I was never really sure what to say. Many times, I would watch the ending scene of the Lord of the Rings triology and think " I know exactly what Frodo is talking about". How unsure I was coming back to a place where my old life and friends had changed to where I vaguely remembered it.

This past week I have enjoyed talking to many people. I have enjoyed seeing my family and talking around the dinner table with people that I love, adore and look up to. But part of me doesn't exactly know where to I fit yet. I think when I left college- I thought I knew. Turns out China changed what I thought I knew.

Today- I miss walking down to the Vanguard store (the orange store as it was affectionately labeled by me in my first week in China), walking into the kindy and hearing my students yell my name and reach up for a hug, going to the basement of the mall to buy videos, dinners with Joel and Cara, the crazy International group whose doctrine I almost never agreed with, Autumn and Isaac begging me to let them dance to Christian Rap, my increidble Chinese friends who let me make mistakes. I miss the familair faces and stares. The boys who let me interupt their game of badmitton and teach me how to play. I miss going home and stopping by Sky's house and playing with her and her baby sister.

I miss the people. The people who taught me that I need to love more. To learn more. To live more. I went to community group last Sunday night- which was wonderful to be sitting in room of singles and being able to talk and share openly without a language barrier. In the wonderful-ness, it was ackward- in the first meeting kind of way. But- much of what I thought I know has changed. Now, I am more aware of how small I am. How small I think. How small I make God. I am more aware that family can be found in very strange places. I am more aware that although I am not there to see and witness the amazing things that will happen- that it does not mean God has stopped working.

So in this strange home- where I stop in the middle of grocery stores and look at the variety of non-seafood favored chips- where I will try "to pick up the old threads of an old life" as Frodo would say- I can recongize that the same God who led me to Asia- is there, Alive and working in hearts- has brought me here to Wake Forest. And being in His hands- trusting Him fully- is the place where I best fit.

Finally

I am FINALLY in Hong Kong.

Here is my schedule over the next week:

Monday: Fly to Beijing
Wednesday: Fly to LA
Late Wednesday night: Fly to Philly
EARLY Thursday morning: Fly to Newport News
Thursday and Friday: Attempt to put together sentence for the people who want to see me.
Saturday: Move to Raleigh.


The best part about the schedule? Facebook and blogspot FREEDOM!!!!!!