There’s always a seed before there’s a rose
The more that it rains, the more I will grow
“I gotta have roots before branches to know who I am
Before I know who I wanna be, and faith to take chances
To live like I see a place in this world for me

Whatever comes I know how to take it
Learn to be strong I won’t have to fake it …
The wind can come and do its best
Blow me north and south, east and west
But I’ll still be standing.”

… “Roots Before Branches,” Room for Two …

Just over two months since I left Africa, and this is where the true good-bye resounds. Time has carried me through the hugs, mumbled good-byes, and tears, but only now has it brought me to the final good-bye.

Liberty University’s Global Focus Week has concluded. December and January passed in preparation for the week-long event, and when the week arrived, I set up the display board and arranged the artifacts and brochures with a smile. For weeks, I found myself in my parents’ basement creating a scrapbook displaying the various adventures one will find at the Build the Nations mission base in South Africa. In addition, my friend Amy and I spent hours creating a brochure to place on the table for students to take home and peruse at will, while in the final hours of preparation, my mother and I finished the display board that would serve as the anchor for the advertisement table. Many days were spent creating with glue and paper, as miles of petrol were used in running to various stores to purchase materials and print photographs. All of this culminated in a week on LU’s third floor in the ILRC.

While the event made for some long days sitting at a table, those moments in which I spoke to students about Build the Nations and Shayandima School of Tomorrow made the wearying hours and sore back worth it. There was no need to fake a smile or interest in what I spoke about, because the organization I represented was more than just a name and place. It was home, a place that I wanted others to share in and love just as much as I do. Seeing the interest spark in a student’s eyes when I spoke about the students only made me smile bigger and grow more excited. Flipping through pages of photographs flooded me with memories, bringing more stories to mind that I then shared with the students.

I also had the privilege of speaking on a girl’s residence hall on Tuesday night for their hall meeting. The two RAs (residential assistants) I worked with that night were incredibly friendly. I enjoyed the time spent with them and the 40+ girls on their hall. I only had ten minutes in which to speak, so I briefly described BTN, the school, and what I had done there. I then used the time to encourage them to go after what God has for them, even if it sounds insane and completely out of their comfort range. Naturally, I used my own experience to drive home the point I was making. After all, who ever saw this city girl roughing it in the African bush for three days with no running water? It only takes a willing heart who trusts in a God far greater than we can imagine.

The greatest part of Global Focus Week, though, arrived on Wednesday. Mr. Palmer flew in to Lynchburg, Virginia, from South Africa for a couple days to join me at LU. Having him here was amazing. The last time I had seen him, we were standing beside a Land Rover on the base saying good-bye. What a turn around! Now I was driving him around Lynchburg to Panera Bread and Wal*Mart, laughing as we caught up on how things had been going for the past two months. We even met up with some friends from South Africa who were attending Liberty, like Steve and Chloe, who had grown up in SA, and Christie, one of the American girls who had come out for ten months in the middle of my two-year stint on the base. I loved being around people who shared the same memories, experiences, and love for a country that only we knew on a deeper level. New friends and old mingled together, and I loved every minute of it.

When the week ended, I drove Mr. Palmer back to the Lynchburg airport early Saturday morning. We unloaded his bags, said good-bye, and parted ways. I have no idea when I will see Mr. Palmer in person again. I wish his stay could have been longer, but I also know that time needed to move forward.

You see, as I drove away from the airport, leaving Mr. Palmer behind to navigate baggage check, I didn’t just drive away from a friend. I was driving away from South Africa and the life I had led there. Global Focus Week signified the end of my time lost in memories of Africa. I had prepared for that week ever since my return to the US, and now that it is over, so is that part of my life. I led two incredible years in a land I never thought I would call home, and now I stand on the other side facing a new land and culture.

As I say the final good-bye to Africa, changes must now be put into action. As previously mentioned, I will be updating my blog to a website. I must prepare for this new phase in life, and that means updating the old with the new. This blog will remain up for the next few days, but as of this upcoming weekend, it will be taken off-line for updates. I will endeavor to keep the same domain name (anovelexploration) to prevent confusion, but if this must change for some reason, I will be sure to alert everyone. I am not certain how these updates will go, so please bear with me in this time. I cannot give an estimate of how long these changes will take because I have not done something like this before on which I can base a time frame. I will, however, contact everyone via email and Facebook when the blog is back online and ready for viewing. Thank you in advance for your patience.

And so, I say farewell to South Africa. The memories will forever stay in my heart and mind, but God has a new path that I must follow. I can only move forward from here.

Good-bye, South Africa.

And hello, Russia.