12 days.

It's a beautiful day here in Uruguay. While I was biking around looking for a store that sells candy in bulk (to my surprise, the butcher is the only one that does. Odd? Yes.) I was constantly reminded by the bright sun that I own sunglasses for a reason. As I squinted through the town, fighting against the wind (is it me, or is the wind ALWAYS against you when you're riding a bike uphill?), I was thinking about my year here in Uruguay.

What did I learn? What was the highlight? The lowlight? The parts I wanted to pause and absorb? The times I wish I could fast-forward? Most memorable night at kids club? Favorite place to travel? - you get the point.

I was trying to find a way to take a year of my life and summarize it in one phrase. All the good times and trying times and package them together, preferably with a bow. The only thing I could come up with is a song lyric that I cannot stop singing (my apologies to Alejandra): Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging, Your love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet.

I've learned so much about unconditional love and faithfulness this year that I don't even know where to begin to share. The Lord took me from my comfort zone to a place where I have to rely completely on Him - which is much easier said than done. In that place of sometimes utter helplessness, I found myself crying out to God. There, I found His love and faithfulness.