The Last Six Months…

I’m six months in, headed into month seven of eleven. I can’t believe it I’m halfway through the race. It has been an incredible and at times hard journey stepping into the fullness of God’s calling. As I look back and reflect on all that has happened these last 6 months I’m in awe. GOD HAS DONE SO MUCH and I so eagerly want to share it all with you! However, time nor blog space is enough to share with you all that God has been doing in me and through me. Plus I’ve gotta save some details for coffee dates with each of you once I get home {God willing}. So here’s just a glimpse into the past 6 months of my life…

 

The first month on the race I crossed the equator each day to an area known as Caspigasi, a dry place both literally and spiritually. Our days were spent painting murals and writing scripture on the walls of a building that would be an oasis amongst the desolate people there. A place children could come to get hot meals, tutoring, and receive medical help. More importantly it was a place where the story of God’s great love would be told.It was a month of being poured into by the most amazing ministry contacts and hosts. It was also a month I consumed more peanut butter than I have in my entire life and found out what Guinea pig tasted like. Hospitality as described in 3 John was illustrated beautifully by the people in Ecuador and they displayed a kindness I will never forget.Horseback riding in the Andes and zip lining through the rainforest were just a few of the weekend adventures in Ecuador. It was a month of culture shock as I transitioned into World Race living and began learning what true community looks like. I was introduced to spiritual gifting’s and as I was pulled out of the context of “normal life” my eyes were opened. For the first time I saw clearly how my dependency and comfort in the Lord needed to grow. Rather than finding my identity in worldly things, I needed to find what my true identity-my identity In Christ- looked like. God began a major transformation in me in Ecuador and it’s still in progress-but I guess it really always kind of will be. 

 

A new do in Peru. I turned a year older, chopped off my hair and experienced living in the desert. Instead of snowboarding in February I was sand boarding. Month two of the race was spent with the entire squad, although looking back, most of that month was spent alone with the Lord for me. On Valentine’s Day my feet were washed by the men on our squad and I learned what it meant to have brothers in Christ. As a squad we spent the month loving the kids of the area through having a vacation bible school aka “fiesta con Jesus y gringos”. The days were spent singing songs, dancing, acting out bible stories, screaming out bible verses, and teaching English to the impoverished children in the area where we were living. It was a month of church everyday. Pastora preached, squadmates taught, and testimonies were shared. It was a month of having more alone time than expected but time God set aside so purposely and time I would long for later in the race. It was a month of growing a hunger for God’s word like never before. A month of learning to hear and discern the Lord’s voice and see the importance of saying YES to both the big and the little things God asks of me.

 

 

 

Bolivian loving. Bolivia was the month I taught English by day and ministered to backpackers by night. My team worked alongside the world’s coolest pastor and gained a Bolivian church family we could call our own. It’s the month I made it on Bolivian television and learned that quinoa llama pizza is the best kind of pizza. I saw more of God’s diverse beauty and creativity in creation as I explored salt flats and biked down the worlds dangerous road. My love for the beautiful women of team Unveiled grew to a whole new level and my teammates became my sisters this month. Spiritual warfare became more than something I had heard about. I was introduced to a new reality that exists beyond what we can see-the supernatural reality of both angels and demons. It was a month of not only being reminded how real God is but how real spiritual darkness is too. The greatest part is God is King over both and we saw His greatness and power through it all. Bolivia was a month of walking through some hard and unexpected things in my life. A month demanding me to place a deeper trust in the Lord-trust in His timing, His plans, and His love more than I have ever had before. Great healing in my life happened and mending in pieces of my heart where I didn’t even know needed it. Oh how He loves us. 

 

 

 

The month of spicy food, vibrant colors, as well as smells and ministry of all sorts. It was a month of dressing like a princess and furthering my understanding of what it means to be the daughter of a king. A month of falling in love with Indian food and Indian people. Our time in India was spent teaching vacation bible school to village children, loving the homeless, visiting the elderly, praying for women rescued from prostitution and trafficking, serving at a home for those with HIV/AIDS, and going into the homes of new and undercover believers and encouraging them. It was a month that community living and having little control of life got hard. But suffering produces perseverance and perseverance, character. It was a month of coming to the realization that I am going to fall short,each and every single day. That I am SO in need of God’s grace and mercy. That every hour of the day I need the Lord because my human self without the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction will be far from the image of Christ. It was a month of seeing the power and importance of prayer more clearly. A month of holding onto the promise that “God works all things for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.”

 

 

 

Month 5 is the month I began doing life alongside a new crew of people-team full force.   It’s the month I showered using leftover water bottles and a mask was my new accessory. Our squad arrived shortly after the earthquake of April 25 and I saw more loss than I have in my entire life. While there I experienced a 7.4 earthquake and was able to understand the spirit of fear that lingered in the people of Nepal on a deeper level. It was a month of seeing and being surrounded by so much need but feeling useless. God used having the ground literally shake beneath my feet to better equip me to love and minister to the people of Nepal. I learned the power of loving and praying for someone-and that sometimes that’s all you can do and not only that, it’s enough. I spent the month hiking into villages that were impacted by the earthquake the worst and handed out food, water, water filters, and medicine. Even with the destruction Nepal held a unique beauty that is unforgettable. The Himalayas stole my heart and I saw one of the most spectacular of Gods creation-Mt. Everest. The people of Nepal-they are by far the  most beautiful and strongest people I have ever met. A month where chaos, tragedy, loss, and suffering surrounded me  I still saw God’s Kingdom growing. I got to be a part of sharing the gospel with a family who had never heard the name Jesus. It was a month cut much too short for a place I loved so dearly. But I know that just as it was the Lord’s timing for us to be in Nepal in such a time that by staying back in Nepal I would have missed what God had for me in month 6. Because He is in charge we can literally jog the race before us and do so joyfully, knowing full well that he is carrying out incredible plans for us in His timing. I am so humbled and honored that it was in God’s timing and plan for me to be in Nepal when I was. That I was able to be a part of the early stages of the relief work as well as have the opportunity to simply love the people during that time and to know that it is just the beginning of the relief work that will be done there through Adventures in Missions. It was a month of learning that it’s okay to be okay even when the circumstances around you may make you feel differently. It was well with my soul solely because my eyes were on Him through it all. Nepal was a month of finding clarity in questions about things that I never knew I didn’t understand rather than doubting God. It was a month of Him calling me deeper still. The earth may have shaken beneath our feet. But our God was not shaken. He did not change-He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. HE is still good-He is perfect in all His ways.

 

 

 

The month of late night roti and naan delivery calls. Month 6 was spent at Desa Amal Jireh, a children and old folks home, outside of Kuala Lampur. Pastor KK and Auntie Cinna, the founders of “Rumah Faith”, have  given a place to call home to over 700 children over the years. Not just a home but a home centered around the Lord. Their love for the children of Malaysia and the Lord is unforgettable and their story a perfect and beautiful testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness and provision. It’s safe to say I have never loved so many people in one place. Each and every single soul there has such a special place in my heart. They took us in as one of their own and we became part of their family. It was a month of wanting to love these people well and hard and in that realizing my love at the end of the day isn’t enough. Just as I must depend on the Lord’s strength I need the Lord’s love to fill me up so I can pour it out to others. The month was spent helping at the home in whatever they needed for the day. Some days were spent cleaning, farming, cutting vegetables, and working at a thrift store. Other days were spent reading, teaching, and working with the kids at the school in the home. Yet others were spent having  “girl talk” with the older girls covering everything from sex and boys to personal hygiene and modesty.  Each day ended with leading devotions with the nursery. It was a month I learned the game of soccer. A month I was blown away by the young people that surrounded me so on fire for Jesus. Malaysia, you filled me up to the brim with joy. 

 

 

 

What a wild race this has been and a journey of ups and downs, some twists and turns. As I head in to month 7, I think about each of the faces, lives, smiles, and stories I have encountered. I think of the suffering, joy, disaster, and the beauty I have seen and all that God has taught me along the way. Enough has happened these past 6 months to make it feel like it’s been 11. I am thankful there is more yet to come and oh so excited thinking about the opportunities and experiences that lie ahead. 

 

Thank you for all of those who have helped support me and that have prayed for me throughout this journey. The Lord has provided in the most amazing ways and used so many wonderful people to love me. I still have around $1500 to raise {praise God for His faithfulness thus far}. Please prayerfully consider helping me become fully funded!

 

Xoxo Anna