12 countries in 11 months, so much laughter, countless tears, 58 different beds, so many smiles, lots of love. That was my last year. It’s filled with more emotion and stories than I could ever tell. There’s been experiences that unless you were there, I could never accurately describe. There’s been times where I literally didn’t know my heart could handle that amount of pain, or experience that much joy. I was stretched and challenged in ways that were more than uncomfortable, but was exactly what I needed to get me where I am now.
In every country, in one way or another, my heart broke for the people. And in that, I believe I left a piece of my heart in each of those countries, whether it was with a specific person, the city I was living in, or the country in general. But I think that’s a good thing; it means I’ll never forget. I truly believe God breaks our hearts for what breaks His to make us more like Him, and if we take back those broken pieces and try to put our hearts back together, we’re missing the point. Because my heart is in so many different places, I actively remember to pray for them. I actively remember to love them. I didn’t go into this year wanting to come back the same, and if I try and ignore the missing pieces of my heart, that’s exactly what I’m doing- coming back completely the same.
Missing pieces of your heart are hard; it makes me feel like I can’t relate to anyone unless I was with them on the Race. It requires me to be in several places at once, thinking about the people I love on the other side of the world while loving the people in front of me. But I think that’s the point- to be loving people everywhere. When I asked God what this next season of my life will look like, He simply says, “love people”. That’s what I want to spend my life doing, loving people and sharing Jesus with them, whatever that looks like and wherever it takes me.
Out on the field, home becomes wherever you’re living. It becomes the team that you’re with, it becomes the people you’re loving on, it becomes your tent, it becomes God. Home doesn’t necessarily mean a building- it means love. It’s an amazing phenomenon that when you have a desire to love the way Jesus loves, home becomes wherever He is. It’s not easy at times, but home is where the heart is. I’ve called 12 different countries home this year, and now I’m home where my heart has always been- with the people I love most.
This has by far been the hardest and most incredible year of my life. I’ve now been home a few days, and it’s honestly pretty weird. It’s weird that my bed was too comfortable to sleep in so I’ve had to sleep on the floor. It’s weird driving on the right side of the road. Heck, it’s weird driving. It’s been so much fun sharing the stories of people I’ve met, weird foods I’ve eaten, favorite cultures I’ve experienced, but most of all, the incredible things God is doing around the world. Thank you for coming alongside me on this journey. Thank you for your prayers, your support, your love, and your encouragement. Whether you knew it or not, it helped me through the worst times, and made sharing the good that much better.
My heart is in 12 other countries, but I wouldn’t trade being home right now for anything. There’s a saying that says “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” and that’s exactly how I’ve felt about my family and friends all year. I’ve missed them more than I can say, and it’s been the most joyous of reunions the past week. I’ve been around the world, and I can say for certain that some of the best people in the world are right here, and I get the privilege of calling them mine! As a thank you to everyone reading this, I’ve made a video of my past year, the beautiful people I’ve met, and the places I’ve gone. I hope you can take a few minutes to watch it and see the impact you helped make around the world.
Until next time!
God bless,
Jenna
