A year ago today...

As today approached I found myself looking back over this last year with fond memories. A year ago today I was on a plane towards where I thought I would make my home for the next three to five years, but as we know this was not the case...God had different plans. The last few nights I have been having very vivid dreams about my time in Osh~a wonderful city with wonderful people~hanging out with my team, meeting with students, learning language (in my dream I was even speaking Uzbek...can you believe it? haa), traveling around the country and to other countries, etc. I can't help but shed tears over the memories made and experiences had. As I woke up this morning I half expected and very much longed to be lying in my bed in my apartment, hearing Julie stir her coffee and the traffic already moving along outside my window. I can still picture exactly how my room looked, how our apartment looked, and what I saw looking out my window in the mornings. Even in the hardest of times, it was the sweetest of times. The simpleness of life, the time available and set a part to spend with God, the encouragement and laughter my teammates brought.

I remember sitting in the Greenville/Spartanburg Airport writing in my journal wondering what this first year in Osh had in store for me. I can tell you it was a time of learning more about my gracious heavenly Father, His love for me, and what it really means to depend fully on Him. It was a time of sharing life with a team who will never know what they mean to me, learning from experienced people of ministry, seeing how a different culture lives their day to day life, being vulnerable and walking through a personal darkness I've never known before.

"Find rest O my soul in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress I shall not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God, He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."
Pslam 62:5-8

My dear friends Emily and Forrest (with their sweet grown up boy Luka and new baby girl Livi) boarded a plane today...bound for their home, Osh. How I wish I was there to greet them. To help them settle in their new home. To watch how everyone reacts to Luke and how much he's grown over these last 5 months and of course the arrival of Livi to her new home. I kept promising I would update my blog to you Em, and this is the first thing I've really wanted to write about. So there ya go :) I really do wish I was there with you, and so often fail to understand why I'm not, but know that I'm thinking about you and praying for you daily. I look forward to catching up once you get back and settled... "Welcome home Renner family, welcome home" gotta love Ty and the gang (Extreme House Makeover). I figured it's appropriate to say that since you're moving in to your new house. :)

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Now that I know I won't be returning to Osh, I'm starting to look ahead, one step at time, to where the Lord is leading me. I'm excited to say it is back to Colorado...what is in store for me I have no idea, but I do know that even thought I'm walking through the valley, my Jesus is holding my hand each step of the way and for that I'm grateful for and will lift my hands in praise.

I'm so thankful to be moving back to a place I truly feel like is my home and the extra blessing is I get to be around my family (hard to believe it's been 6 years....) and a very special blessing is we have welcomed a new member into our family, Rheya Lee, and I can't wait to be a part of her life. Momma Jane we's gonna have some fun! :)p

It's hard to believe my time in Osh came and went so quickly, but that place, that time, and my team will always be in my heart, in my memories, and in my prayers. I pray I never stop dreaming about that special place and that special time.