11 months ago I signed up for and got accepted into the World Race Gap Year program. So far away, it felt like the day would never come. And yet here we are… today is the day it becomes real. Today I start the most impactful journey of my life. Soon I will meet my team; those I will call family for the next 9 months.
However, that means that the past week was time to say goodbye to those I have to leave behind. All of the family and friends and people that mean the most to me won’t be just a short drive away, instead, we have become limited to sporadical long-distance calling every now and then.
Goodbyes have never been easy for me. So months ago, when preparing for what was to come, I thought I would be devastated. But the Lord has been gracious to me in this season. The closer it got to being go-time, the more I felt like I just needed to go. So some parts of me already felt unattached and uninvolved to what was happening at home. Don’t get me wrong, I loved and savored every last moment before I left, but I feel that God has been preparing my heart to be so expectant for what is to come, making it easier to leave. With that being said every time I had to give a big hug and say “See you in 9 months!” to my favorite people, I walked away feeling like a small piece of my heart was being left with them.
I am a big people person, so relationships are very important to me and they get better and easier the more time you spend together. So the fact that I have to put those at home on hold for a long time is hard for me. But that is a sacrifice I have to be willing to make in order for my relationship with Christ to grow and become more solid than it ever has.
So to those of you at home, know that I love you and you will be missed, and I can’t wait to share with you all the ways the Lord is working and changing my life.
See you in 9 months! <3
We’re proud of you, Jena, and are praying for an incredible experience!
Jena, please know that we will be thinking of you as you start this new journey in your life. Also know we will be praying for you as you go. We love you!
I am so proud of you and SO excited for you! I’ll be praying!
Praying for you – Keep your eyes on Jesus
love u so much jena! u will certainly be missed but God has u where u are for a reason and a greater purpose. so proud of u and i cant wait to see how God continues to mold and shape u in his image and for ur faith to strengthen! cant wait to hear more 🙂
Jena,
We are Tim and Susan deForest and we are your Gap Year coaches for the year. We are so excited. We love how even though goodbyes are so hard, you felt God preparing you for them. That is a blessing, and we know a little of your heart is with so many people you love. We cannot wait to meet you soon!
Jena,
It has already been amazing to see how God has provided and prepared you to go on this journey with Him. I am so glad that Dad and I got to be at the parent launch and be the last ones to say goodbye. I am proud of you and thrilled by the decision you have made to fully surrender the next 9 months of your life to Christ. I stand in awe of who God is and I’m excited for you to experience His power and His presence in many different ways through this journey. I am praying that God will give you physical, mental and spiritual strength and endurance as I know the first few weeks are going to be hard.
I love you so much and know that God loves you even more and He is with you always.