Confession

The night before I left Provo to live here in Belgium, I was nervous.

Fear crept up inside me and told me that I would rather stay home in the comfort of family and friends. I hated to say good-bye to people and our comfortable lifestyle. I was nervous to start my internship, and I was nervous for Mitch to start his. I was nervous to find our apartment, and how to find my way around the city.

Then we got to Brussels, and quickly left to do two weeks of backpacking through Europe. My heart quickly forgot my fears as I let myslef imerse into these beautiful places and cultures. And then we got to meet my parents in France. It was such a highlight to have a wonderful time there with family. So on that Sunday night, after I kissed my parents good-bye, and we found our cute apartment and unpacked our bags, that fear crept up again and wanted me to break down and cry.

I had been away from family for longer before when I went to Jerusalem. But this was different, this time Mitch and I were on our own. We had no giant Jerusalem center with missionary couples to be our parents and have all our meals prepared for us. Instead we just had eachother to hug as we told eachother how nervous we were for Monday to come.

Monday came. And it went. I love the people I work with, I know my way around, I found a great grocery store and near-by laundry mat. Everything that fear tried to tell me would be terrible are in fact just fine.

And as we rode home on the train yesterday afternoon from a fabulous day in Antwerp and Gent, Mitch read his book and I stared out the window across my beautiful new home, Belgium. I nearly laughed thinking how much we would have missed out if we had not come. It is funny how our hearts initially react to change with such discontent. But once we are given some time to soak up the change, we realize how much better we are now. I love it here, and I love it more with my best friend beside me.