Where do I even start. Where did I even leave off? As I sit here, I am packing up the last few things in my apartment and getting ready to leave in a little over an hour. To think that it will all be over in such a short time…
I have had an incredible past two weeks here, and more than that an incredible two years. Packing day was a lot of fun; it was cool to be stuck in our apartment all day with just the six of us. And we got a lot done too!
Tuesday was our trimester exam (I got a 92!) And following that we had our last family time. It was so much fun to just hang out with our family at the Yellow River. Later that evening, the entire Masters Commission met up at Mellow Mushroom in Athens to have a final dinner together. We then headed to the Athens Botanical Gardens for our closing chapel, where it all started in September. We got to pray together, worship and reflect on the year and where God has brought us. It was an amazing, powerful night…
On Wednesday, it was “final” day! We had our final Verbal Communications Ministry Track, our final Southeastern test, and our final O2 night. Hosanna and I talked about being planted in Audax on O2 night, and it was one of the biggest crowds we had seen all year. I am really going to miss my Oxygen students; they have placed an incredible impact on my life!
On Thursday we had our last Jeanne mentoring time, and our last leadership lesson at Yellow River. That was a lot of fun once again! Later that evening my best friend Danielle drove down from Chicago to visit for a few days. It was such an amazing time to be with her, even for a few days!
Friday was a really memorable day. We got to experience the first year class’s chapel, and they talked about Ezekiel and dry bones. After that, Jeanne treated us all to lunch at Fire of Brazil. It was a “thanks” for all the hard work we put into at cadre, and it was sure appreciated by us all! We had our last outing with Audax that night too, and it was a fun night of paint wars! I left with green paint all over myself and in my hair… which meant a lot of scrubbing to do before banquet the next day!
Saturday was banquet day. We got up, got all dressed up, and headed to Maggianno’s. It was so fun to see everyone, meet parents and family, and reflect on the year. It has been so memorable, and it was fun to share the memories together.
Sunday finally came… graduation day! For the morning service, we got the opportunity to share as individuals in Masters about the life change that occurred here in the past nine months. The Tabernacle has been my church home for the past two years… and they will be missed! Later that evening we filed in and celebrated ourselves graduating. We recognized each others achievements, and the second year class all received Bibles as a graduating gift. Let me tell you, that Bible is now a prized possession of mine! The night ended as we prayed together on stage, took pictures, and cried a lot of tears. It was so bittersweet! After that, we all went to Jeanne’s house and hung out for our last time together. It was a lot of fun, but weird knowing that we may never see some of these people again…
Monday came, and our apartment got up early and finished moving out. We were checked out of our apartment by Pastor Adam, gave the keys away, and it was over. I was no longer an RA L Saying goodbye to the first year girls was so hard. I will be keeping in touch with them for sure; I can’t bear being away from them! Later that evening, Danielle and I celebrated our birthdays at the Cheesecake Factory with our second year class. It was a lot of fun, a lot of people came, and we just had an overall great night. I was so blessed to be able to celebrate my birthday early!
Tuesday was our pool party, and the 2nd and 3rd years as well as the staff all hit the water! It was a great day to just relax, and a great way to cool off. Later that night, we went on our last adventure as second year girls. I can’t reveal all the details over the internet, but trust me… it was good (holy) fun!
On Wednesday and Thursday we just helped clean up Jeanne’s house and the church. We cleaned out our offices, wrote about our portfolio responsibilities, and made as many memories as possible while we were together. I was a wreck a lot of the time! I was just so sad to say goodbye to everyone. Thursday night, we all stood outside the apartments saying our final goodbyes, giving our last hugs, and just spending time together. It was so much fun, I didn’t even go to sleep that night. I finished packing, and at 3 am, Hosanna drove me to the airport… goodbye Atlanta.
I’m home now, and it really is good to be here. Of course I miss my friends, but I know that when I am in God’s will, I won’t miss out on the best that He has for me. I know I am walking into God’s best. Atlanta, you have given me the best two years of my life. I am forever changed because of the people I have met, the program I was placed in, but most importantly the Jesus inside of me. It was an incredible journey, and I know that I will continue it for the rest of my life. As I write my last few sentences of this blog, I know that I will return to Atlanta someday, even just to visit. But the most important thing I have gotten from my Masters Commission experience is a launching pad; it has launched me into a new season, and a new passion for Jesus Christ. All I can say is that it was forever worth it.
Yours truly,
Annie in Atlanta
 |
| The girls at the Cheesecake Factory! |
 |
| Praying together at Graduation |
 |
| Allie and I at Graduation |
 |
| The Morgan girls at Graduation |
 |
| Hosanna and I |
 |
| Danielle and I, best friends |
