The Race is Over

Dear Family and Friends
Right now, I want to take a moment and thank you guys. From day one, you guys were the ones who supported us as we felt God pull at our hearts and set off for a 9 month adventure. You guys were the ones who believed in us and stepped along beside us either prayerfully or finanically. When we first came to you guys about this mission, you were the ones who believed in us. You were the ones who were at the airport with tears in your eyes as you waved us off and placing us in God’s hands. You were the ones who waited expectantly for a blog, Instagram, or Facebook update. You were the ones who would always ask for prayer requests, and when we had them, you would never to cease to pray for us. You were the ones who walked every step of the race with us. You laughed with us, you cried with us, and you even encouraged us to keep pushing forward when we wanted to throw in the towel. So right now, I want to take a minute and thank you. Thank you for all of the prayers and dedication that each one of you have shown us. Thank you for being willing to have Skype conversations with us at ridiculous hours of the night. Thank you for the love that has traveled all the way around the world with us. And thank you for all of the anticipation that you have had for us, from the first day to when we had to leave each other, to the day where we will be reunited. It’s time to say that this season of life is now over, and that we will be stepping into a new season of life with each other. We will be entering the “re-entry” stage as you will be entering a stage of welcoming us back home. Here are some tips that our squad wants to pass on to you as you welcome us back home:

1. Please, don’t be alarmed as we smell every article of clothing or search it for holes. For 9 months, we have been wearing the same clothing and are just looking for that same smell that each piece of clothing has.
2. We had 9 months of a poor diet. Most of our diet was consisted of carbs, so please don’t be offended when we can’t digest “normal” food. It could take our stomaches some time to adjust to “normal” food again.
3. We just spent a year traveling the world, but you are important to us too! We want to hear what’s been going on in your world and how God has been working in your life too!
4. We just spend a year traveling the world with the same 50 people that have come to know us and love us. Please don’t be offended or frustrated that you can’t match a face with a name. These people have become our close friends and we all were a family, so we may talk about each other like a family does.
5. This trip has been so experienced based. It’s nearly impossible that we share how our race truly went with out saying “It was good” or “It was very life changing”. Please have grace with us as we try our hardest to give you a more in depth version of how our race was.
6. Please have grace with us and our moods. Just like in the beginning of the trip, we had to leave our family and adjust to a new culture. We are having to do that all over agian. There will be moments when we are cranky, sad, frustrated, happy, or even sobbing over the simplest things. Please have grace with us as we begin to adjust and learn how to step into our lives again.
7. We have had an intense 9 months with The Lord, ministry, and constantly traveling. We are tired emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Please have grace with us as we continue to learn how to rest from this trip.
8. We have been in places where we don’t have things that we normally have in the States. So, when we find our favorite brand of underwear or a jar of Nutella, we may or may not cry from happiness.

So, family and friends, our time has come. The race is over and we are heading back home. God has called us to go out on a great adventure with Him. He asked us to give everything up, live out of a backpack, and meet people’s faces who will forever be in our mind and heart. He is now calling us to go back home and share this adventure with you guys. He’s calling us to go back and pour ourselves out to you guys as you guys pour yourselves out to us. Just like in the beginning when He asked us to give everything up, He is asking us to give this life style up and take another step of faith and continue on the path that He has for us. As I said in the beginning, I can’t even begin to thank you all enough for all of the support and love that you have poured out. You were the ones who cheered us on from the beginning all the way through the race. Thank you for all of the prayers and encouragement that you sent, and I can’t wait until we meet again.
Love,
Jess
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 6-7.