High Five 2016! Its been a good one.

 

 

That I’m tough and adaptable. Being on the race I have to take what is thrown at me. Whether that be doing something that terrifies me, like preaching in front of a bunch of people. It could be living without running water for weeks at a time. It could be getting attacked by mosquitoes after I drenched my body in deet. There’s also all the things I’ve missed back home, and had to give up. Being on the race is not easy. It feels like I’m running in one place most of the time. If I look back on the past 5 months and the preparation before the race I see so much growth though. God has given me a spirit of strength for this season, and made it easy to just accept the change.  

 

 

I painted the creation mural for my church. I’ve always wanted to be able to create something that large and it felt great accomplishing it. 

 

 

I overcame a lot of fear. Fear of change. Fear of losing people. Fear of being rejected. Fear of being ordinary. God is showing me that it doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished, what you’re going to do. I’m only anything because of Him. I’m seen because he sees me. All the fear is so unessasary because he’s taken care of it all. 

 

 

My daily rituals and habits change every second. I never really unpacked my bags or settled anywhere in 2016. It was a year of firsts and taking that leap, so habits and rituals didn’t really fit in. 

 

 

This is very Sunday school, but it’s very true the Bible. The Psalms had a deep impact on me this year. Understanding what David went through, and how he called out to the Lord. It taught me that when you feel like you have nothing to lean on, you can call out to Jesus and he will rescue you. 

 

 

I spent most of the year fundraising, so my year was mostly focused on preparing for the race. 

 

 

My teammates telling me that they see me on a stage preaching truth to tons of people one day. 

 

 

I would focus on Jesus more. I gave in to a lot of distractions in 2016 that could have potentially changed my life. I tried to wreck the Lord’s plans for me, and I’m so thankful he knows me better than I know myself. He closed doors on things because he loved me and wanted what was best for me. 

 

 

Way to many to write here. I think swimming in the Amazon River was one of my favorites though. 🙂 

 

 

I think the best thing I bought this year was my pack. It symbolizes so much. I hate that pack right now, as I pack it up for the hundredth time. Its heavy and huge, but at the same time I can’t fit everything in it. Somehow I get my whole life into it though. Its been freeing to carry my life on my back. I have very little worries and life is so simple.  Its taught me a lot about how I want my life to look in the future. 

 

 

You lose a lot of your dignity on the race. You are literally with people every second of every day. Its a very beautiful thing because you learn a lot about loving people. I think my most embarrassing moment though was when I puked in front of Nathan at training camp. 

 

 

Finding Dori

 

 

We always sing Doxology together. I’m not super in love with the song, but it’s always going to make me think of the sweet times the squad worshiped together. 

 

 

I’ve had so many good moments. One of the best moment’s I had was telling Sebastian how much God loves him. I could feel the Holy Spirit so much in that moment it brought me to tears. 

 

 

When Tera’s chair broke at the Christmas chair, and Candace laughed uncontrollably. I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. 

 

 

My younger sister telling me there are a million boys just like him, go find one that is different. 

 

 

Wait for a man…. that genuinely loves the Lord, and knows what the Bible says about loving a woman. 

 

 

Going to Devil’s Island in French Guiana. It was so beautiful and I felt like I was in a movie. 

 

 

**I got into grad school**

 

 

This impacted me way more than them, but working at camp hope with the special needs kids. Just holding them was so humbling. 

 

Spending thanksgiving with my first team at Rodo’s house. It was simple and we only made one thanksgiving dish, but we didn’t even really have to say much and you knew how thankful each of us were to be there. 

 

 

Grace.

 

Learning it. Showing it. Giving it. Being covered under it.