They warned us that coming home might not be easy. That a world traveler can have culture shock or shell shock or any of the million other kinds of shock when they return. So what has it been like to come back to the USA after nearly a year overseas? Pretty Great actually! It has been amazing coming back to family and friends in Wisconsin. Ive loved getting to share stories, and even begin to make new stories here. Visiting the Nitty Gritty, and other favorite places. And just knowing that God is directing my steps and He will take care of everything.
Truthfully, I knew it was time to come home. I love my squadmates, and I love the things that God did through us this whole year, but it felt right coming home. I knew that God had grown me in so many different ways this year, and that it was time to take that life change home. As the squad said our goodbyes we all knew that we were going to miss each other dearly, but there was a pervading sense of being the right time to end.
The hardest part of coming back for many people is that they do not have good community to return to. They dont have family and friends who understand them, can relate to them, and can build them up and challenge them. But I have all that. I have a loving, supportive family, and I have an incredible community of Christian friends many of whom have been on missions all over the world too. China, Zambia, Burundi, Ghana, Brazil, France, Turkey, Australia, and Mexico are just some of the places that the friends in my community have gone to as witnesses for Christ. It makes all the difference in the world having a place to come home to that feels right.
Finally, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to all my friends, family and supporters who prayed for me this year. I can only imagine how many times or places this year your prayers lead to spiritual breakthroughs out on the field. In Daniel, there is a chapter where Daniel is praying for God to move and it says IMMEDIATELY an answer was given in heaven. But the angel of the Lord does not make it to Daniel for 21 days because there is a spritual battle going on between the angels and the principalities of Persia. So for 21 days, Daniel is praying and fasting and seeing nothing happen. BUT the whole time his prayers are causing a huge battle in the heavens! I believe that our prayers have the power to make things move in the spiritual and in the natural. So I thank each and every one of you for being so faithful to me this year and for lifting me up in prayer. I know there are things that happened this year in my life and in ministry that only were successful, because of your persistent prayer!
And now for no good reason:
This guy danced it up all church service long in Turkana, Kenya
The Holy Banditz fighting Communism in Ukraine
