Hi friends! Now that I’ve gotten into a bit of a routine here in Georgia, I want to share what a typical day looks like. Also at the end of this blog I have an exciting announcement, so make sure to read all the way through 🙂
I typically wake up around 7 or a little later. Despite sleeping in a tent in the woods, I’ve slept SO good which has been such a blessing.
8 am: Breakfast! My squad has all our meals at a big pavilion on the campus.
9 am: Devo time! We have about an hour of devotional time every morning in the pavilion. Our squad leaders & team leaders have been leading us in different ways to read the Bible and connect with the Lord. The goal is really just to spend time with the Lord in whatever way works best for us.
10 am: Session! Every weekday we have a time of teaching. In the past few weeks we’ve learned about forgiveness, surrender, what it looks like to be the church, and countless other valuable topics. As much as I thought I knew coming into this, the past two weeks have reminded me that there’s always more to learn and grow in.
12:30 pm: Lunch!
1:30 pm: Rotations! Every afternoon looks somewhat different. Our rotation activities consist of showers, squad time, cleaning, exercise, and laundry. We normally have some free time after our activity for that day, so normally I end up hanging out with my squad and talking or taking a nap.
5:30 pm: Dinner!
6:30 pm: Team time! Within my squad of 30+ people, I’m on a team of 6 girls, plus our incredible team leader. Our team name is Align – I’ll be sharing more about my team soon 🙂 Each night we have a different activity for team time, either the Bible project, gratitude, fun, feedback, or debrief.
After team time we normally have free time until quiet hours to do whatever we want – hang out, play games, worship, shower, or connect with people at home.
9:45/10 pm: Quiet hours. I’m normally in my tent a little after 10, and will relax & unwind until I fall asleep.
Other details & updates:
Saturdays and Sundays are pretty relaxing. We have time set aside for Sabbath on Saturday, where we spend time in solitude with the Lord. On Sunday mornings we have church together as a squad. We have lots of free time to spend however we want on the weekends. I’ve used this time to connect with a few family & friends, spend sweet time with my squad, watch sermons from home, or process the past week.
Sleeping arrangements! Last week, my squad was cleared to come together as one squad (if you haven’t read my last blog, we were separated for the first two weeks for the sake of further preventing the spread of COVID). So, we moved all of our stuff to a bigger campsite where we could all be together. Only a day or two later, we had to pack up all our stuff and move inside due to a hurricane coming through. Then 2 nights later, we moved back to the campsite. The past few weeks have involved a lot of settling and unsettling, which has at times has been pretty frustrating. It’s hard to feel a sense of peace & comfort without having a somewhat permanent place to dwell. But this has really reminded me that this world is not my home. I won’t be at complete peace or fully comfortable until I’m in His presence.
Showers! For the first 2 weeks, we took bucket showers. Weirdly enough, I really liked them. After sweating alllll the time, the freezing water felt really good. As of the 14th, we now have real showers! I mentioned it in my last blog, but AIM built showers out of shipping containers for us to use. So now we have hot water – which is a blessing, considering it’s already been pretty cold!
Laundry! I’ve learned to hand wash my clothes, and while I don’t always enjoy it, I’m grateful for the chance to learn something new and have (somewhat) clean clothes. I didn’t realize how many simple household things I took for granted until recently!
ALSO – BIG NEWS! WE’RE GOING TO LOUISIANA!! A few days ago my squad found out we’ve been given the opportunity to help with hurricane disaster relief through Samaritan’s Purse. We’ll be serving there for a week, and I could not be more excited for this opportunity.
So that’s what life looks like here! I’ll be sharing more updates about life & what I’m learning, as well more information about serving in Louisiana. Also, some money is still being processed in my account, but I’m only $5,953 away from being fully funded!! I can’t believe how the Lord has provided. Thank you all for your support & prayers – I love you all!
Ways that you can continue to be a part of my journey:
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PRAY: By far the most important! That I would meet my upcoming fundraising deadlines. For continued intimacy with the Lord & each other. For safety as we travel to Louisiana & serve! That we would be able to meet both the physical & spiritual needs of those we will be serving.
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SHARE: Share my blog with others! Invite them to become a part of my journey & what the Lord is doing here in Georgia & soon Louisiana.
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DONATE: you can donate by 1) clicking the orange “Donate!” bar on the right hand side of my blog 2) through venmo @jennopdahl 3) by check, payable to Adventures in Missions
so much love!
jen
