Leaving

Wow. Leaving Bible School. Leaving people I grew to love. Leaving a country that is beyond beautiful. It was NOT an easy last couple of days to say the least. Monavale campus had become my home and I was devastated with the idea of leaving but also had a mix of emotions because I really missed people back here in Omaha.

This is the sign at the end of the driveway for the bible school that you can see from the main road. I saw this sign every time I would come back to school from Cambridge or a trip or even when I was finishing a run.

This is a picture of the dorms on one side of the main buildings. Each of the sliding glass doors in a room for four people. I actually never lived on this side but walked down the hallways countless of times. I loved the community living at school. I learned so much from people and miss that closeness.

This is a picture of the view outside the unit (or apartment type thing) Megan and I lived in. I LOVED when the sun was at this level in the sky and would create the coolest colors of yellows, rich greens and oranges. It was such a calming part of the day.

Here's my desk in the office that I shared with the RAs, Jen and Jesse. This is where I did most of my internship work and loved working on the projects I was able to. It was also fun to office with Jen and Jesse and had lots of great conversations.

This is one of the views of the Homestead at Monavale. I loved sitting on the porch and journalling and looking out at the fields, mountains and gardens. The homestead had so many incredible old rooms we could hang out in.

This is kind of random but it's a picture of the cross roads of Cambridge Rd (the road the school was off of) and Parallel Rd where I would run. I ran pretty often and since the school is kind of out town there's only one path to run every time so I got pretty familiar with Parallel Rd. God spoke to me so many times and each time I would get out of school, I felt like I would have a perspective shift and was refreshed. I loved looking at the mountains in the distance and on the way to Parallel Rd there were fields of sheep and cows. Sometimes I would run with people and I have so many memories on that road.

This is my bed and me in the final stages of packing. I had packed so many times before but this was the first time I wasn't coming back to school so it had a different vibe that before. I gave so many things away because I didn't want to overpack and didn't bring that much with me to begin with. It was good to have something to do that last couple of days like pack because it helped take your mind off of leaving.

This is where Megan spent most of her time at school since she was the chef intern and because we were friends, it is also where I spent most of my time. It was also the only place that had brewed coffee opposed to instant. Megan and I met before I went to ABS when she first arrived for her internship and our friendship grew as the semester went on and also when we became roommates for the last 10 weeks of school.

This is a picture of the unit that Megan and I lived in. It was so fun to be roommates and I loved having a bit more space to hang out and talk. I will never forget the numerous conversations we had on the couches and know that God had an amazing purpose for us to be roommates. The unit was still smaller than a regular apartment but it was the perfect size for us. I loved our little home.

Leaving is still kind of a blur to me even now. The last day we had a nice breakfast but we were all in tears from saying goodbye to people. Megan and I were the last the leave because we were taken to the airport by Jen and Jesse the next day so the last day was full of goodbyes that happened about every hour. It was so emotionally draining. I cried and cried. Last time I had to say goodbyes it was hard because I was saying goodbye to so many friends but this time was also hard because I had to say goodbye to staff and even the whole experience of being at school.

It seems so crazy to me that a year ago I was so nervous about leaving and at times even annoyed with God that He would have me go to New Zealand because of all I was leaving behind. Going to bible school is by far the riskiest thing that I have ever done in my faith and also the most rewarding. I loved being there and having the time and space to really think about what I believe and why. I think everyone should do at least a semester at bible school. I know that with God each year is a different and new adventure and even though it's hard to believe that my life could have even more adventures, I know that New Zealand is not the end-all-be-all experience, but it will be hard to top.

One thing that I think about when it comes to traveling is prayer. My prayers when I'm stepping out into the unknown and am nervous about traveling are so rich and real. The closeness I feel with God is incredible because I don't have a plan B. I can't imagine my life without the people and experience I had last year. I will be forever changed and can't wait to see what God has in store for me in this next chapter of life. Thank you for all your prayers and support that gave me the opportunity of a lifetime.