As you can all see, it has been a while since I have reached out and written a blog, and for that I apologize. LOTS of things have been happening in my world – some refreshing and beautiful, and some incredibly hard.
For starters, did you see ^^^that bar^^^ when you clicked on my page? Well, praise the Lord because I am FULLY FUNDED!!!
Thank you to everyone who donated – you are playing a part in the kingdom work, and I am beyond grateful for the faithfulness that the Lord has shown me through each one of you.
These past few months have been a whirlwind to say the least.
My heart has been grieving the loss of my grandfather since he passed in January. Warren was warm, kind, and incredibly sharp. I will miss sitting across from him as he sat in his chair near my Nana and talked to me about life. I will miss the way he greeted me with his arms open and a warm “Miss Shannon Elizabeth” reverberating from his throat as he affectionately kissed me on the cheek with his scruffy mustache. I regret the moments that I failed to ask the important questions, and I grieve for the future occasions he will miss. I never pictured a world without him, and now that he is gone I am forever indebted to him. This man, whom I loved so dearly, helped put me through college, and I have a degree in huge part because of his faithfulness to contribute to my education.
In this season, I have joined a life group through Antioch Community Church in Dallas. FBCA and LRBC will always be homes to my heart and places I root myself. But I was searching for something closer to home that had a solid group of young adults who were pursuing the Lord; that is something I have found in Antioch. My new life group has led me to one of the most refreshing times of my life. This season has been rich: full of accountability, vulnerability, and an endless stream of grace. I am incredibly confident that the Lord has placed me in fellowship with these people for a purpose.
In 5 months I will be launching for the World Race. It seems so close yet so far! The great part about postponing is that I was ready to leave in January so this season has been filled with a lot less preparation. It has been sweet to relax and lean into closer intimacy with the Lord. My world hasn’t been about which backpacking item to take but rather about which spiritual lessons He has for me to learn.
All in all, I am grateful to be where I am. Choosing to wait was the best decision I could have made. It has enabled me to be here for the heartbreaking moments and the sweet ones.
As for what’s next, I go back to training camp in June with my new squad! You can check them out by clicking the tab “Meet My Squad” on the left hand side of the page! HERE IS MY NEW ROUTE:
Serbia
Romania
Bulgaria
Malaysia
Thailand
Laos
Lesotho
South Africa
Madagascar
Jamacia
Dominican Republic
Want to learn more about these places?! Check out the infographic I made by clicking here: https://magic.piktochart.com/output/14953819-shannon-brown-world-race
Until June comes I am just growing in community and learning to bloom where I am planted. I would love to take this time to connect with any of you guys when you are available: shoot me an email at: [email protected] and let me know if you’d like to catch up!
Blessings,
Shan
