Triggers, Transitions and Time Changes

I walked by looking at the scenery. Dirt covered feet from the roads. Kids holding tightly to my hands, looking up with big smiles and internally thinking ‘Wow Jesus, this is my life.” I started reminiscing of all the times I was in a remote village, with children, walking house to house and praying over the sick, sharing about the Lord and living a dream I never knew I had until I was in it.

Sixteen beautiful months of this.
450 days of living overseas.
Sharing this love that truly makes me tear up when I think about how unconditional it is.
Living in a community that was always for me and so easy to thrive in.

Just like that my time has come to an end. No longer waking up every morning to community, talking over breakfast, sharing what the Lord is doing and constantly being comfortably uncomfortable in new cultures, eating different types of foods and constantly changing the scenery. I get to go home and experience ministry in a new, exciting way.

A saying we always say on the world race is: Life is Ministry. Ministry is Life.
In other words, every day we get to choose to show the love of Jesus. We do not have to have a set organization to serve at. We do not need to have set hours. All we have to do is have a relationship with the Lord, be in tune with His spirit and go out and be obedient to it.

I find it easy to get distracted in America. Distractions of busyness, a schedule that I personally do not want to be interrupted by talking to random strangers or serving someone I just met. That is what ministry is though. That is what being sold out for the Lord is. Sharing the love of the Father and when you are given divine appointments you take them and you do what ever the Lord is calling you to do. Because of the last sixteen months I have learned how to do this and what it can look like. I have a passion to not only share but give resources and continue to build those relationships.

I leave for Indiana in a few hours. This week I stayed in Georgia with the other squad leaders. It was everything I did not know I needed. Lots of rest and adjusting to a twelve hour time change. There was alot of processing with the Lord. Going through the really difficult times, the celebratory times and reflecting on what I learned through this season of life. A trauma therapist came to talk to us about reentry and reverse culture shock which helped this process make sense. It helped triggers make sense and all these feelings make sense. To be honest there is alot of grieving in going home. Between leaving my squad and going back to things that are not exactly like they were when I left is sad, difficult, exciting….literally all the emotions and thoughts but it is okay to be here in all of this.

I plan to do a few more blogs as I will be with the squad and would love to give you recaps.
I have met my fundraising goal for my first trip to see the squad in Romania in 80 days!!! Praise the Lord. I am 1,200 dollars away from being fully funded which will allow me to go to their final debrief in Rwanda come late August! Please consider donating as donations are tax deductible and help ya sister out!!!

I would love your prayers in this transition season. I would love prayer for answers that I know are coming. I would love prayers most of all for a God-fearing, loving community at home that has a heart for missions.

Here is a fun video of my squad doing a flashmob for me our last night together in Cambodia. I was making announcements and about to hand out letters I wrote them and then this happened….