For those of you who just noticed I was missing from the country for the past year, here’s a quick summary of what I’ve been up to:
I’ve been living on the road with thirty people for the past eleven months learning to emulate the Acts 2 church. For billing and solidarity purposes we were called G squad. I’ve been to fifteen countries in eleven months (sixteen if you count my seven hour layover in Singapore). I’ve see the Taj Mahal and bought a chess set from there carved from the same marble. I drank coffee in every country. I was diagnosed and treated for ear fungus in India. I rode on a bus in Kazakhstan for seventy hours. I flew around the peak of Everest so now I don’t have to climb it. I’ve ridden bikes with a friend on a busy highway on our way to worship service. I’ve hiked to beautiful waterfalls in multiple countries. I saw the Eiffel tower at night and ate a croissant. I swam in the Icarian Sea in my bra and underwear. I walked a hundred and seventy miles of the Camino and have a certificate to prove it.
A lot of people are starting to ask me about how my trip was.
What do I say?
Was it good? Most certainly, it was good.
Was it bad? Hell yeah, it was bad.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Did I grow closer to God? Definitely.
And that’s what is hard to explain. When people ask me about my trip, they expect to hear about the good things I did for people, but I think the greatest ministry was what God did in my own heart.
Before I left, I was wrapped up in bitterness and hurt. Even as I reread my journals and focus on reflecting this past year I can see the pain I was in. As I began to trust and share my pain with others, God began to work in me. He gave me a group who was able to sow love and kindness into my heart. Even when I had a hard time getting the words out, they were there to support me and silently wait as I continued to break down. God’s light and truth began to shine in the dark places. In my brokenness, He began to help me walk on a journey of healing.
Even as I read my journals, I recognize I’m not the same person anymore. I’m not weighed down by guilt, self-loathing, and bitterness. Instead, I have peace.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. Don’t think that this has quenched my thirst for travel. There are still about 170 countries I haven’t been too yet and too many blank pages in my passport. I still have so much discovering of the Earth to do before God brings me to my real home in heaven (Phil. 3:20).
I don’t know what I’m going to do next. I have some ideas, but something that I’ve learned about myself is I like to skip or shortcut the process. You don’t just wake up one day and run a marathon; you train for weeks (right, Megan?) I am applying the same principle to my life at the moment. I want to create time and space for God to continue growing, shaping, using me for His glory and continue running my race well here in America.
THANK YOU
It was a crazy adventured-filled year and I hope that this year will be as well. Thank you for being a part of it whether through donations, reading my blogs, prayer, or all of the above. I appreciate your support and if you’re in Michigan, I look forward to catching up with you!
