January 4, 2008

Hello All!!

I'm so sorry I haven't sent this out sooner, but time has been crazy since I have been back. Brittaney and I returned to the United States on the 8th of December. It has been busy since I have returned home, but I have enjoyed seeing all my friends and family and celebrating the holiday season. I hope that all of you had as wonderful a time celebrating with your friends and family as I did mine!

The last couple weeks in Portugal were busy as well as emotional. Emily and I were working to finish preparing and practicing for the Christmas program on the 7th all at the same time that Brittaney and I were trying to get together with all of our friends to say goodbye. It was wonderful that we were able to do the program the night before we left. There were sooo many of our friends there- it was a wonderful way to say goodbye. I was even able to invite our language teacher, who is not a believer, and she came with her husband and daughter!

We were also able to take a trip to Obidos, which is known as the walled city, with some colleagues of ours. It was a very beautiful place and we had a lot of fun. It was really nice to spend time with the people we worked with as well. The weekend we left, there was actually a team retreat, so we all stayed in a hotel just outside of Lisbon. Not everything discussed in the meeting was very pertinent to Brittaney and me since we were leaving, but just being with the whole m team while they discussed things like strategy, effectiveness, and goal was a very interesting and helpful thing. We both felt like we learned a lot from all of our team members. It was nice to have that time with them. Our hotel was also right on the beach, so we got to walk down for one last visit to the ocean before returning to the Midwest.

 
It was a very emotional time, and I had my ups and downs, and shed my tears. This trip was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and I would not trade any moment of it for anything. I have learned a lot and grown a lot. And it has not stopped even since I have been home. The lessons I have learned, I am still learning and all the growth I have made is still working its way through my life. I sincerely thank each and every one of you who has been praying for me before and during this trip, and all of you who have continued it through now. It has been a struggle readjusting, as odd as that may seem. I am so excited to be back home, yet I truly miss all those I met in Portugal.

I will have one more semester left at SBU before I graduate, which will begin Jan 21st. As of right now I am still unsure as to what exactly I will do after graduation, but I know that Dad  has a plan in store. If any of you would be interested, I would love to have you keep yarping for me throughout the semester, as I try to make it through my last classes, and figure out where He is leading me. If you would like to continue, or know others who would also be interested, please let me know. Thank you and Dad Bless!　

Kimberly Grady

~For to me, to live is JC, and to die is gain.- Philippians 1:21~