God is so faithful. In the beginning of May, some things happened with my church—the place I had called home for the past 15 years. The decision to step away came so clearly from the Lord—but it was still not easy. The weeks leading up to training camp were hard. I was grieving the loss of a beautiful community at home and filled with uncertainty as I prepared to step into something new. The night before I left for training camp, I sat down in my room and just cried. I cried because I felt like I had lost so much at home and I cried because I was so unsure of what was to come.
But let me tell you—God is so faithful. Training camp was the exact thing my heart needed. It was an intense 10-day training that prepared my team and me for the next 11 months. We ate strange foods, slept in weird places, took bucket baths, put our tents up, took our tents down, ran 3 miles up and down hills with our gear, worshiped together, prayed together, laughed together, shared our hearts with each other, and developed some of the most amazing friendships I’ve ever had.
Before training camp, my thoughts were completely occupied with everything going on back home. After the second day at camp, those worries and concerns disappeared. God brought so much healing to my heart. I came to a place where I was able to forgive those who had hurt me and was able to move on. Being at training camp was so refreshing and it gave me so much peace about this next season I am about to enter into.
God is so faithful. Even though I had to step away from my community here, God has provided a new community filled with radical Jesus followers that I get to travel the world with. Even more, I get to do the thing my heart loves—LOGISTICS! Yes, that’s right! My friend Nathan and I are the logistics coordinators for the squad, meaning we are responsible for getting the squad from country to country and planning debriefs. At my former church, I did a lot of planning and organizing in the youth group. I quickly discovered that doing logistics was my niche. Stepping away from my church meant stepping away from serving in a way that I loved. But God, in His faithfulness, has allowed me to use my gifts in a similar way on the World Race! God is just so faithful.
For me, my time at training camp was a reminder of how good our Father is. In Matthew 7:11, Jesus says, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” God loves to give us good gifts—and He has so over and abundantly blessed me through a new community and the opportunity to serve in a way that I love. God reminded me that He loves me and has incredible plans ahead for me and for my squad and for every person that we meet this next year. Training camp was a time of restoration, especially restoring my joy in the Lord. Though I had to leave some beautiful things at home, God, in His faithfulness, is allowing me to step into something even more beautiful. Let me tell you, God is just so faithful.
**SPECIAL NOTE TO MY SOUTH HAVEN FAMILY**
To all who have given, prayed, supported, and encouraged me as I follow the Lord on this crazy journey—thank you so much. I would not be where I am today without all of you being a part of my life. Though I have had to step away, please know that you are still as much a part of this journey as ever before. I love you all and am praying for you! Please continue to pray for my squad and me as we head out into the world in August.
