The Alpha and The Omega

Dear Surrey 2,

This post, I admit, is more so for me than it is for you.

By this point, I hope that if you were sad from the news of transitions, you are now able to rejoice. The Lord has entrusted you to the strong and gentle hands of a new core! And tonight with your first Collective Household with them, you will see how eager they are to love, honour, and serve the Lord by loving, honouring, and serving you. How blessed you all are to have each other!

But what’s it like for me, as a “chapter head emeritus”?

I created this blog to record what a year of serving the beautiful chapter of Surrey 2 would look like. With that being said, I also made it knowing I would be leaving at the end of the year, thus my intention was partly to record my last year with you. However, I was completely unaware that my last year would not even be the length of a full year.

The earliness of transitions had been a rumor from the start of the year, but once it was announced to be true at the East Cluster Upper Household in June, it hit me like a train. I was not ready to leave; I didn’t want to.  There was so much more I wanted to do; so much more I thought I needed to do. So many more households, bondings, one on ones, blog posts, planning, and building that needed to be done. Why hadn’t I done any of those things beforehand, and why wasn’t I being given enough time to do them?

During Discovery Camp, I made it through the whole weekend without crying, until a sister approached me with eyes on the verge of tears, saying

“Don’t leave us.”

I immediately burst into tears. Embracing her with a heart yearning to stay, I replied, “I never want to.” I understood that she knew my two year term was almost finished, but wasn’t sure if she knew it was to happen so soon.

But despite it all, I knew I had to leave. My heart, though sad, was not filled with misery. It understood. And soon enough, it desired the change as it filled with hope.

Change should be embraced because with it comes growth. So why would I not desire either of these things for you?

Surrey 2, my “hope in 20 years” lies in each of the 200+ of you that I know and love. You make this chapter what it is. You have the power to bring one another closer to Christ. Continue to do so.

Thank you for being my home. I am beyond honoured to have shared in this journey with you.

And so I leave assured, blessed, and ready.

Assured that the Spirit is strong and moving within Surrey 2.

Blessed to have loved you and to have been loved by you.

Ready for wherever He calls me to serve Him next.

My beloved, this is not the end.

It is the end and the beginning. 

It is the Alpha and the Omega.

It is the Lord.

All my love in Christ through Mary,

Your sister, servant, and friend,

Angelica.

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