A moment of rest I have had in Ukraine was being beat in a sauna with a branch. WHAT!!!! Now some of you are worried and going frantic in your mind. The thoughts of what may have happened are relentless as you think of all the possibilities of what may have happened. Well allow me to put you at rest. It’s something they due to relax your muscles and release tension. the sauna is very hot so it literally feels like somebody is branding you like your cattle. they don’t hit you hard with the branch but the swirling of the air makes it feel even hotter in the room. but afterwards you are so relaxed and feel at peace.
written by -Alec Dubree
Rest is a hard thing to come by here on the field. We do our best to carve out alone time and take care to practice Sabbath every Saturday. Each moment of rest is so cherished. One moment of rest in particular stands out to me. It was early one morning on Sabbath. Everyone was sitting downstairs at the kitchen table poring over their Bibles, writing in their journals, having quiet conversation, and enjoying steamy cups of coffee and tea. Being the introvert I am, I decided to take advantage of my empty room, snuck upstairs, and rolled out my yoga mat. It was perfect. The sun was beaming through the windows and my soul was at peace. Yoga brings me so much life and gives me the opportunity to quiet my mind, while also becoming aware of my body and how I’m feeling. There is a beautiful balance of stillness and movement, softness and strength. Rest is definitely a gift. I am so thankful for that morning of yoga and sunshine and rest, even in the midst of our crazy lives here in Ukraine.
-Emma Colon
Heyya, Folks! Colby here.
A moment of rest I have had here in Ukraine… hmmmm. Being intentional about rest was something I learned about from month one, but the Father really drove it home here in Ukraine. I like to pretend I can go nonstop but I have quickly learned that’s just not true. Not only do I need to take breaks, but God designed me to as well. Honestly, some of the sweetest times I feel I have had with the Father were those days where I stayed back and focused on the Lords rest. One specific time like this that stands out was on our Sabbath a few days ago. I wasn’t really all that tired, but the Spirit very clearly spoke, telling me to go lay down, nap, and listen to music. I slept for a few minutes, and when I woke up He gave me such a sweet time of communion with Him! The house was so quiet, and the room so dark. He minimized distractions and gave me a space to really zone in on what He had to say. Such a refreshing time.
Rest. I actually found that here in Ukraine. Contrary to popular belief, I found it really easily to get rest. The Lord spoke to me in crazy awesome ways in which I never would have thought. The Lord showed me that even when there is a lot happening around me, that that is when I can find rest. Let me explain. You know when you are sitting in a room full of people and it seems like a lot of people are talking and doing a lot of things? But also you can sit there and not have to talk but listen? That is when I found my rest. I found rest in moments like this where everyone seemed like the world around them is loud and noisy, but really the Lord is saying, just sit next to me and rest. I love rest. There is a lot of things that I can sort out with myself and the Lord, so good. Overall, the Lord has really opened up the opportunity for rest and it has made me realize how close I can really get to him.
Your Friend,
Camryn Mckinnon
Rest has always been a tricky thing for me. I have to work hard to rest. My mind is constantly spinning with thoughts and ideas and usually my mouth doesn’t stop running. Especially here. My teammates rock, and I love getting to know and spending time with them. Plus, I teach all day long. So needless to say, the Lord has been trying to teach me a lot about rest. For me, life has always been about working to get where you want to go. The harder you work, the quicker you get there. The more time you spend on something, the better it is going to be. But the Lord has been teaching me that experiencing Him often comes when I’m completely still. When I lay all the things that constantly distract me down at His feet, and I sit in silence with my Creator. That’s when I see his glory the biggest and the Spirit speaks the loudest. So there hasn’t been one specific moment when I experienced rest, but the Lord grants me beautifully random moments with Him on the bus, in between English lessons, or even late at night when I cant fall asleep. He reminds me to rest in the stillness of the moment and that me that He is present even if I’m not. It’s been a really cool journey and one that I’m still walking through. And a lot of times, I fail. I try to do and do and do. But He gives me the grace to be present just as I am, and they’ve been oh so restful moments with my Savior. -Love, Jenna Rose
For me I haven’t had much rest. I’m always doing some thing on my Sabbath day lol so me and my team decided to contribute to each of awer blogs. -Jacob Pourroy
