As we near winter (or at least what would be winter if we were in the Northern Hemisphere), I am becoming more and more aware of the passing of time. When Patrick and I first arrived in Guinea it was August, and the holiday season felt like a lifetime away. There was so much to adjust to and so much to learn. It was overwhelming enough looking ahead to the next day, let alone four months! So it is difficult to come to grips with the fact that November is nearly gone and our departure is three weeks away.
There are so many memories, so many things that I want to carry with me. If I whittle it down, the thing that is so hard is the inevitability of letting go. As if we haven't said goodbye enough this year, we will soon be saying goodbye to our friends, our patients, and this way of life. Yes, it has only been a couple of months, but being on this ship, living and working in such close quarters with everyone, has knit us together in ways that I never anticipated. These people are like my second family, and I ache to think that when we leave it will never be like this again.
This morning a few of us gathered for a post-Thanksgiving day brunch. We went around the table sharing what we were grateful for. It was lovely. One friend's response stuck out to me in particular. She said that she was thankful for her time on this ship, and the gift it has been to know each of us. Because God brings people, relationships, into and out of our lives just when we need them - not ours to keep, but gifts to be held with open hands. So this entry is for them, the friends both here and already gone; gifts that God has placed in my life for this season. For them I am so thankful, and because of them I am forever changed...
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Hannah - Always there with a listening ear or much-needed hug.
Love this girl like a sister :) |
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| Jen - Our soft spoken Italian with a heart the size of this ship |
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