Hannah and Mapile: June 2015

One of my favorite times to reflect is when I’m traveling. There’s something so unique about being in an airport, going from one place that I love to another. Nearly every time I travel I enjoy processing through things. Today I’m processing through this transition of leaving family, and starting a new & exciting adventure in Swaziland.

As I left Marion yesterday my heart was so full.

My heart is full of love for those I am leaving, and excitement for what I’m going to.

I am also full of thanksgiving. Today I am thankful:

- That God’s picture of family is much bigger than mine

- For a family who fully supports me, and who sent me out with prayers and love

- For Mapile, who is excitedly awaiting my arrival in Swaziland

- For the Lord’s peace that passes understanding

- That the Lord promises, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Heb.13:5)

- That this journey has already taught me so much about trusting in the Lord!

- For the word of God, which continually speaks to my heart

This week in my devotions I read from Mark 10:29-30:

“I tell you the truth.” Jesus replied, “No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields – and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”

I have already seen how the Lord has expanded my family through the years of growing up on the mission field. God has blessed me with so many grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews! Though it is not easy living away from biological family, I look forward to seeing how God expands my spiritual family.

Thanks so much to those of you who have been praying! The Lord has continually blessed me with peace and strength, and I believe that’s an answer to many prayers.

That’s all for now, next time I’ll write you from Swaziland.

I am getting ready to move back to Africa and get married.

I have had my plane tickets for a few months now. I had my last day of work at the awesome clinic where I've worked for the last year, I'm starting to get rid of my furniture, I have already packed up most of my stuff, and I'm in a huge stage of transition.

For those of you who haven't heard about this transition yet, let me give you some background.

First of all, I grew up in Africa - my parents moved to Zambia when I was about two years old. When I came back to America for college to study nursing, my parents moved to a tiny country in Africa called Swaziland. During my time in college, I would visit them while I was on break. That's when I first met Mapile.

About 8 months after I finished college, I had the opportunity to spend another chunk of time with my parents in Swaziland. It was during that time that Mapile and I really started to get to know one another. When Mapile expressed interest in me, I felt so honored, because I knew that he was a man who loved the Lord. I respected Mapile a lot, but from the get-go I was not sure how this cross-cultural relationship would work. We decided to pray about our relationship, and ask God if it's something He would have for us. As I started to get to know Mapile more, I could see the love of Christ shine through him in the way that he loved people and served them. The more I saw the love of Jesus in Mapile, the more I grew to love him.

After that trip I came back to America, not knowing where our relationship would go. We communicated long distance for a year, and then this past May, he got to come and visit America. It was his first time to come here. We felt like it was the favor of God that allowed him to get a visa to be able to see my world and meet more of my family. The month of May was a blessed month - full of so many new things for him, and full of great interactions with friends and family. During that time we had a Pre-Wedding Celebration - where friends and family came to a reception to hear our story and meet Mapile.

Last Wednesday, June 3rd, Mapile flew back to Swaziland. A week from this Tuesday, on June 16th, I fly over to Swaziland. We are getting married in August.

So like I said earlier, this is a season of transition for me. I hope that this blog can be a way for friends and family to see some of what is going on in my life. I am leaving a huge part of my heart here in America, and I am going to a huge part of my heart over in Africa.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about change, and how it is such a hard thing to deal with. The more I have reflected on it, the more I have understood that we struggle with change because we long for eternity. God created us with an eternal purpose: to know Him, worship Him, and spend eternity with Him in heaven. No wonder goodbyes are so hard here on earth. We were not made just to live on earth: we were made for eternity. During this time of transition I have found myself longing for that eternal home.

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." - Philippians 3:20.

Here's some pics so you can get some visuals on what I've been talking about