In an unexpected turn of events, I’ve been home since late November. My squad left the AIM campus on November 21st, heading our separate ways for Thanksgiving. We said our goodbyes expecting to see each other in 10 days, when we returned to campus for 2 more weeks. A couple days later, we were informed that a few people on our squad had tested positive for COVID. From there, more and more of us began to test positive. I was able to get tested & quickly learned I was positive too. With the growing number of cases, our squad was informed we would not be going back to campus.
10 days turned into 6 weeks apart. Hearing this news was hard. Maybe it’s just me, but I would think that after so many changes in plans this year, I would be able to take yet another change somewhat lightly, but hearing that we would be apart for longer than anticipated was still hard.
In retrospect, the Lord was clearly at work in all of this mess. Throughout our time spent in Gainesville, we took precautionary measures to keep healthy & stay clear of COVID. We knew an outbreak on the campus could result in yet another change in plans and shorten our time together. While there is never a “good” time to get sick, the timing in which it happened was a blessing. Most of us were already home when we began to develop symptoms, and we only lost 2 weeks together. And while any amount of unplanned time away from my squad is something to mourn, it could have been so much longer!
So now I’m home in VA. Being home is weird & has taken some adjusting. I went from being surrounded by my squadmates all the time, to being isolated in my room for 2 weeks. But being in quarantine allowed me to spend extended time processing our most recent change in plans. It gave me time to work through the disappointment & sadness. It allowed me to reposition my heart to a new willingness to press into what the Lord has for me in the next few weeks with open hands.
Also, I’ve fully recovered from COVID & so have my squadmates 🙂 The rest of my family tested negative, which is a huge answer to prayer!
I’ll be home for about 3 more weeks. I leave on January 5th to meet up with my squad & head to my next home:: COSTA RICA!!
While in Georgia, we were informed that our plans for launching overseas in January were being finalized & that we would be going to Central/South America. Our original route would have taken us to Swaziland, Ethiopia, and Cambodia, but due to COVID, all of the gap year squads will be in Central/South America for the time being.
In my next few blogs I’ll be sharing some of the biggest things I learned during my time in Georgia, along with lots of pictures 🙂
all the love,
jen
