A Bitter Sweet Goodbye

Where has the time gone?

Today is my last day in San Jose with my tican family! I cannot believe it. I leave tomorrow for Cuba for a week! My tican family has been amazing and I am really going to miss them. They have loved me like no other. I was not just a North American student living with them, but I was taken in as their own daughter and sister, caring for me, providing for me and loving me. It has been amazing for me to see how my family here doesn't have much at all but what they do have is so special. Living with them for 3 months has taught me to appreciate the small things in life. They may not have lots of money or material things but they have love and lots of it!!!!

Dad from the states wrote me, "Your tican parents remind me of a large pitcher that have poured out God’s blessings on you. You have been richly blessed by your tican family and parents being available to bless you. May their example teach us to also pour out God’s love on those around us." This is so true. And I pray that when I return home I can pour out God's love to others just as he has shown His love to me.

My mom last night was giving me a little gift I can bring back to the States to remember them. It was something so small and she apologized that she did not have more money to buy me something bigger. But I did not want anything bigger. I could not have asked for anything else. It was a little picture frame that I could a picture of them in. She knew it wasn't anything extravagant but it was chosen with a lot of love. That has been a big lesson for me. It does not matter the cost value of a gift it matters where your heart is when you give it. I could definitely tell that her heart was in that gift no matter how little it cost. It meant a lot to me and I love it!

So I pulled out my suitcase from my closet and started packing up my room. My closet is just about empty now. Last night I was giving away some cloths to my little sister. My tican mom was so thankful and she couldn't believe I was giving them away. I do not need them. I have way too many cloths and even more at home. They need them more than I do. My mom started to tear up and thanked me many times "wow, serious, gracias" The look on her face was amazing and I won't trade it for anything. She said that it helped so much because she wouldn't have to buy Pamela cloths for a while now. I was glad I could help and explained to her that in the States I have lots of friends, sisters, family to share cloths with so I was just passing on the tradition of hand me downs : )

Saying bye tomorrow will be hard. But I will remember what my Dad wrote me, its perfect advice. "We know that leaving your tican parents and brother and sister will be very difficult but it is not the end – it is the beginning of your relationship. Remember to give thanks to our Lord for all aspects of your trip. This verse may help you get through this difficult transition I Thess 5:18 “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”