hey friends! it’s been a minute since i wrote a blog for y’all, so let me catch you up on what’s been happening!
our squad left guatemala and made it to ecuador! each team had a different ministry. team anthem partnered with Pan de Vida, an organization that supported individuals in starting their own businesses, offered health clinics, ran church services, and so so much more. it was SUCH a privilege to work alongside them and see the impact that they had on the people in Quito, Ecuador. quito is a huge HUGE city and is absolutely beautiful (it also really reminded me of craiova, romania haha). our team basically did anything and everything jefferson, our ministry host at Pan de Vida, needed. we did a lot of setting up tents, kids ministry, cleaning, meal prep, and crowd control during their events. i loved serving there and getting to know the staff and the other short term teams that came through to help, too!
in other news, adventures in missions decided to pull all of their squads around the world and send them back home to the united states due to COVID-19. it all happened super fast.
*mackenzie actually wrote a great blog explaining everything that happened if you wanna check it out here 🙂 https://mackenzielarsen.theworldrace.org/post/6-days-of-chaos
lots of rollercoaster emotions, hurried goodbyes, pizza runs, cleaning dance parties, frantic packing, flight changes. but all that to say i’m back home safe in north carolina! it’s great to see my family again but i can’t say that i don’t miss my squad and our ministry in ecuador.
this unexpected transition has been pretty difficult. God told some of us that we wouldn’t be in ecuador for the last three months, and i was really hoping we’d end up moving to costa rica or something. but i guess God had a different plan in mind! it’s been a lot to work through.
change kinda stinks. i miss being around my friends. i miss those long hours at ministry. i miss coming back to fabi cooking some tasty meals for us every day.
i’ve learned that God isn’t afraid of my emotions. he isn’t afraid of me being honest with him. in fact, he INVITES my honesty.
yesterday when i was attempting to process everything that’s happened, God told me “Maddie, the world is changing. it always will. i am the only thing that won’t. i’m constant.”
constant. there hasn’t been a lot of that in the world lately. people full of fear and confusion over the coronavirus, not knowing what the next day holds.
but that’s just it. we’re not of this world, we’re just in it.
we can’t depend on the world. we can only depend on Abba. our rock, our fortress, our deliverer.
God brought me back to NC in quarantine to get rid of my distractions. “i’m here, maddie. let’s talk. lean into ME. trust in ME.”
and as frustrating as that is to hear at times, i know he’s right.
i want to encourage all of you to not see this quarantine situation as a bad thing, but an opportunity to go deeper with God. he’s just sitting patiently waiting. he wants to talk with you.
i love you guys a lot! thanks for keeping up with my journey on the world race! your support and prayers are so so SO appreciated! thank you!
alsooo there will definitely probably be a few more blog posts to come about my re-entry and what the Lord is teaching me through it, so stay tuned:)
much love,
maddie
