I thank God every time I remember you. ~ Phillipians 1:3
To my dear friends at NorthPark:
I cannot express the depth of my gratitude to all of you. You have opened your doors, your homes, your minds, and your hearts to me in the past 18 months, and more than that, you have welcomed me as one of your own.
When I first came to Dallas, I did not know what to expect, and it has been a wild ride! But as I look back on the past 18 months, I see how richly God has blessed me by calling me to be a part of this community. Who would have thought that a girl from California could find her home in North Texas! Y’all have converted me into a proud, card-carrying Texan!
NorthPark has been my safe place to try new things, to boldly chase after wild ideas, to stumble, to find my voice, to grow, and to further discern my call to ministry. I cannot thank you enough for the ways you have trusted and loved me, encouraged me, held me accountable, challenged me, been friend and family to me, and for the ways you have nurtured me as a beloved child of God.
But now, the time has come for me to say goodbye. Knowing that our last time to worship together is coming on March 28th, I am preparing myself for the reality that I must leave the comfort of this community and continue the hard work of following God toward my next call.
I do not know what the future holds, but I can say that I am so grateful for the part that you all have played in the story of my life. If it were not for all of you, I am not sure that I would be confident in my call to ministry, or in my identity as Pastor. But because of the patience, love, acceptance and encouragement that all of you have offered me, I go out into the world knowing that the Church is where I am meant to be.
I will carry all of you in my heart, and please know that as long as I am in Dallas, I will be seen in worship from time to time.
Thank you again for everything that you have done with and for me. I can never say enough to express what a blessing you all have been to my life. May the future of NorthPark and her community be blessed!
With great love,
Pepa Paniagua
