Hi everyone! I am sad to let you all know that we have returned home from our gap year two months early. Due to the increasing effects of the Coronavirus and countries continuing to close their borders Adventures In Missions has made the decision to pull all teams from the field. As much as I greatly want to stay in Cambodia and finish strong over the next two months I completely respect, support, and understand the decision that has been made for our safety.
That being said, please be praying for healthy transitions back home and full reliance on the Lord as this unexpected change has taken place. Many of us have mixed emotions on the sudden shift of plans and really don’t know what were feeling. In fact, Ive been feeling sad, excited, disappointed, anticipation, and everything in between. We’ve been expecting to come home at the beginning of June and having more time to process the last (what was supposed to be) nine months on the field and it is very hard to make that sudden shift in our head and then again to get it from the head to the heart. Coming home I’m feeling many of the same emotions I felt when leaving home in September. While I am beyond excited to reunite with friends and family, I am broke hearted to part with the family in Christ that I have lived with for the last six and a half months. There are some people that I have not gone a single day without seeing in the past few months. We’ve grown together, walked with the Lord alongside each other, cried together, laughed together, encouraged one another, and simply lived life together. We have made some lifelong friends that are going to be extremely hard to part with.
In all of that, I would like to share something super cool that is happening because of this crazy time were having. Due to teams being sent home and pulled from countries, there will be well over 400 missionaries, fresh off the field, returning to the states ranging in all ages. Please, please, please be praying that we do not lose our fire that we’ve had on the field. Pray that coming home will help up to encourage those who need it. Our country is broken, our world is going into crisis mode, and people NEED Jesus. Pray that there will be revival everywhere. It’s such an encouraging reminder that God knows it all. He knew that we were going to have to come home early when we signed up. He knew all of these things that we would be feeling. He guided the decisions of the people in charge of keeping us on the field or not. He knows what the next few months are going to look like. I just think that it is so cool that so many people, on fire for the Lord, are returning to the states all at thee same time and at a time where people need hope and unfailing love.
To my supporters, thank you so much for all of your love and encouragement throughout the past year and a half. I couldn’t have made it without you and I cant thank you enough for the support system you have created for me. Ill do my best to keep you updated through the transition of coming home. Please be praying for everyone making this transition along with the country and the world as we all face this storm together.
I would also like to encourage all of you who are reading this that you do not have to be a quote on quote “missionary” to share the love of Jesus. Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit that lives inside of you, you have the authority to proclaim His name, His love, and His good news to everyone. So, go encourage, go love people, go be the hands and feet of Jesus. You are called to proclaim His love.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””
