I miss you guys ridiculously today.
Yeah it’s been nearly 8 months but dang
it seems like yesterday that we were all together.
I miss the comfort of having 40 others by my side constantly.
How you don’t even have to say you’re having a bad day
and everyone backs off and gives you space.
or calls you out and tells you to get over yourself immediately.
I miss the random jam out worship sessions.
in the middle of airports.
streets.
in the middle of fields.
on busses.
trains.
airplanes.
I miss the authenticity of sweet community.
the comfort of having people that know you’re entire story
and love you regardless.
laugh with you.
cry with you.
fight you.
put you in your place.
spur you on to who you truly are in Christ.
call out the sick lies satan whispers in your ears constantly.
I miss psycho travel days when we would shake our heads and
laugh when we are told we are riding on TOP of the bus through the Himalayas.
Only to flash forward 5 minutes and we are indeed on top of the bus.
With the local grandmas and chickens and
luggage and that man who looks like he’s killed a few people.
I miss the long bus rides as a squad that we complained about
but secretly loved all being in one place.
I miss getting on the plane from South Africa to Thailand and
having so much fun with the in seat phones.
And calling the randoms that were sleeping in the back. Oops.
I miss meeting up at debriefs and sitting around gasping for air laughing
or in shock comparing stories and reminiscing from the month.
Stories like:
Amiee getting blocked in the squatty potty by a cow.
Or Phil getting lost for hours.
Or Chantlos hopping on the wrong bus and ending up hours
in the opposite direction that he needed to go.
Or Rebba getting mistaken in every single country for being a local.
Or Elaina being proposed to over and over and over again by a local man.
Or John being robbed.
Or Kelly’s 3,000 lb pack.
Or KK getting chased by monkeys.
Or Thomas’s short but sweet stay.
Or Roberto’s protection.
Or lighting tennis balls on fire and playing fireball in that Swazi field.
Or Charlotte’s brave soul telling random Swazi Men how she really feels.
Or Annie’s ability to not spend any money.
Or Tina’s ability to kick Raimies butt any day.
Or bean bag fighting.
Or me butt sledding down the himalayas.
Or Steve being the first and last to get Malaria.
Or Rush’s ability to make ANYONE laugh at any given time.
Or Juddson and Kerri falling in love <3
Or me and Natalies plot every single month to steal certain babies.
Or Sheilas mad dance skills evolving over time.
Or realizing Katherine’s woody the wood pecker laugh was legit…
Or Raimies colon problems.
Or Evans white as snow shirt.
Or team Ripple Effects week straight that we couldn’t keep anything in our stomachs in Nepal.
Or when team “Go There” got in bumping fights that we can now laugh about.
Or how our all girls team named ourselves “team JUGS” (Just Us Girls) just to be rebellious.
Or how we were told we were going on a chill stroll in Cambodia
only to go on a 7 hour trek through the jungle.
Or how we killed, cooked and ate street rat in Mozambique just to claim we are badass.
Or the most suffocating train from India to Nepal.
Or Rachael and Raimies trek up basically Mount Everest and near death experences.
Or freaking HEALINGS in India.
Or the dozens that came to Jesus and were baptized in the river.
And then there are those little things that I will never forget like
John and I setting in the Kathmandu airport just dumping our hearts out laughing and crying.
Or how me and Tina hopped on mopeds with random men when a rainstorm hit…
only to realize how sketch that was later.
Or how LG and I would sit up at night and fantasized about walking into the grocery store
and making the most delicious sandwich.
Or the insane worship nights under the stars at the Swazi Debrief.
Suzies anointed voice.
Andreas sweet spirit and contagious passion.
or how Tab’s obsession with coffee and coffee shops and people changed me.
Or how when Erin played the harp the entire atmosphere would change.
Or Faiths intentional spirit.
Or David’s ability to bring the Spirit as soon as he sings.
Justin and Kristan’s willingness to follow the Lords call.
Or how my soul was refreshed with Adrienne and Lindsay joined our team in South Africa.
Or how Hollis could look at me and know exactly how to encourage me.
Or how Noe’s presence could make the room lighten.
Or Autumn’s love and intentionality in Thailand changed me.
Or LG’s ability to preach and bring it.
Or how even when April was being dead serious I would die laughing because I love her that much.
Or Robyns mad art skills.
Or Scott’s perseverance.
Or how Allison’s laugh could make us all weep of laughing without even knowing what’s funny.
Or Lorettas motherly nature. How she thinks before she speaks.
Or how excited we were when we knew Seth and Karen were flying in.
Or how Kacie would carry on a conversation with anyone and everyone.
Or how watching Nance in the presence of the Lord made us all desire that intimacy.
I miss how prophesy is normal.
and being slain in the Spirit is a desire.
and how hours and hours of worship is normal.
and how praying aloud with power and confidence is encouraged.
and seeing healing both spiritually and physically is the ultimate desire.
I could go on and on.
There are so many more things and people that rocked my life with big and small things.
I just miss the family.
and how everyone brought something absolutely authentic
I will indeed never be the same again.
It’s funny to compare our squad to others.
we were weird.
and I wouldn’t wanna have it any other way.
It gives be butterflies to think that we’ll all legit be in the Lords presence TOGETHER forever.
I’m sure he’ll put us all in one big mansion because he knows we don’t need our space.
I love you guys to pieces.
Keep bringing the Kingdom.
Reunion soon please.
We can just bring our camping gear and set up camp.
Who needs AC. or comfort.
just each other.
and a guitar.
Love, Ruth.
