reality settles in

Today was bittersweet for me. We spent all day with friends which is always a fun thing to do. Today had a different spin though... the first outing with friends was saying good-bye to one of our students. He heads out to the UK for Operation Mobilization and then to Bible College. It's very exciting to see him follow this path but it's still a bummer to say goodbye. This is our second goodbye to youth in just two months with several more ahead this summer. This will be a difficult year to say goodbye to students. I feel many of these are the ones we've connected with the most over the past few years, they're the leaders... and well they're all just awesome students.

Then we had Adelina/Nick over for dinner to celebrate Adelina's birthday tomorrow. It's always great fun to be with them but we talked a bit about them moving back this summer and after the saying good-bye to David this morning it was like reality just hit... Nick and Adelina are definitely leaving. They will definitely be missed. And it just made me sad. Our first year here we said goodbye to some great friends that we had made, last year wasn't too bad, and now this year is quite similar, if not worse (as we've known these people much longer) to the 1st summer. It's the way of Hong Kong but that doesn't make it easier. I'm just trying to remember that God brings all sorts of people into our lives and for all different reasons and that we need to take advantage of those relationships, build them as strong as you can, and be the best example of Christ that I can be.

I feel bad for Izzy too, though I don't really know how much she'll really understand but 2 of her best buds leave this summer. One is heading off to college and the other is Kayla. I'm really curious to see what will happen, if she'll realize what's going on, will she keep asking for her, etc... It breaks my heart sometimes that she'll grow up in a transient culture but I pray that she will do as I wrote above.... learn to love others and give her all no matter how long a person will be in her life.

And just because this post sounds a bit depressing... there's nothing like an Izzy smile to make my day. :)