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My time here is coming to a close. It is interesting how fast it is coming. I think now it is only 3 weeks. I come back on the 13th of June. I still have 2 weeks of debrief left in Abbotsford. It is an interesting feeling having to come to an end of knowing a bunch of people for seven months. There is somewhat an ignorance of the ending time. It is kind of like the ignorance of death. We just keep going because what really can we do. Do we sit and focus daily upon the fact we are going to die? Hopefully not… But the same with my time coming to and end. Unlike death, I know the exact date it is coming. I will be leaving and will have a whole bunch of awkward moments with people. Some people I will never see again. With some I may cross paths with again. I say goodbye and then… do the awkward wait… Usually it is followed by some comment that tries to cut through the awkwardness, but usually is just adds to it because it is not something you would ever normally say. I think I am getting too good at this whole awkward goodbye thing. Here is a little summary of my goodbyes:
I’ve had to do it first when I left Tsawwassen to do my year of the Quest program at CBC. Then I had to do it at the end of quest. Then I had to do it at the end of my Africa trip as well. Then I went home for two months, then had to say goodbye because I was off to the Trek program. Then after training for two months with a bunch, we had to say goodbye. Then after my time in Germany I had to say goodbye being sure that I would never see many of them again. Then, back for debrief to say goodbye for good to the other teams that were in other parts of the world. Then is was back home for two month until I again left and said goodbye to go back to CBC. Then half way through the year at CBC, I said goodbye to all and went to Jerusalem. After four months I had to say goodbye to those in Jerusalem. Then it was straight to Malibu without really seeing anyone at home. Then after another 4 months at Malibu camp I had to say goodbye. Then I spent the next 6 months between to worlds. One working in Tsawwassen and the other in Ellensberg in which I would eventually say goodbye to both. Then it was off to Toronto for training again. I got to meet a big group of people but as well said goodbye with my team to Germany again. After a month again in Germany seeing people I never thought I would have seen again, I had to say goodbye to all again. I went back to Toronto to say goodbye for good to the other teams that were in other parts of the world. Then it was back home for a small time until I said goodbye again to all and went off to do Trek for the second time. Same goodbye thing happened after the first two months with all the other teams. And now what is to come, but another goodbye after seven months of living in Mexico.
I don’t recount it to complain. It id just interesting to look back at the past four years and think of all the people that I met and will never seen again if not in heaven. Needless to say, I’m getting pretty experienced in this hello and goodbye thing. It is kind of sad because I don’t really get sad anymore.
I continue to hold on to thanking the Lord for all that he has brought including this time in Mexico. It has been a different life than I had expected, but looking back at the hard times and the good times it see his hand at work.
I’m looking forward to see all of you who are reading this once again. I hope we can meet up soon enough.
Blessings to all
PS – the pictures are some of the thing that we have been doing (Ministry in other parts of Guadalajara, in other parts of Mexico, and our times spent here doing thing for the Matthew Centre.
