There’s so much that could be said, but I really don’t feel like writing anything. There are too many thoughts going on in my head, and far too many emotions to go through them all. How can I sum up what has happened in my life since arriving in Germany? I just want to thank God. For all that He’s given me the past 6 months, and for what He’s going to take me through in the future. I arrived in Germany in September very hungry for Him in my heart, totally unknowing about what He would show me, and quite scared of the whole future. Now not much has changed when I think about it; I still don’t know where I’m going with life. In fact, I know even less. But I’m not as scared this time. For the first time in my life, I’m pretty comfortable taking a step into the unknown, because more than ever before I feel the hand of my Saviour holding mine, and His promises are so prominent in my heart,
“Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” …
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; do you not perceive it?” …
“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,”…
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps,”
Flying over the Alps, seeing their crispy white peaks, and the little blobs of lakes scattered around them, reflecting on the friends that I have made at Bodenseehof, some of them probably life-long, and remembering the adventures I was taken on, I can’t help but just be grateful. On one of the last days at Bode I was sitting with some friends by the lake, and I thought about how hard it would be to leave it all and so say goodbye. And then it occurred to me what I was doing. I thought of a child receiving a mountain of gifts—gifts that just kept coming and coming, each one new and exciting and very valuable, and I imagined the child then looking at its parent, saying, “thanks, but can I have more?” And that’s just what I was doing. God poured the blessings over me, and they got better and better, and I sat there asking for more; just some more time with these people, more time at Bodenseehof, more experiences in Germany. Ungratefulness is a disease; it grows and becomes so ugly.
So, instead of being nostalgic and dwelling on the bitter part of this whole goodbye, I want to focus on the sweet. And if God has been so good to me in my past, I have no reason to believe that He won’t continue to be good.
I’m flying now to Pakistan where I’ll be enjoying the company of most of my family (minus Josh), and have just come from a 5 day holiday in Croatia. It was impossible to feel sad and sulky about leaving school while dipping my feet in the cool blue water of the Mediterranean. I am continually blown away by the creativity of God through creation! Speaking of which, I am currently flying over the coast of Croatia, headed down towards Saudi Arabia. We live on a crazy cool earth! To stop my rambling, I’ll just steal the verse from a dear friend’s goodbye letter:
Colossians 3:1-13
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” 
Along the Way 