Leaving Everything Behind? (January 11, 2011)

Ever since I made the decision to move to South Korea to be with my fiancee, I have run into mixed reactions. Thankfully, the majority of my friends and loved ones have been nothing but overjoyed and supportive; however, a few think I am really foolish and that it is a terrible idea. I was recently asked by a friend how I can do it. How can I leave everything behind and sacrifice so much just to be with someone? I don't know how that person views relationships or what they think it is that I have here in Florida, but I have to say I don't feel like I am sacrificing anything with this decision. Of course I will miss my friends and family very much, but the internet is an amazing thing. It has sustained a relationship for the last six months and has made it much easier to be so far away from my fiancee. How could anyone view such a blessing and opportunity as a sacrifice? In just a few short weeks, I will be boarding a plane to fly to the other side of the world where I will marry the best friend I could have ever hoped for and begin an unimaginably amazing adventure exploring a new country with new cultures and experiences. I can't help but be amazed at how great our God is when I look at my life today. Just a few years ago I would never have thought I would be with someone who is my very best friend and whom I love with all my heart. I never would have thought I could finish  my degree, and I absolutely would not have even imagined a move to another country! He has blessed my life so abundantly that when people look at me with shocked and horrified faces as I tell them my news, I can't help but share with them just how wonderful it is. My life has been turned into something that God can use. A life that has meaning and purpose and substance and it is the most rewarding and exhilarating feeling I have come across yet in my 25 years. I can't wait to share my last few weeks in the states before I leave on a jet plane to start my amazing adventure!