"Come follow me"

This weekend has been a blessing and a curse. Can I say that with a picture of a priest right there? I'm going to say it anyways. Goodbyes have never been my thing. I cry. A lot. Tonight was no exception to the rule. Father Mike tonight at mass started out by commenting about how for many students this is their last mass with Newman as a UMD student... Cry #1. His homily, boy... there were a good 3 parts where I started crying. One, was when he talked about how he isn't good at goodbyes... he gets all choked up, and he just wants to take off instead of greeting people after mass. Two, he said, "You don't have to change the world. That's not what God calls us to do. He calls us and says: "COME FOLLOW ME". You don't have to change the world, you just have to follow Jesus." Three, he told a story of a 14 year old boy name Jose Luis Sanchez during the Mexican Revolution who died as a witness to Christ. The boy refused to say "Long live the Mexican government" and instead said "Long live Christ the king" or "Viva Christo Rey."

Those three words are always engraved in my head when I'm reading scripture or praying. As I'm saying goodbye to the 2 years I spent here at UMD, and I'm saying goodbye to the friends I have made, I have to remember... God led me here, but he's also leading me to the cities. I need to continue to follow where he leads me and be grateful for these beautiful people he has blessed me with.

There is one girl in particular who I have only recently become close with. Hannah T. I am so thankful she has been put in my life, and saying goodbye to her is going to be extremely difficult.. even after such short time. I am so excited to come back and visit all of the wonderful people I have met and gotten to know over these two years.

Tomorrow begins finals. 8AM Natural Hazards. Let's do this.

Always,
H.Eilene