A Life-Changing Move

California... Back in elementary school, we briefly lived in La Mirada, California while my parents attended Talbot Seminary at Biola. It was a poignant 3 years for sure, but many of my memories are sadly faded and replaced by more vivid ones from Mongolia, Germany, and adulthood. I hadn't been back since the year we left - 1998 - so you can imagine how ecstatic I was about this trip.

We loved the beaches, the palm trees, the weather, and catching up with old family friends (mine). But I realized something that weekend, as we drove past my family's old apartment and my elementary school. The "me" in California was drastically different from who I have grown up to be. My personality, experiences, dreams, and worldview - none of these were crucially shaped by the years I spent here. What kind of woman would I have become, had we stayed in California? I can't even begin to imagine, because the experiences I had in Mongolia and Germany stand in stark contrast to what I think would have been my experiences as a teenage girl in California.

I might have lived in more comfort, had more opportunities, known what it's like to grow up with the same friends and have a true sense of home. And I'm confident that God would have still made Himself known to me.

But I would never have stepped foot inside a ger (Mongolian yurt); never met our Mongolian friends who lived with much less, yet showed such joy in God; never gone to boarding school with other MKs (Missionary Kids) from Turkey, Mali, Russia, Ghana, you-name-it; never felt the harsh reality of people suffering from pain, poverty, and hopelessness.

What happened in Mongolia, Germany, China, Venezuela, Ithaca - that's what ultimately made me who I am today.

I was heartbroken when I graduated from Escalona Elementary, knowing that I wouldn't be at Huntington(?) Middle School with my friends in the fall. My little 10 year old heart hurt that I couldn't audition for our middle school cheerleading squad, beat Robert at handball every Sunday, have  anymore sleepovers with Ylan. If only I knew what blessings and growth were in store for me! If only I knew how irrevocably the next decade would shape me!

Faithful is our Lord. Faithful in my life.

So, friends, hold onto this promise that God gave His children: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

Hubs and I don't even know what country we'll be in 15 years from now. But this we know for sure: that the One who saved us and loves us has it all planned out, and it's greater than any future we could build for ourselves.

I, for one, am thankful I never had a chance to become a cheerleader. Who would I have become??