Happy New Year!
I think the crazy thing is, we are not only in a new year, but rather a new decade. This is a new season and it comes with new opportunities that will present themselves in these upcoming months. Everything has been going well over here in Pohnpei, this little island does not feel too little and it keeps growing on me the longer I am here. Everyday seems to present a new adventure and a new chance to try and live to the fullest.
One thing I have noticed since being here is just the mindset of having all of this be temporary. I know that I have been here for 6 months, and I know that sadly in 4 short months, I will be leaving. That blows my mind, because I know it is going to fly by. But beyond that, I catch myself thinking and feeling like I am not on an island. I dream of the day where I can take a hot shower again without having to personally boil the water. I also see myself drifting off into thoughts about when I am back and having the freedom to go get boba or an iced chai tea latte with a nitro lid. These specific things I miss at times make it hard, but I have to remember I am currently living a different life. I have to embrace this culture fully. I was reorganizing my closet this morning, and even if it may be meager to my American standards, I realize I have a lot of clothes for a student missionary. It makes me smile, because I still strive for fashion and style overseas, finding myself spending more than I should.
I had the chance to experience holidays in a different way this year, from getting lost in the jungle for 7 hours on Christmas day, to experiencing a Pohnpei New Years that lasted until about 4 am. These experiences are once in a lifetime and they are truly teaching me how to take each of these moments and live them fully.
This past month has shown me a lot, it is crazy to know we are in 2020 now, and the holidays are over. This holiday season was particularly difficult being away from my family and loved ones, but it opened up new opportunities to make many memories. It is now the end of January as I am writing this, and I feel like it has been months since 2020 started, but rather we are only about a month into it. Today, January 27, my parents and grandma are currently on a flight that will bring them here to me in just two short hours. That is crazy to fathom. It will be a cool experience having them here and getting to share my island home with them.
I know my emails tend to be rather long, so I will try to keep this one shorter, I will have more updates soon. I just got certified as a PADI open water diver yesterday and that was amazing. The ocean is just insane, knowing the Creator of the universe made the ocean and made the different levels of the ocean to declare His glory. We also had to finish doing some under water maneuvers showing that we could accomplish what we needed to do if we found ourselves in an emergency situation. That was a neat experience. Anyways, sending this email with lots of love and prayers, will hopefully send you another update soon!
Much Love,
Kayla Goodman
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