Bitter, sweet and strange.

I struggle with good byes.

I like closure so I do need to say good bye to people, but I really do not like drawn out good byes.

My preference would be to say all my good byes within a few minutes, hop on the plane and leave.

But I can't always get what I want.

This week has really felt like one long drawn out good bye. I am still happy to be here in Tactic, but everyday I have had to say good bye to someone I have grown to love over the past month and a half. This has been tough for me. There have definitely been tears.

Today I was at Chamche (the main Vida school campus) and I was saying good bye to some teachers who are incredibly dear to me and as I was hugging them TWO of them started crying.

Ahh-my heart. It aches.

To love is a beautiful, but very hard thing. Especially when you love someone so dearly, but then you have to leave and you are suddenly no longer a part of each other's lives.

I am just trying to remind myself that I will see each of these incredible people in heaven and we will get to worship our King for all of eternity!

This is a beautiful thing.

I leave Tactic tomorrow and even though my heart wants to come back to this beautiful place, I have no control over when I will return here.

My time here has been absolutely incredible. I am so grateful that God gave me this opportunity and provided me with the necessary resources for me to come here.

I am overwhelmed by how much God taught me and is still teaching me through the experiences I have had here.

I am in awe of the people God put in my path for me to meet. I have met so many incredible people over the past month and a half.

I have met people on teams who have encouraged me in so many ways.

I have met countless Guatemalans who are faithfully serving the Lord regardless of the hard circumstances they live in.

I am still trying to process all that I have seen here and I know that I will processing it all for quite some time.

Thank you for your continual prayers and support. I thank God each day for you.

I ask that you continue to pray for me as I have 2 and half more days in Guatemala and then I fly back to Canada all day Monday.

Please pray for my last few days in Guatemala that there would be good closure and that I would be able to continue to bless the people I interact with.

Please pray for safety and energy for me as I travel and that everything would go smoothly.

I would also ask that you pray for me once I am home as I only have a few short days at home in Kamloops before I return to Trinity Western University in Langley, BC for my second year there.

Thank you for everything. You are all so dear to me.

I look forward to seeing some (if not all) of you very soon.

Sending love and hugs your way,

Michelle

PS- You are ALL invited to drop by my house Tuesday, August 24 between 7-9pm for an informal report-back/get-together. As I only have a few days in Kamloops before I leave for Trinity, I will not have time to see everyone and give a report on my trip. So...stop by my house, bring a dessert or snack to share, and we can visit! I would love to see you all there and get time to share with you AND hear about how each of YOU are doing.