While during our study three weeks ago, I announced that we only have two more meetings left. It definitely left an impression upon all of us as we see the end of the line in regards to our group. I joked and said that we’ll have one more meet up and then a group dinner together. Later on, I termed that group dinner as a “cry-fest,” because I’m thinking tears will be shed on this last night.

But it made me think about what would be some things/people that I would be missing as we prepare our next stage. So I’m just going to list the things, that if all brought together at once, might bring me to shed a tear.

1. Study Group

When we first left, I knew that we were being sent to meet a specific group of people. I knew that He was going to lead us to interact and invest into people. Over the past 3.5 years, that specific group of people started to gain faces and names. Over time, this group became a stabilizing, helpful, and source of fun in our tenure here. We are grateful to Him for the friendships that were forged over these past 3.5 years. I’m even more grateful that some of these friendships became a brotherhood as some came to faith.

Faithful Four

2. Our International Church

I’m going to have a cry-fest over our international church. It was an interesting and encouraging 3.5 years worshipping at BICF ZGC. What made it interesting and encouraging? The biblically sound teaching, the dynamic yet humble leadership, and the coming together of various cultures all to worship Christ.

I know it’s the trend to try and dissect what makes a growing church successful and then to try and copy that. It’s as if church growth can be broken down to a science. This is one case (and I’ll admit my limited scope here) that I can say this cannot be copied or reproduced.

3. My Job

We just celebrated my final days at my job with a farewell lunch. It was great to reminisce over the ways God has allowed me to use English teaching as a platform to encourage and shape the lives that intersect with mine. I’m grateful for the leadership at my job and the assistance those friendships had in making sure our family were doing well.

During the farewell lunch, they decided to celebrate my birthday two months early. My heart is smiling, I promise.

One of my fondest memories that I’ll take away are the students that I was able to interact and teach. Some for 3 years plus.  It’s sobering to think that I had a voice in their life for the last three years and all I hope is that God will use my voice to truly transform them.

4. Neighbors in our Apartment Complex

Another reason for a cry-fest are the friendships we made in our apartment complex. It has been hitting me that Ryle has only known our apartment as his home. We are blessed to not have to move after Ryle was born and one big factor for that is the neighbors in our complex. Two years ago, we were purposeful in wanting to move to an apartment complex where our friends would be at. And that decision turned out to be pivotal in our family’s integration with this country.

H and R will definitely miss playing with their friends.

One of my concerns was having to move every year and never feeling settled. It wasn’t the work that goes into packing/unpacking but just providing a place for our kids to call “home” for longer than a year. God has provided and though its sad seeing Ryle kind of going through the shock of “moving” for the first time, it is also a visible reminder that God has answered one of my prayers.

We are grateful for the friendships we made with our neighbors and how we encouraged each other to keep running the spiritual race He called us to run.

5. My Haircut Lady

This may seem trivial and frivolous (especially those who cut your own hair), but I’m going to shed a tear about my haircut lady. For all my entire life, she has consistently been giving me the best haircuts. She just gets it. Consistent, comforting, and cheap. The 3 C’s. I told her that I need to record her, giving instructions on how to cut my hair.

Moving to a different country and talking to a lot of ex-pats, hair cutting is one of those “blind spots” that you don’t think of until you realize how long your hair is getting. I’m glad and thankful to have found that one haircutter who gets my hair right.

Conclusion

Alright, I may have shed a few tears while writing this blog post. I guess the cry-fest has already started, for me at least. This is going to be hard week…