A few more days

In less than a week, I'll be moved into my Joburg apartment in South Africa, trying to adjust to the seven-hour time difference and getting over the jet lag of being on one airplane for 18 hours.

These final days at home, or rather, visiting friends and family have been tough. I knew it would be hard but I never expected it to be as emotionally challenging as it has been. These days are all about transitions and change, something I need to get used to if God has plans for me on the mission field more than a couple of years.

The toughest goodbye so far came Tuesday morning. My best friend in the world, Nick Dorsey, moved to Louisville, KY, in August to start seminary at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Thanks to some banked frequent flier miles, I flew to Louisville last Saturday to hang out with Nick for a few days while he's on fall break. Nick and I met each other in 2003 through a student ministry and have been best friends ever since. We have literally travelled the world together on mission trips and vacations. We've shared more adventures, seen more places and experienced more things in the past five years than most people experience in a lifetime.

We have grown together spiritually, worked together, gone to school together, served at church together...the list goes on and on. But now, God has chosen our paths to split for a time. He has led Nick to Southern for seminary and is leading me to South Africa to serve there. What is so great about this is that, while we are on two different continents, we are still working together for the glory of God and sharing the same greater goal of reaching the world for our Savior.

I've never had a closer, better and more faithful brother and friend in my life than Nick. Nick was an answered prayer of several years that God put in my life at the most perfect time, for both of us. The few days we got to hang out in Louisville this week were sweet and I'm grateful for that time God gave us as we set off in different directions for this one common goal.

Things will and are changing and it's one of the toughest things I'm going through right now but I'm confident the Lord will keep my best friend and I closely connected over the next couple of years. There is no one in this world who I admire, respect and love more in the ministry than Nick. He is one of a kind and I'm richly blessed to have him in my life. I look forward to many more adventures God has planned for us in this world. Nick, you're the best. Thank you for being my best friend.

"Jonathan said to David, 'Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.' Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city."
- 1 Samuel 20:42