A Sentimental (Wo)Man

** Bonus points if you got the Wicked reference...

I am a sort of a sentimental person. I by sort of, I mean really truly. I still have every craft my campers ever made me from an entire summer of camp. I kept nearly all of my stuffed animals until my mom finally made me give them away. I detest changing out pictures because I love them all. My favorite things I own are all old things- passed down to me or from my childhood, that are ripe with memories. So this week when I found some of the kids from bible school from high school mission trips on Facebook of all places, I couldn't help but walk down that road.

There is no way when, as a high school freshman, I could have comprehended how much a little town called Pathfork would come to mean to me. Every year, for 6 summers, I would travel on a crowded church van to Appalachia- where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee all meet and where a part of my heart will always be. I remember my big brother loving it so much but until you experience it, it simply cannot be explained. I love everything about these trips. The van rides. Decorating the vans. Kids tackling you they are so excited to see you. The endless basketball games. The inside jokes. The Bugaloo (of which my big bro is an expert). Ridiculous skits where you eat an entire cold can of Spaghettios in one mintute (true story). Playing kingfrog. Devotionals and growing so close with people. LMUs campus that has that sort of "I really wouldnt ever go to college here" charm. The sweet hugs. Seeing a child come to know Christ. The BBQ hotdogs that Jimmy Green makes on the last day. Sonic runs. Sharing God's love with the people there. It is simply an indescribable trip and always around this time, I get sad because I can't make it for the trip (silly grad school summer schedule).

I would give anything (and I know there are others who've graduated and are working and feel the same way) to be on a church van Saturday morning. I couldn't help but think how much I missed Appalachia when one of my dearest kindergarteners (who is certainly not in 5K anymore) friended me on Facebook. Sure Facebook sucks up so much time and is such a distractor, but its moments like that that make me not want to delete it ever. To have my sweet, sweet girl tell me that she missed me and wanted me to come back brought tears to my eyes. How could you not miss that? This little girl (and a few others in her class) touched my life in an incredible way and mean so much to me. They're still plastered on my walls in pictures and are present in my prayer requests; they will always be my girls.

So sweet girl, I am coming. Maybe not this year or the next. But I will. And until then, you and the rest of Pathfork are always on my mind and in my heart. And try not to give the new guys too much trouble... :)