first blog of the new year!!
time has flown by since being on the race but its been absolutely incredible. Each month I’ve learned and grown so much. Each month I’ve gotten to experience different ministries and serving the Kingdom.
Thailand
Asia man. Asia will always have a huge place in my heart. That month I gained so much freedom from my past and so much redemption in general. I learned what it means to serve the kingdom by doing manual labor in crates in a random field. I came to really know who Jesus is-something I’ve been carrying with me to each country and will continue to carry after this. I got to stay at a girls home called sending hope- a place that truly changed my team and I for the better. I got a taste of what it means to follow Jesus. What it means to be worthy of Love. I gained 40 new friends and the best team I could ask for.
Malaysia
Malaysia was the biggest culture shock for me but also one of the hardest months thus far. Being immersed into a dominant Islamic country was eye opening. I learned so much about other people’s religion and why they practice them. I learned that there’s a lot of beauty in diversity though. Although people do not follow Jesus, they are still human and deserved to be treated with love-no matter how hard it was at times. I cried a lot in Malaysia actually hahaha. Although the diversity is beautiful, in itself holds a lot of darkness that goes unnoticed. People are held by chains that they are not aware of-they do not know what freedom is. My prayer after leaving Malaysia was that freedom would reign in places that need it so very bad. My eyes were opened to so much during that month. I experienced spiritual warfare like I never had before-but my faith has never come out so strong.
Costa Rica
This is where I’m currently at and I’ve only been here for a few weeks but it’s been incredibly sweet. The past week and a half my team and I stayed in the jungle with a missionary family from Arkansas. Pastor Max and his family run a rehabilitation center for men that have struggled with past addictions and broken pasts. He takes them in and disciples them, teaching them everything there is to know about Jesus. There we got to eat meals with them everyday, chop down banana trees, make pure chocolate, and evangelize. We evangelized a couple times a day for a few hours and each time it was so memorable. The people of Costa Rica are so appreciative of what you have to share and being prayed over. A couple of my teammates got to experience a 10 year old girl accept Jesus (!!!), we got to wash a woman’s feet while reading scripture to her, and we met and spoke with so many different families with all different stories. God’s presence runs far and wide here.
As I was saying my time overseas has been going by so fast but it’s molded me into a completely new person. The things I’ve learned and experienced are something I get to carry with me to teach others and show them who Jesus really is. Each country I’ve been to has held different aspects of the world-it’s freaking amazing. Going into this next year I’ve had an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness for my past and my future. Mostly for how Gods been pursuing me this whole time. I never knew I really needed all of this but God did. Times been flying but I have 5 more months of experiences, culture, laughing/crying, dancing, seeking, and whatever else God has for us. Here’s to 2019 and to a new life!
