Dear China

A year and a half ago I had the pleasure of scratching the surface of your richness with my dear brother on an internship. Looking back, these were my reflections as I left.

China, 
I knew nothing about you when I got here. And I still know very little. But I'm so pleased to have made your acquaintance and I do hope one day we will meet again. You're full of adventures and cool people. You hold many opportunities in the palm of your hand. I've greatly enjoyed my time with you and the wonderful brother who knows you much better than I. I will miss you, but I will treasure the memories we have.
Laurel

I never would have guessed that I would be coming back. And for longer. To learn from your people. To grow in multifaceted ways. To learn to trust again. In a God who is greater than I can even fathom. You are full of surprises and the unexpected, so I guess these months leading up to my departure have, in a unique way, begun to prepare me for the great unpredictable unknown that inevitably lies in store. This time of preparation has been full of bumps and joys and valleys, but God is good and He’s growing me in so many ways. I hate failure, but I’m learning that I will inevitably fail, to at least some degree, during my stay on your soil. And that is okay.  Failure has the potential to be growth.

China, you are a giant mystery, full of surprises. In a few short days, I’ll be treading your soil once again, and who knows how I’ll come home in the end. But one thing I know, it’s a great of exercise of trust to walk boldly into the unknown.