Home is a concept that is instilled in us essentially from birth. Home for some people can be a place or a feeling or the people that they surround themselves with. Home isn’t the same for everyone. Sometimes I feel home when I blast my Marc Anthony and clean, or when I eat sugar cookies and drink coffee, or when I watch Hallmark(all pretty corny I know, but this is me).
Lately my team has been moving around a lot. We went from Craiova to Brasov for debrief, then to a church in Stoenesti for a week. Now we are staying in an apartment for a week in Dragonesti, then next week we move into the missions house here until we leave for Guatemala. All this moving around has been a lot, mostly because carrying a pack all over creation and worrying about if you packed everything, and if it all fits, while trying to find the train or car to the next place is pretty stressful. Thank God that he has blessed each and every travel day.
Despite all this moving around, I have never felt away from home. I’m discovering first the home that I have in the presence of Jesus Christ. That is my secret place, a place of rest and a place of safety. His presence engulfs my being and spirit allowing me to fully express my heart, my feelings, and my thoughts. I am able and welcome to be 100% Angelica Marie Ortiz when sitting in the home me and Abba are building together. Even more, I have never felt away from home because my squad mates/adventure buddies/fellow hooligans are my home. Where we are is where home is. As soon as our packs hit the ground we declare our home in the physical place that we are, but even in the moving around we take home with us in the way we love, care,and fight for each other. We have a desire to see each other flourish, call each other higher, laugh together, and carry out God’s will together.
So yea, we have been a lot of places but this space here with Christ is my home until I can finally be forever at home with him. And the atmosphere we have created here as a squad is a home that I will have for 9 months and hopefully after that too. It’s a space filled with people that push me to be the best Angelica in Christ. This is home, my heaven on earth.
