The separation anxiety has begun.
Even before our plane touched the ground in Grand Rapids, the conversations of how to get back to Cyprus had begun.
As we picked up our luggage from baggage claim and hugged our families who came to great us, the group lingered. Many of the youth had been waking up at 5:30am every morning to watch the sun rise and do devotions together. What does that look like tomorrow? And the day after?
There was already a group text sent out before many of us even arrived home from the airport.
During our debrief time, we threw out words that immediately came to mind about this week, and the word “family” was mentioned. Because each member of the trip had already accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were already brothers and sisters in Christ before the trip started.
But we became family in other aspects. When you travel internationally, live with each other in close proximities and serve together for long days, you learn more about each other that you can’t learn on Sunday mornings and during HSM.
We know sleeping habits, food habits, and cleaning habit. We know how people respond with little sleep and good rest. How people respond when they’re hungry. When they experience bad driving. When they’re experiencing doubt, worry, sadness, happiness, excitement, and joy.
I asked the kids what they wanted you to know about this week beyond what has been shared about how God overwhelmed us with His abundant love, and in conjunction with the family theme, they wanted me to tell you about their camaraderie and the ways they encouraged and supported one another. How they felt loved this week.
So with that…the Cyprus team is signing off, but we leave you with some outtake photos of this week.
