Yesterday was unlike any birthday I have ever had. It was the first time I have ever been away from my parents on my birthday. You might think, "You just turned 22 Carrie, grow up!" But, my birthday has always been an extra-special time for me. Not only is it time to eat the uniquely decorated cake that Mommy makes with my porcelain clown candles in front of it, have my nose buttered and open presents, but it is also time to be with family and rejoice in the life that God has given me. My birthday always falls in Thanksgiving week and my family used to always host Thanksgiving, so I'm used to a lot of attention (and if you know me at all, you know how I love that!!).
I did get a lot of attention yesterday, it was all just from afar. I got oodles of Happy Birthdays on my facebook wall and had "Happy Birthday" sung to me in English, German, 2 versions in Spanish, and English with a HEAVY Spanish accent. It was great. I got several phone calls and had fun getting the chance to brainstorm and decorate my cake. (Mommy always does it in secret and reveals it when she walks in the dining room with the light dimmed and the candles lit.)
It was still really, really weird to not be with my parents. I missed them a lot. But, it wasn't the painful missing I had last week when I almost bought plane tickets to Arizona. I was content with how the day worked out (and accepted that I just had to make the most of things because that's how they were going to be).
I think it's just part of this whole transitioning thing. I am not a big fan of change, but that's all that seems to happen in my life. I am so grateful though that I can always turn to God, my ROCK who never changes.
I think things will be different when I am in Costa Rica. I think of birthday and Thanksgiving in the US away from my family and get sad. I think of birthday and Thanksgiving in Costa Rica and feel no loss. I guess we'll see how things will really be. Hopefully by this time next year I'll be in Costa Rica (and will have been for many, many months) and I'll do my best to reflect on these things once more and see how my perspective has changed.
Slightly changing the subject-Today I read the latest edition of the "Evangelist", the quarterly magazine put out by the Latin America Mission. It was heartbreaking to read some things, and exciting to read others. It's fun to recognize some people's names and pictures in there (I'm on the back inside cover-contact the LAM if you want a copy) and it just gets me PUMPED to go and serve in Costa Rica. This is not so my name can be mentioned in a magazine, but because I am thrilled to be a part of what God is doing in Latin America!! May God get me there quickly!
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