How precious are friendships not?
To be quite honest I arrived in Jordan thinking we will not form very close bonds with these people thus will it not be so difficult to say goodbye after two weeks.
False.
Doing life with people, caring for each other, seeing someone in the waking stages of their morning asking how you have slept, sharing food, sharing victories and sorrows in the ministry - these kind of actions forms special kind of bonds quickly and deeply. Before you realize it you are opening your heart to a friend who two weeks before was a complete stranger from a foreign country. The saying goodbye part wasn't easier. I've learned that God set special friendships and heartwarming people in each country that is gonna make a farewell sad and hard. But this is precious and it is God-given treasures awaiting me in each country. I should never underestimate what God can teach me through new friends, new cultures and new languages- each new conversation or person I meet is so uniquely and beautifully different to the previous one.
I love the quote that says:
You'll need coffee shops and sunsets and road trips. Airplanes and passports and new songs and old songs (PS Eastbounders just LOVES to sing), BUT you'll need people more than anything else.
The past 5 years of my life I never thought very highly of the value of friendships. I've come to realize that friendship is such a meaningful thing. You do life together, learn and teach, laugh and cry, share and give, unconditionally love and freely receive love.
With a hopeful heart I believe that I will see the friends I make this year in the nations in the future again, but if not.. God can use even two weeks to establish a friendship and let a friend leave a lasting footprint on your heart.
I also went to Jordan with the expectation that we (especially the girls) would not feel loved and be rejected alot (just because of the culture). But instead I experienced exactly the opposite. It is amazing how I just felt so loved through the people we did ministry with as well as my team.
When I was secretly thinking lowly of myself, one of my team sisters winks with an "you're beautiful". When I was secretly stressing about something another team sister hugs me tightly. I fell in love with moments like falling asleep on Mariené's lap with her fingers combing through my hair or Stien waking up from her sleep to support me when I was worrying about rashes on my skin.
Moments like Issa putting a sugary treat next to my pillow when I was in bed with a high fever. I cherish the precious moments I had with my family like 'diehearting' with Mariené, hugs speaking louder than words with Kim, sleepovers with Issa on her bed, heartfelt conversations with AC even when we were so tired, Christine and Bennie's moral support and encouragement with every Petra step and yes even when one of my brothers AKA Barend amd Ryn give me big frights.
I felt so loved when Ryn and Issa took over my cleaning duties and forced me to go to bed when I was sneezing and coughing.
I felt loved with every sincere forehead kiss, when leaders washed my feet and people hanging up my washing - not because they had to but because thet wanted to.
I felt loved when so many people woke up earlier to greet us farewell
I felt loved with the sweetest tea and the strongest coffee I've ever had which people served me in our ministry time. Because even though they didn't had much they WANTED to give.
Something so significant about this journey that constantly comes up is that I came on this year to serve, love and share. Instead people are serving, loving and sharing all that they have with me! I stand in awestruck wonder at how Jesus loves us through people and circumstances.
It's a funny thing how when you openly receive love, it changes you. You are then inspired to love deeper, to make a difference, to look for the beauty. It's amazing how we actually start to flourish when we are truely and unconditionally loved. To look at someone who are loved like this or te be loved like this gives pure joy. It is such a gift from heaven. This leaves a lasting footprint. Jesus, Your love leaves a beautiful, everlasting footprint.