Saying Goodbye at the Airport

 

Sunny Day Lisbon

Day 38:
Waking up early has never been hard for me- falling back asleep is the real challenge. We left Campolide around 6:30, catching the metro to the airport on the other side of the city. As sad as the occasion was and as tired as we all felt, we did a pretty good job at keeping the conversation light and making sure to laugh all the while. It made for an easier "see you later, Tenesha", but it was still a hard thing to do.
Leaving the airport with our hearts sinking someone deep within the pits of our stomachs, we boarded the metro one person short. Audry, Makenzie, and I all had the same thoughts racing in our minds. There was a certain confusion that came with seeing the planes and going through the motions of checking bags and getting tickets but still being so far from home. Time and space seemed to be our enemy as we all thought about our families and friends half way across the globe. So we took our moment to miss our loved ones, but it isn't going to stop us from pressing forward. Psalms 4:5 is just one of the many scriptures I keep reading- a reminder that this experience is going to be one of the best of my life if I can rely on Jehovah to get me through the rocky moments.
After making the girls crêpes in Tenesha's honor, I went for a jog while they slept. Walking in the sun, praying and thinking, I began to feel at peace again and better equipped to face the oncoming weeks and to make them the most enjoyable moments of my life. I'm in a beautiful place, I'm with wonderful people, and most importantly; I'm doing the best work there is to do.

 

The rest of my journey through town was me enjoying the sights and the quiet. This evening, I had made service arrangements with Yannik- a study who moved here from Congo about four years ago. Yannik is one of the most positive and energetic people I have ever met. As we worked territory in the night, we talked and got to know a little bit more about each other's backgrounds. I learned a lot about Yannik, like how zealous he is and how the truth just seems to sprout in his heart. Many times, I hoped I could be more like Yannik in ways, he seems to almost laugh when he talks. His joy is evident is every word that he speaks. As we parted for the evening, Yannik had walked me to my bus stop to ensure my safe arrival home and then went into the metro station to catch the train. As I waited for the bus, I noticed a woman trying to speak with the driver. She was asking him to let her on the bus but his Portuguese reply was of no use to the English speaking woman. I approached her and explained to her what the driver was trying to convey- this bus was on a five minute break and would not reload until he was ready to run it again. After speaking with her about the bus routes, I offered her some magazines to read while we waited fir the bus to start again. We talked a little about the Watchtower and before I knew it, she was racing to get on the bus that had finally started up and loaded again. I waved goodbye as she thanked me and boarded the bus. As it drove off, all I could do was smile and think about how happy I am to still be here serving where the need is great despite all the challenges we may face. Then I thought about the woman on the bus that drove away- that was the bus I needed to take.

After a long walk back to Campolide, I'm finally ready to crash. Tomorrow I have service plans with Crystal and family study with the girls. The sun is supposed to be out!

Today's Positives:

We still have more time to do as much for Jehovah and people here as we can

Made the girls feel better with a bug batch of crêpes

Tenesha got home safely

Basked in the sun and enjoyed the scenery as if I were in my own beautiful world

Spent a few hours in the ministry with a wonderful person named Yannik

Spoke with a woman and got to help her a bit