“You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.”- Psalm 65:11

As we inch our way into a new year, I’ve been lingering at the threshold leading to 2020. I often say that we can’t have good hellos without good good-byes. Although we, as a global community, have walked many difficult roads in 2019, I choose to be grateful for the drips of abundant mercy and grace that God has gifted along the way. While working in Puerto Rico this year, our mission team from First Baptist Olympia practiced writing haikus (a poetic structure of three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables per line) to reflect on our day and express gratitude. In that genre, the following is a yearend reflection in haiku. If something doesn’t make sense or peeks your curiosity, please reach out and ask me. It’s my sneaky way of saying “I’d love to hear from you” in the coming year. As always, I am deeply grateful for your friendship and support along the way. YOU are one of the drops of goodness that crown my year and fill my path with abundance.

Thank you,

Mylinda

Threshold lingering

Looking back in retrospect

Two thousand nineteen

Time spent with Jamie

With Holden Village women

Sang, danced, led and learned

Beirut, Lebanon

Reconciling forgiveness

Hospitality

Cuba connections

Artists, pastors, counselors

Respond to the Call

Grieving grandmothers

Alone, together create

New community

Teens hold photographs

Of parents killed in plane crash

Make memorials

Ireland, South North

Explored roots while holding hands

Art bridges borders

Learned from young adults

Living lives of service now

Krista Foundation

“I can’t breathe!” he gasped

One of too many stories

DC Museum

Parallel process

Graduated my program

Research life remains

Puerto Rico team

Haiku aesthetic response

Daily routine now

India, Nepal

Complex embodied beauty

Cared for and refreshed

EXIT in Malta

A universe in my soul

Finding home again

Advent in Oly

Micah’s Open House surprise

The family grows