Tot Ziens!

Here it is... my least favorite part of the trip: the end. I'm not too sure how coherent my thoughts will be because I didn't go to bed last night until after two and it is currently 4:56am as I sit here and type this.

My heart breaks as our time here as a team comes to a close. This team is so much more than a team, we are a true family. I will miss each and every person with every part of my being, and it makes me sad to think that we all live so far apart (with the exception of my fellow Texan). The Lord has used every person on this team to speak into my life, be it with wisdom, encouragement, or a revelation about His character.

Not only will I miss my new-found family, but I will miss all of my new friends that I have made. I will miss the accents, the questions, the different lifestyles,  and the conversations. I will miss listening to the Dutch/Flemish language. Of course, I will miss the silly things - Speculoos, ice cream, and waffles, but they are just the added bonus of the ability to do life with some truly amazing people - both believers in Christ and non-believers.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to travel to Cinque Terre, Italy for the next four days. While I am a little hesitant to travel alone, I am also looking forward to having that time with no laptop, no large group, and really have some quality time with God. I worship Him through food, so the thought of having Italian food, some good wine, and the chance to sit with God, praying about all that has happened on this trip is something that I am looking forward to. When I'm honest, I really think that I need to take the next four days and be alone, because if I had the distraction of others, I wouldn't really properly work through all that has been done through me, in me, around me, and goodness knows what other prepositions could be used regarding Him.

This post is not the last post that I will put up about this trip. I have much to share, but I can't properly share it all right now because I cannot articulate what exactly God has done. Over the next few weeks, as He slowly walks with me through the mountain of experiences that have occurred, I'm sure He will reveal what He wants me to blog about. Which is where the title of the post comes from. "Tot ziens" means see you later. I know that I will see this family again. We will be able to connect in person, not just online. This isn't good-bye by any means, but merely a, "See you later!"