As I sit here in the airport waiting for our plane to depart back home, I just cannot explain how incredible this experience has been for me. It honestly hurts to return home, because I feel as if this team has become a family and we all have to separate and return to our daily lives back home. Rio surpassed any expectations that I had before the trip. I am a completely different person from when we first left Nashville for Rio. All the faces that I remember from Rio will always have a special place in my heart. The seeds were certainly sown and we all are so drained from giving it our all to the kids and people of Rio. During the trips we had team meetings on top of the roof of our hotel. Its not the typical roof that we would think of, but rather it’s the most beautiful view in the world overlooking the ocean and the mountains of Brasil. God’s grace touched my heart during the team meetings that we had. At first I was just expecting a wrap up of what we had done so far, but it turned into the most touching experience of my life. I can’t help but to tear up as I write what I am about to say. These team members expressed some of the most touching testimonies, thoughts, and feelings about each other based on how this experience has impacted their lives. God certainly was tugging at my heart during our discussions and I just began sobbing in front of the group letting go of my struggle and heartache that I have had over the past 4 years. I realized that what I wanted for my life at the time when I was the most unhappy wasn’t what God wanted for me. He was only leading me to Rio. It was my purpose to help serve to these people who needed to hear the word of God. This was in fact the most powerful experience with God that I’ve ever had. My heart is completely empty of all the hurtful things that burdened me before. I left all my burdens on the roof of our hotel in Brasil. I am coming back a different person with a different smile. This is how great God is! I just cannot thank all the team members enough for helping me come to this realization. Everybody on this trip became real and we all shared some of our deepest emotions that we probably wouldn’t share back at home. I will cherish these wonderful people forever and I thank God for this life changing experience and the impact we left on Rio.
