September 17th has been a significant date in my subconscious for about 4 months now, ever since Natalie went and bought her flight tickets that allow her to embark on her 11 months of travelling.
The whole 'gap year' has been spoken about for a lot longer than that, but it was only when the tickets were purchased that a date became fixed in the diary, and a deadline was made. And now it is here! Gulp!!!
The last few days and weeks have included collecting all the equipment and kit Natalie needs, packing and discovering she has too much stuff, working out just how few socks and sweaters she can cope with then packing again (more successfully this time), saying farewell to all the friends who are going off to Universities around the country, and ensuring that Natalie's favourite meals have been included in the menus of the last week or so!
Natalie's year is not totally sorted - she's left lots of space for God to fill in the gaps, but the general outline is a YWAM Discipleship Training course in northern India for 2.5months, and then 2 months out on outreach somewhere (first significant gap for God to fill in!). By the start of March she will be in Uganda, and apart from the fact that we know where she is staying, and roughly what the projects are that she might be able to get involved in, the rest is an exciting blank canvas.
I have to say I am incredibly proud of what Natalie is doing - just to be going abroad for a whole year pretty much on her own is mammoth, and her faith-filled approach to it all is so beautiful to see. The trip for her is all about a blend of her two passions - her Christian faith, and serving the poor and marginalised, and I am so excited to see how God uses Natalie and this year.
I am also apprehensive about saying goodbye - hopefully I won't be too much of an embarrassingly weepy mother! At least I will still have Rozzie around for another few days before she goes to Uni, and of course Tim is my most-wonderful support system. And at the end of the day, if I'm not a bit tearful it might seem as though I am heartless - and I'm definitely not that!
So, its off to the airport to wave farewell to an amazing daughter, and send her off on an adventure that is going to be life-changing in many ways. Not the easiest day for a mother in some ways, but a day of great pride in others!
Will report back later on the tears or not!
PS - I hope this doesn't in any way undermine the pride I also have in Rozzie - an equally amazing young lady, choosing a different but equally exciting path!
The whole 'gap year' has been spoken about for a lot longer than that, but it was only when the tickets were purchased that a date became fixed in the diary, and a deadline was made. And now it is here! Gulp!!!
The last few days and weeks have included collecting all the equipment and kit Natalie needs, packing and discovering she has too much stuff, working out just how few socks and sweaters she can cope with then packing again (more successfully this time), saying farewell to all the friends who are going off to Universities around the country, and ensuring that Natalie's favourite meals have been included in the menus of the last week or so!
Natalie's year is not totally sorted - she's left lots of space for God to fill in the gaps, but the general outline is a YWAM Discipleship Training course in northern India for 2.5months, and then 2 months out on outreach somewhere (first significant gap for God to fill in!). By the start of March she will be in Uganda, and apart from the fact that we know where she is staying, and roughly what the projects are that she might be able to get involved in, the rest is an exciting blank canvas.
I have to say I am incredibly proud of what Natalie is doing - just to be going abroad for a whole year pretty much on her own is mammoth, and her faith-filled approach to it all is so beautiful to see. The trip for her is all about a blend of her two passions - her Christian faith, and serving the poor and marginalised, and I am so excited to see how God uses Natalie and this year.
I am also apprehensive about saying goodbye - hopefully I won't be too much of an embarrassingly weepy mother! At least I will still have Rozzie around for another few days before she goes to Uni, and of course Tim is my most-wonderful support system. And at the end of the day, if I'm not a bit tearful it might seem as though I am heartless - and I'm definitely not that!
So, its off to the airport to wave farewell to an amazing daughter, and send her off on an adventure that is going to be life-changing in many ways. Not the easiest day for a mother in some ways, but a day of great pride in others!
Will report back later on the tears or not!
PS - I hope this doesn't in any way undermine the pride I also have in Rozzie - an equally amazing young lady, choosing a different but equally exciting path!
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