Leaving.

Welp, in 15 hours I will be hopefully (I am flying stand by, so pray that I can get on!) be boarding a plane and making my way to the Dominican Republic. It really is hard to believe. If I knew exactly how I was feeling at this moment, then I would tell you, but the thing is I don't. I am not over anxious. I am not over emotional...yet. I just think I am feeling an array of emotions. I am elated to start this new journey. I am not sure what to expect, but I do know that the Lord is going to teach me quite a lot in these next 2 years. Another feeling I KNOW I am feeling is blessed. Absolutely, incredibly, positively blessed. Emotionally, spiritually, financially blessed. So thank you, all my family and all my friends for being the reason for this. Words cannot even begin to convey my gratitude.

I am going to keep this first blog short...because let's be honest I'm leaving in 15 hours...and counting and I have quite a lot to do. Yikes! But I would like you to know a few things.

• I love you all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for all your love and support. I know that phrase may be overused, but I truly mean it. 
• I will try to update my blog as much as possible. And I will try to keep it spicy, spunky, interesting and entertaining. 
• I have made a flickr account because we all know just how many pictures I take. I have uploaded some from my going away party, but I'm new the the flickr thing, so hopefully it worked right. [if you have a flickr account and can help me out...give me a shout]
• I humbly ask for your continued prayers. Prayer is the most important thing I need right now. :) 

I will leave you with this [long] quote from a book that I read this semester, Through Painted Desserts by Donald Miller, that just resounded in my heart. I feel it sums pretty much everything I want to say.

"And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting, and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?

It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out. 

I want to repeat one word for you:

Leave.

Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong a forceful, the way you have always wanted it to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here with you get back. It is you who will have changed." 

Joy.

Leah