My Third Home

A few weeks ago I told my former students that I would be moving back to the states mid-July. These were students I taught 2013-2014, then 2nd graders, now rising 4th graders.The next day several of them handed me letters they had written after receiving the news. They were all very sweet, but I want to highlight two in particular: 

Letter #1, from Sweet Emely.

Dear Profe Imani,

I’m going to say goodbye to you with this letter. I will miss you alot. You and Dena* are like my second mothers. You both have always treated me like my mom treats me. Makarios is my 3rd home. I think its also yours. The first home: Heaven. The second home: your house. The third home: Makarios. Give your family & Dena a beautiful greeting for me. And tell Dena that you both are the best teachers and my best friends. I love you. God loves you. Makarios loves you. 

This girl has wisdom beyond her years. That bit about my “Third home”… I couldn’t have put it better myself. 

Letter #2, has a bit of a back story:

I’ve woken up a couple mornings with feelings of anxiety/fear about moving back to the states. One morning in particular I prayed that God would remind me of specific promises to cling to when I move back to the States. Promises/verses that I will be able to remind myself of in times of grief/reverse culture shock (a cliched but true term)/not knowing what is next. After my time of prayer, I decided to read the letters that my former students wrote me. Wouldn't you know it, the very first letter I read said, “God will always be with you.” Sure, this may seem like a “simple sentence”, but reading it RIGHT after I pray that God would remind me of which promises to cling to?! Let the tears flow. How sweet is our God to have me read these exact words after I prayed that he would let me know which specific promises to hold on to? Thank you Lord for using Rebecca to remind me of this simple yet sure promise of Yours. 

I have just under 1 1/2 weeks left on the island. It is incredibly surreal. The daily cry sessions have begun. Feeling all the feels. Pray for me, y’all.

*Dena, former Makarios teacher/close friend of mine!