Last Day on Campus

I knew this day would come and I knew I would be sad to leave, but nothing can quite explain all the emotions that are bombarding me right now. I am tempted to use the cliche term "bittersweet" but I will try to do better than that by explaining a few of the many feelings swirling around:

There is definitely a sense of thankfulness because we have seen the Lord do so much in us and through us in Puerto Rico. We leave this island with 9 new and recommitted brothers and sisters in Christ! Many more were reached and presented with the Gospel over the last 4 weeks. Now the work is up to the Holy Spirit and that is alright with us.

Furthermore, these numbers are encouraging but what is really life changing is the friendships that we have formed with so many great young people and the great conversations with believers and non-believers alike. We have been able to dialogue with numerous students going to Colegio in Mayaguez and more often than not we were greatly encouraged coming out of each discussion. I'm going to miss not only the campus but also the many students who walked these halls.

During this time of transition I am also determined to keep this momentum going as I head back home and then off to school again. I do not want this experience to be a bygone moment in my life. I want to build on this transformation that was in a sense kickstarted by project. This includes an ever growing heart for the lost and continued personal growth. There were many lessons, trials, and successes that will help me as I head back home. However, with this comes some apprehension because I have to return back to reality of life in the States. Some really tough things went on back home and I will be confronted with them when I return. That's just life.

Perhaps above all I am feeling immensely sad to leave this place in a few days. As I realized, it is a lot better than wanting to get off this rock as soon as possible, because the fact is I came here not knowing what I was getting myself into. I am about to leave 4 weeks later with a heart for these people and a desire to reach my friends and my campus back home. Saying goodbye to my new found friends was not fun. It is hard to accept that I may not see some of them again (at least on this earth), because they have so affected me during my time over here.

Please pray for:

Gabriel: One of the leaders in Cru Caribbean who has a wonderful spirit and a fire for the Gospel
Diego: A student at Mayaguez who ate lunch with our team almost everyday and attended our church The Movement.
Ephraim: A student interested in Cru Caribbean who has a new found interest in growing closer to God and who is currently reading through the Gospel of John.
Jeshua: A student who spent a lot of time with us just this past week and was encouraged to continue to pursue his relationship with Christ as an engineering student.

These are only a few of the names that come to mind. The fact is the Lord blessed us through so many people that no one wants to leave after all we have experienced. The truth is this island and its people have stolen our hearts.

All the glory be His because He has done immeasurably more than we could have ever expected or imagined.