Proud.

My parents and brother dropped me off at the airport this morning with two 50 lb. bags, a carry on, and a backpack the size of me. It was so hard to leave them and to hug them knowing it would be our last embrace until next year. But at the same time, it couldn't have felt more perfect in the way we left. When I first shared my heart and desire to go to Africa with them about a year ago, it was one of the most difficult conversations I've had with them. As any parent would be, they were concerned, fearful, angry, confused, and just simply didn't understand how I could give up a year of my life to go. Since November 2007 until this day of 2009, I have lifted up prayer after prayer for the Lord to soften their hearts. It has been a process since that first day we talked..but God has been faithful. Through raising support, providing the way, and a multitude of praise stories to share with them in preparing to go, God has shown more of Himself and His character not only to me, but to my family. The last words my parents and my big brother said to me before I left was, "I'm so proud." With tears welled up in my eyes, I walked through the security check-in waving my final goody-byes. 

It is not that they are proud of me that makes me happy; for there is nothing of me to boast about. But those words prove their softened hearts, which God so faithfully answered through the power of prayer. He replaced their fear with trust, their confusion with confirmation, and their doubt with excitement. He turned their anger into love and their hesitation to support. 

"Proud." There couldn't be another word more confirming of His faithfulness.