It’s 2017 people. Time is a strange thing I can’t quite wrap my head around. As I’m sitting here, in my hammock, reflecting on 2016, I’m just so weirded out how it’s already a new year, month 6 on my race, and 1 month left in the Philippines.
In these 6 months, I had some really good days but also really hard days. I have laughed a lot, cried a lot. I’ve made friends and memories that I will have forever. I have danced a lot. I have missed home more than I thought. In these good and bad days, I have learned, matured, and grown. That’s what I’m going to share today; things I’ve learned, memories, and things the Lord is challenging me in.
Things He taught me:
He has shown me who He says I am. He says I am a leader, influencer, encourager, mentor, seeker. He says I am bold, innocent, giving, passionate, and joyful. He says I am a deep lover of people and I carry love everywhere I go. He has given me an authority to carry that the enemy is afraid of.
I have learned all about spiritual gifts and how He reveals them to us.
Community is so incredibly hard but the best thing I’ve ever been apart of.
When the elevator says no more than 4 people, don’t shove 7 people in there because you will get stuck for 45 minutes and they will have to pry you out.
Life still happens back home even when I’m not there. Watching your friends and family hurt really sucks when all you can do is watch and wish you were there to hurt with them.
Albanians are very clean, and my team is not.
I have learned that I have been living surface level with every part of my life. Through this, He has shown me how to be loved and to love people deeply. (You can read more about this on my last blog)
I have learned about the 3 different relationships we can have with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I am not here because God needs me or because these people need me. I’m here because He wants me here because of the immense love He has for His children.
He has placed trials and hardship in my life that He has grown me in and that I can come here and pour into someone that’s going through the exact same thing. He works in crazy ways.
It is so important to be where your feet are planted and make the best out of every situation and day.
Goodbyes SUCK.
Teaching children is a passion the Lord has given me and a calling on my life I am supposed to pursue.
I think one of the things the Lord has grown me in the most is “taking Him out of the box”. He is so powerful and so Holy. If you just sit with the Lord and ask Him questions He will answer you. He will use you in ways that you couldn’t even dream of if you just let Him.
The more you trust the Lord with every part of your life, the more He uses you and the more amazing life gets.
Best parts of the race/ favorite memories:
Blaring music in the kitchen while {watching} my team cooks.
Drinking 3 cappuccinos a day because we had a cappuccino machine.
We threw a harvest party in Albania and had fall activities like bobbing for apples, pin the leaf on the tree. We made fall foods, like pumpkin and apple pie. It was one of our last days in Albania and one of the sweetest.
Paddle boarding through caves in Montenegro.
Stopping on the side of the road to race up a mountain. I was dead last, but after we took a million pictures (typical), we each prayed over Albania. It was so cool.
Eating at the Funk everyday (a restaurant across the street that has some bomb chicken salad sandwiches).
Getting schooled in basketball by the Roma kids.
Just sitting and doing weird things and laughing with my team because we don’t have wifi.
Teaching the kids at the school and the unconditional love they have for us.
Late night talks with my roomies.
Taking hammock naps.
Christmas morning, eating doughnuts and doing secret santa.
Going to a light show with my team and dancing while everyone took pictures of us.
Things He’s growing me in:
He is showing me how to have compassion and why we have compassion.
He is growing me in reliance and what it looks like to have complete dependence on Him.
Living out the fruits of the Spirit.
Finding joy in the journey.
Learning more about wisdom.
2016 was a big year and probably the most memorable. I can’t wait to see what the Lord teaches and grows me in this next year. Make sure you subscribe so you will be updated everytime I post. Love y’all deep,
-Mal
“Faithful you have been and faithful you will be. You pledged yourself to me and that’s why your praise will ever be on my lips.”
