Man you guys God is GOOD. I’ve spent the last several days at launch preparing for the next 11 months of my life. I’ve learned that this coming year is going to be extremely hard & insanely beautiful. I managed to pack my whole life in a 65-liter backpack. Saying goodbye to your family & friends is not easy no matter how excited you are for the road ahead. Launch has been crazy surreal & a little overwhelming. I’ve bonded with my teammates & learned how to stretch $10 for meals over the span of 2 days. We’ve discussed the logistics of what this next year would look like & heard from amazing speakers on how to stay spiritually, emotionally, & physically healthy. & We’ve gotten alllll the deets on what our time in Spain will look like (which is stinkin AWESOME & I already cant wait to tell y’all about it).
God did a really cool thing on one of the first nights at Launch. I was feeling pretty anxious about this upcoming journey & trying to figure out my purpose & what the heck I was doing here. As I started processing all that was going to happen my mind kept wandering to my college town & the previous season I was in & the family & friends I just said goodbye to. There was a huge part of my heart that longed to be there. And then, almost clearer than ever, I heard the Lord say
“don’t you think if that was the best I could provide for you, I would have kept you there?”
& right at that moment I had a sweet squad-mate come up & give me a huge hug as if confirming what I just heard in my head. That was such a pivotal moment for me. It allowed me to give Him glory for a wonderful past & look forward with joy to an even more wonderful future. Later that same night one of our speakers, Deon Vanstaden, said, “God is about to do something new that will not look like the last time he moved in your life.” And man I know he’s right! How wonderful it is that we serve a faithful God who is constantly pushing us to more growth, more intimacy with Him & His church, & an even better & brighter future.
So here I go! Today I board a plane bound for Spain where my team & I will hike the El Camino for 10 days. We don’t have a lot of instruction, just a start & an end point. That might be a little nerve-racking, but what a great opportunity it will be for the Lord to work in ways only He could. So if you could please pray for safe travels for my squad & I. Pray for unity & vulnerability among my team & for the Lord to introduce us to people on the hike who need to know Him, the hope He offers, or just a sweet conversation with some American 20 year olds. Hiking the El Camino will give me a lot of processing time with the Lord so if you’re reading this & need prayer for something feel free to reach out! I would love to pray for you as well. Thank you for the prayers, thank you for reading, & I can’t wait to update you soon!
*Special thanks to my incredible parents, siblings, & friends who guided me through the preparation, bought me gear, financially supported me, traveled long distances to say goodbye, & wrote me sweet, sweet letters. I can honestly say this journey wouldn’t be possible without every single one of you!
