First blog since being back home from the World Race! And I’m stoked to be writing this one y’all. Fresh off of an amazing year with countless stories and memories, and I can say with an honest heart that I feel the best is yet to come.
Before jumping into the whole “best is yet to come” thing I am gonna give y’all a lil update on my current life.
I got home from the Race on June 1st believing in my heart that life couldn’t get any better. I thought there was no way that I could experience God in the ways that I had grown accustomed to on the Race. I thought that it was a false errand to try and find a community back home like the one I had in my brothers and sister of S Squad. I thought life was going to throw all kinds of challenges at me while trying to get back into American life and culture.
I thought wrong. So wrong.
I have never been this happy in my life. I have never felt so connected to the body of Christ than I have today. I have been protected from the idols and demons that are so common in today’s American culture. I have never felt stronger in my faith. God has opened my eyes to the blessings that he has been pouring out. Joy has become my companion, and he’s a pretty rad dude. I miss my S Squad peeps, but the Lord has made it easy to be present with the people that I am with now. Not only present, but I have been able to do life with some incredible people here at home and with my church family. I have a GIRL FRIEND! Her name is Sara Katherine. She is incredible, she is the most beautiful girl I know, she is from the south (hollaaa), she loves the Lord, she brings me closer to the Lord, and she has turned me into a talkative person… crazy stuff! Needless to say life has been full. Life has been satisfying. Life has been blessed. Life has been full of HIM!
Now to the meat of this blog!
Back when I was in Nepal (month 9 of the Race) the Lord really started to press upon my heart what was next for me after the Race. I thought that I wanted to squad lead a World Race trip so I started to shift my prayers to that. However… the Lord had other plans. I received an email from Adventures in Missions offering out an invitation to come and be a part of The Adventures Fellowship Program. The timing was divine and I knew this was something that I had to take seriously. Blessed with supernatural excitement about this offer I started to pursue more information about what this opportunity meant. I had several Skype calls while in Africa (no easy task) with some of the staff back in Georgia and the Lord began to make it clear to me that this was an incredible chance for me to grow with Him. I was faced with the best choice I have ever had to make. There was no wrong answer between squad leading and the Fellowship. As I kept praying about the decision the Lord continued to guide my thoughts and heart toward the Fellowship, so June 4th I gave my commitment to join the program!
“SO WHAT IS THIS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM?!” you ask.
The Adventures Fellowship Program is a 6 month program designed for high character developing leaders to take a leap in leadership and professional development. The Fellowship Program is going to place me in one of the Adventures in Missions office departments where I will be able to get hands on experience under quality coaching. This program will provide an opportunity for me to manage my own projects, work on my problem solving, presentation skills, work ethic, networking and influence. I can’t wait to dig into this opportunity with my other “Fellows!” We are going to be following a strict curriculum, reading books, meeting in a classroom and everything! It’s like school… but I actually love it and am excited to learn!
I couldn’t be more excited for this y’all! I will be moving down to Gainesville, Georgia and starting the program on the 12th of September. Since starting the Race I knew in my heart that I loved the Adventures community and what they stand for. I love how the seek God in new ways, I love how they are led by the spirit, I love how they lead, and I love that their soul focus (see what I did there?) is building and advancing the Kingdom of God. It is such an honor to be invited to this program and help them achieve their goals. Knowing that I am going to be able to sharpen my own leadership skills and learn new ones is the cherry on top. I am humbled to join such a community and I know that the blessings I am imagining now are going to be small compared to what will actually happen!
I know in my heart that this is exactly where I am supposed to be and the comfort and peace that brings is priceless. Such a blessing! I have excitement that is not of my own. I am eager to go above and beyond what is expected and lean fully upon the Lord for this next season of life. I know that my heart and life is committed to the Lord’s will and I strongly feel that these next 6 months are going to help lay the foundation for what is to come in my life.
Another bonus the Lord wanted to throw my way is that Sara Katherine will be living only 45 minutes away! God is too good to me!
So…
I have nearly two more weeks left at home in Michigan before I depart. What I am doing now is trying to prepare for the next 6 months. I have been praying daily and seeking the Lord’s knowledge and help. However, I am in need of the body’s help too. I am required to fund raise for this opportunity, and need to raise six thousand more dollars. Instead of playing the lottery, I would rather ask those whom I know and love, even those I don’t know personally, for their help and support. I ask that if you feel called to support me that you pray first about the opportunity. Fund raising in my past has been an incredible experience in which the Lord has worked in amazing ways. As I have sought after the Lord and pursued what He has called me to, he has brought others into my life story. And as I have gone out and had the opportunity to bless others the Lord reminds me of how it was Him and his church, the body, that made it possible. I hope and pray that the rest of my life looks like that! Where the control is taken away from me, where I continue to stand upon humility in the knowledge that it is HIM whom makes life work. That it is HIM whom calls me to do life with others, and HIM whom calls others to do life with me. It does not get more beautiful than that! That was His intention from the beginning of time!
I ask that you please pray about the opportunity to support me in this venture. If the Lord speaks to you please follow that call whether it be a yes or a no to my call for support. If you have any questions for me, or would love to hear more my email is [email protected] and my phone number is (616)633-8383. I would love to talk and pray with you!
You can support me through this blog if you scroll up to the gray box on the left and click the tab “Support Me.”
