It has been a really long time since I have updated my blog on here. These last couple of years have had it’s challenges & I have grown in my relationship with The Lord a lot since my last update in 2012…
Where to Start?
Well, after working as a Youth Pastor in Detroit, I realized that being a pastor was not my calling, but working and ministering to broken teens is. I did learn a lot during the 6 months in my position. During that time my Gram passed away suddenly of a stroke too which really broke me & I needed a break from ministry. So I continued to substitute teach & work at Starbucks. The daily relationship with God was a struggle & finding Christian community like I had on the race, even harder. I felt day by day the identity I once knew and walked in had been dissipating. I needed to make a change and I knew it.
In 2014, I realized there was such a longing and need to be back in Christian community again. An opportunity to live with some World racers came along, and so I put all of my belongings in a storage unit in Detroit and once again took a journey of trusting the Lord. I knew God was calling me to go and live in Oceanside. There was a whisper of God saying to my heart, “I choose you”. I felt the Lord saying ” I have things to show you”.
I said goodbye to my family in Pa, my friends and community in Detroit Michigan, and drove across the country in about 4 days to venture my way to sunny San Diego! I was so thankful to come to a place of rest & in finding Jesus again. I went to church with my roommates and truly felt myself coming alive again. I was able to transfer Starbucks stores from Michigan to California because of some connections and favor & I also found jobs working for two different non-profit organizations. I was ready to find a job working for a non-profit after trying teaching again & realized that it just wasn’t my calling. When I arrived in Oceanside, California I was so renewed and refreshed. It was so beautiful there. Seriously sunny like almost every single day. Gosh. What a blessing. It took a while to get a 2nd job, but when the right opportunities came along I jumped.
I had the opportunity to do a Crisis training at The Women’s Resource Center (October 2014) & become a house manager fill in for the Domestic Violence Shelter and Residence buildings in Oceanside. I learned a lot from this opportunity & ministering to women & their children who had been through trauma was really rewarding.
I also started working at Sovereign Health (2014) and commuting an hour to El Cajon(South of San Diego) for a position as a House Manager working with teens who were healing addictions, depressions and other mental illness. This time was really challenging, but I loved every second of it. I worked mainly in the boys house & saw a lot of teens who were in recovery and helped them through it. I learned some counseling skills and therapy techniques as well. We took the teens on outings to local places & engaged in a variety of activities at the rehab center as well. The teens there were from all throughout the U.S. It was really eye opening & it helped me realize “This is what I am meant for”. I saw the fruits of what God spoke to me about started a non-profit for teens struggling with addictions, and got to grow into these things that were sewn into my heart. Bringing healing and restoration.
I was having trouble working so many hours between two jobs, and eventually was fortunate to find a group home only 10 minutes for me working with girls at the Milestone House (2014-2015). This is a non-profit that helps teen girls who were either run-away’s, caught in trafficking, or in foster care and provides a place that they can call home. The girls were so amazing. They thrived on just having interactions and having us there to talk to them. I brought in my jewelry and we made things. Art therapy is my favorite and it was exciting to utilize this. There were challenging moments too, don’t get me wrong. There were times where crisis happened and were I just broke down into tears in the back room ,or at home where they couldn’t see it because I wanted so badly for them to find restoration and healing in these areas in their that they were struggling with. Girls struggle with so many issues; eating disorders, drug addictions, cutting, depression, pills, self-harm, low self-esteem, alcohol, running away, finding love in the wrong places, gangs, fitting in, friendships, and just normal teen stuff not to mention. I was wrecked in a new way. I realized my calling is going to seriously take some spiritual strength. Ministering to the broken is tiring, it takes constant renewal on my end from the Lord too. I was so thankful for the opportunity to live in Oceanside and work with these two non-profits and working at Starbucks in Leucadia was so fun (Just minutes from the beach), right off 1-5. We were always so busy, but I met great positive, upbeat people that influenced me in a positive way. I was reminded while at work that laughter is great medicine. Anyhow, my roomate’s sold their house and my season there came to a close in April. I realized my financial struggles were getting to be challenging and working 65 hour weeks was getting tiring. I decided it was time to go back home to PA to see my family. So after 9 months of work, and learning I moved back to Erie, PA and packed up everything I could fit into two suitcases and got on an Amtrak train. Gosh, part of me really didn’t want to leave, but I knew I had to for some reason. Leaving the girls at the group home was super hard. I was attached to them and really couldn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t know how & I didn’t want to break down emotionally. (I was a mess myself too.) I left Oceanside, CA but I left part of my heart there too. Upon coming home it was so nice to be so close to family, but my heart really missed the girls, the beautiful ocean, the sunshine, and the community I had…
I have been back in Erie, PA since April of Last year and I have had time to rest, and found a great church family here that really believes in bringing heaven to Earth and that we are called to that. I found a great job working with International Students from all over the world at the Pennsylvania International Academy living as a Student Ambassador/RA. The job came with free room and board! (WOW!) God knew what I needed,because I had been struggling financially in California living pay check to pay check. This position has been exciting, challenging, and fun! I enjoy talking to my students and being there for them. I love how I can use what I learned from around the world to relate to them, the places they are from, and I just have been embracing this time. I have also had the opportunity to attend prophetic worship & prayer nights on Tuesday nights with my church. This time is a time of prayer, healing, making art, prophesy, sharing scripture, seeking the Father, and playing guitar…TO BE CONTINUED :)…
