where did 2009 go?

In 28 years, I don't remember a year that went as fast as 2009 did. Honestly, I'm not sure what happened, but it flew by. Even the past 4 months (already?) in the US have flown by so quickly, I can hardly believe it. It was such a whirlwind year. I'd try to go month-by-month to recap everything that happened, but I honestly don't even remember those particulars, and I know I'll get them out of order...so I'll just make a list of the highlights for ya.

1. Raul's visa! This was the product of lots of hours spent sorting paperwork, trips to Shanghai, sending emails to the consulates, my parents, my uncle, other friends who'd been through the process, questioning if it was even the right decision, seeking counsel and advice, and praying our booties off for His will to be done. It all ended at the Guangzhou US consulate on June 22nd when Raul received his immigrant visa to the United States. The final point arrived when we stepped on American soil on August 26th.

2. Reading the Bible in 90 days! I wrote several blogs about this as I was going through it (see blogs January through March for a refresher). It was a life-changing experience for me. I saw the Word come alive right in front of me. The 90 days covered some key points in the process for Raul's visa, so our faith was tested and many prayers were answered. And on the the last of those 90 days, we had the biggest prayer request answered in the form of Raul's interview packet. I'm considering embarking on another 90 days in 2010...I hope I don't get too lazy and actually do it.

3. Saying goodbye to loved ones in Nanjing :( This was so hard, and something I'd dreaded not just for a couple months, but pretty much for my entire 5 years in China...since I really didn't know when it was going to happen (that whole "living year by year" thing). Thankfully, His grace just overflowed on us, and the goodbyes were much easier than I had anticipated. It doesn't mean I miss our NJ friends any less...there are days where I feel a big hole in my heart, left by friends there. But, like I said...that's when His grace overflows.

4. Meeting Sophia. I talked about my Chinese friend in limited terms on here (because I kinda had to), but she was a huge part of our last months in Nanjing. I haven't done a good job of keeping in touch with her since we left, unfortunately, and I'm so sad about that. But the time I spent with her left a huge impression on me and reminded me of the bigger picture of our time in China.

5. As a whole, spending time with my family in the US. So much happens in 5 years, on both sides, and you forget that when you're finally back. You forget that people and things in general change a lot in 5 years. But my family was and has been so accepting of us being back, of our situation, and has loved on Raul so much. I'm so thankful for a wonderful family.

6. Experiencing reverse culture shock. After just 5 years, I wondered if I would ever really feel "American" again. Having Raul to share my thoughts and feelings with definitely helped (and in some ways, I feel he adjusted better than I did...or he was just less vocal about his feelings, I'm not sure). But the transition has definitely had its weird, odd, "hmm" moments. In all, I'm still thankful to be American and proud of where I come from.

7. Getting a job. If you've read my blog in the past months, you know how much my new job has impacted me. I'm curious to see where it goes in 2010. But I'm thrilled that so late in 2009, I found a stable job and I actually like it! :) Go figure.

So that was 2009 ( I left out a lot, I'm sure). What will happen in 2010? I'm not quite sure, but I'm sure it will be a lot. He's got a lot of things in store for us.