By WALLYCE TODD
Staff writer

I’m leaving Columbus County next week. I’m moving to Los Angeles to begin a three-plus- year pursuit of my Master of Divinity at The Kings Seminary in Van Nuys.

When I lived in Europe (Slovakia), I came to really appreciate a German word spoken in neighboring Austria. It was “auf Wiederschen.” It is used where, in English, we would say “Goodbye,” but it actually means, “Until we see each other again.”

Since my home region is woven deeply in the fibre of my heart, I’m not settling for saying “goodbye.” However, it is possible that I may never return to live long-term in Whiteville or Columbus County, so my departure could be for good, and I may only return for visits.

Whatever the case, I’m willing to only say, “Until we see each other again,” because my hope is that if I don’t see some of my beloved community family this side of eternity, I’ll see them all on the other side.

Then again, I may go off to the West Coast - study, work and live for a season - then return here to fulfill whatever God’s plan is for the remainder of my life’s seasons. I don’t know - but I do know the One who does, so I reckon I’ll just leave it in His Hands.

Yet the truth remains that this particular season is ending, and while this won’t be my last column for The News Reporter, my days of writing in-house are coming to an end.
So, as I depart, let me recap some of what is memorable from the 10-11 months I’ve been working at the paper: the Pecan Harvest Festival special section, the tornado, multiple concerts, interviewing artists, the Christmas special section, grand openings, biodiesel research, SpiritSongs columns, agricultural biotechnology, whiteville.com, Grammar Guide, other blogs, Relay for Life, online video clips, business pages, church stories, missions articles, people features, summer interns, the Law Enforcement and First Responders special sections, Fair Bluff, landfill projects, the tourism series, and so much more.

It’s been my joy to write stories that I prayed would be informative, and as often as possible, uplifting. Now, it’s time to bid farewell to what’s most familiar to me and to journey again into the new and unfamiliar.

I’m getting excited.

People have been asking me that for months: “Are you getting excited?” Truth be known, I wasn’t really so much so until just recently.

I actually had a decent amount of fear and worry going on. Questions flittered about in my head during my waking hours and disconcerted me in my dreams.

Such queries as: “How am i going to manage financially?” “Where will I live?” “How will I find my way around when I recently got lost in Chadbourn?”

I’ve watched God confirm my going in so many ways, from my school loan being approved, to finding affordable housing, to being gifted with a portable GPS (global positioning system), to meeting people in Columbus County who live in L.A. and have already encouraged me to connect with them when I arrive, to much, much more.

Now, while He continues to confirm my going, it’s the leaving that’s the challenge for my heart. You see, when a place and its people weave their ways into your life, it’s not so simple to just up and leave.

Yet, that’s what I must do, so I’m writing now to bid you adieu…or auf Wiederschen. I’d appreciate your thoughts as I enter into this next chapter of my life.

If and when you think of me, and if you believe in prayer, I’d ask you to lift me to the Lord that I may stay safe and study well. My desire is that I become fully equipped for and clearly aware of His call on my life.

Who knows? I may end up right back in the area I was born in the years to come. We shall see.

So, until we, indeed, see each other again, let me invite you to share in my journey by visiting my link on whiteville.com. It will be called “In the World with Wallyce.”

It’s already on the website (left side) in its embryonic stage, but it will become “fully developed” in the days to come…and it will continue to grow as I drive from East Coast to West Coast and begin to live in L.A.

I will visit coffee shops and Curves gyms along the way to upload pictures, meet new people and keep fit (compliments of my Curves travel pass…what a cool concept).

Whenever I can access the Internet, I’ll journal my journey online via occasional blogs, etc. I will also link whatever interesting bits of information I can find and share with “all y’all” here at home.

Then, once I’m on the Pacific side of the continent, I’ll still write occasional columns and articles. In addition, I’ll be able to coordinate a few full-page features, as long as my study and work schedule allows, and as long as it benefits The News Reporter.
So, I hope you’ll enjoy vicariously traveling through this next season of my life. Keep in touch as you can, and I’ll do likewise.

I look forward to the next time we see each other. But until then, let me say: “adios amigos,” which according to my research, translates into: “Go with God, my friends.”

Note: Wallyce Todd can be reached via her new email address:

wallyce@whiteville.com. Visit The News Reporter’s website (whiteville.com) to click on her new link, still “under construction.”