CLICK HERE FOR BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MYSPACE LAYOUTS »

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Goodbye lovely Sweden...

I really am being honest with you when I say that I feel as if my heart will be left behind here in Sweden when we leave. This experience has been more than words could ever express. I find it hard to even write this. I really don't want to leave. Even with the thought of comming back.. leaving here is going to break my heart. I just feel like God has been blessing us in amazing ways here. I feel more like me than I ever have, and I have made friends that are impossible to ever forget. Matt and I have just had a hard time the past few days.. wraping our head around the reality of leaving. We both have found our place here and love it with all of our hearts. I know for him it must be so hard to leave. For him, leaving also means going back to work. I know that after this experience.. that would be hard.

Tonight we were so blessed to have a going away party thrown in our honor. It was amazing to get a chance to be with alot of our friends who have become like family to us. A couple of the hockey guys showed up as well to say goodbye. My heart is overflowing with gratitude. I am so thankful to be able to know all of the people that we have met here. I really can't imagine not waking up here. The party tonight really made me aware of how much I want to come back. I really can't imagine not ever seeing those people again. They are too close to my heart. I know Matt feels the same way.

Tomorrow is our last day in Sweden. Even writing that sentence brings me back to the reality of it all. Tomorrow.... we will spend our last day packing, taking a walk, and spending some time with friends. Please pray for us in this time. It is really hard for us to leave. Also please keep our flight in your prayers. Matt and I both are not too fond of flying, and after my experience in comming here... i am very nervous and anxious to fly. It is crazy to think that this time...l this season in our life is over. Now we ask for you to pray for our next steps. Please pray for us as God continues to guide them. We do want to so what He wants. I know that He gave us such an amazing love for Sweden and for the people here. We are excited to start the next process in getting back here. We love you all and thank you for comming along for the ride with us. It is so sad that it has come to an end.. but we feel as if it is also just the beginning.

Lots of love from Sweden.......

Jess and Matt

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!!!

Hello friends and family!
Today Matt turns 27. SO OLD! haha. Matt and I both have such mixed emotions about leaving. On one hand we feel so excited to see our friends and family, and share with them some of the adventures GOd has taken us on. On the other hand... we both have fallen in love with everything here. God has really shown us so much about where our passion lies. It is amazing how when we surrendered our time, money, and posessions... how God totally took control. He really wanted to strip us of everything, and He has taken amazing care of us. He has showed us things about ourselves individually, and as a couple. God took us and just used us, and that is exactly what we prayed for when we arrived.

I have been involved in the figure skating show here. It was yesterday and is again today. It is so cute. I just love watching the little girls skate around so proud looking for their parents. I was nearing in tears yesterday thinking of how blessed I am by those little girls. They love me without words. It is amazing.. God has just showed me how to show His love to them.. when no words are even spoken. I will miss them a lot.

Matt has been enjoying some time off from practice.. now he has some time to just relax before we head back to Colorado and he begins to work at full speed. Tomorrow we will have our last meeting with the Church group. Also, our friend Nikolus will be there to help us figure out things for next year with the hockey team and the school. Please remember him in your prayers. I really just want him to see the love that we as Christians have for each other. I want him to feel accepted and loved. Matt and I really feel that God has amazing plans for him. We are praying for him. He has played such a huge role in everything we have done while we have been here. He has made it so nice for me. I love Volleyball and he is the one who first invited me to go help coach. Him and Matt have been able to form a great friendship as well.

Please pray for us as we begin to pack our things and head off. It is pretty emotional for us. Even with the thought of returning.. it is still hard to leave this place that we have fallen in love with. It is hard to believe that we arrived here nearly 3 months ago. Time passed so fast! I know the rest of this week will just fly. My mom knows that i will wait until the last minute to pack all of my things. I think i got that "gift or procrastination" from her. haha.

Thanks again from the bottom of our hearts. This time that we have spent here has been life changing for Matt and I. We both can't wait to share our stories with you in person. Thank you so much for wanting to keep up with what we are doing, and for being so invested in our time here. We love you all so very much.

LOVE,
Jess and Matt