The Old has Gone, the New has Come. (Returning Home)

  Well, it’s been close to a month since the end of the race… crazy to believe, especially since if we were still on the race, this would mean moving to another country pretty soon here. It has been a lot different than I expected, in good and difficult ways. I think the biggest thing I noticed right off the bat was how many unnecessary things I had. Living out of 2 backpacks for close to a year puts into perspective the things we want vs. truly need. I didn’t fully realize until now that I struggled to get rid of items “in case” I (unrealistically) needed them in the future. Praise God, He broke that off over the 9 months and I had no problem getting rid of about a quarter of my clothes that I never really wore and so much random stuff that I don’t need. Suddenly I have a lot more open space in my room haha. Not only did this positively affect my personal life but I noticed it affecting the small business I run as well… I had an overload of fabric due to taking whatever people didn’t want. I now realize/ have a better understanding of what people are looking for and ways to, more effectively, use my resources and time to make items that people will more likely buy. (instead of making anything and everything with whatever was in front of me haha).

  Something else that I quickly realized was the busyness of America and how we (including myself) instinctively try to fill every moment of every day instead of simply being at some point… whether that’s through social media, work, or anything else. This leads to quick burnout and little to no time for rest, or more importantly, God. True rest and restoration are found in the presence of God, so when we leave no time for Him to fill our cup (Romans 15:13), it makes sense as to why so many mixed emotions including, stress, anxiety, and depression come to the surface. Our natural instinct is to try and avoid those feelings using the wrong things to stimulate different feelings, creating a circle of problems. Now this isn’t true for everyone, of course, but I feel like it is for a large group of people. Not only here, but in other high tech, low-community countries as well. I’ve found rest in God, community, leaving open time and not feeling the pressure to fill up every day, sitting with nature, dwelling in His presence, and taking time to understand thoughts & feelings. I think it would have been easier to jump right into the fast pace and overbooking myself, but God has brought me into new habits and understandings of how we were created. I have found this to be way more life-giving than how I lived pre-race… the point of life is to live it to the fullest, right?! Well, turns out that includes spending more time doing the things that really matter at the end of the day!

  This season of life truly is a beautiful blessing and the Lord continues to refine me every day. I miss living and doing life with my 44 sisters and brothers I gained on the race, W squad worship, doing ministry every day, exploring new parts of the world, and seeing God use our squad to minister to each other & new people we met. That was such a beautiful season that I will treasure and remember for life but He is showing me ways to press into what He has for me here and opening doors that I didn’t even know existed for serving and new community.

  One of those doors, being ‘One New Humanity’ in Hamtramck MI. This community is primarily focused on investing in the community and just happens to have muslim and refugee friends who live, work, and volunteer with the variety of opportunities this organization provides. The Lord revealed this organization back in Georgia (preparing my next steps just in time) through a volunteer I met during our week of serving at Young Life Camp. In a brief conversation after learning where I live, she told me her church will be serving here in just a few short weeks. I didn’t get her contact information but luckily one of my squad mates went to her church and was able to provide her number for me! We texted a little bit and she told me that she has been asking the Lord for contacts who live close to this community… therefore telling me I was an answer to her prayer when simultaneously, she was an answer to my prayer of getting connected and serving. She gave me the director’s contact information and next scene, I am at their organization volunteering. Somehow I managed to skip any application processes and simply step through the door that the Lord opened. Not only is this life-giving for the time being, but another prayer I had was for the Lord to prepare me for going to the 10/40 area this coming Spring of 2025, and through this organization, working with primarily Muslims, I get to make connections now, learn about their culture and understand more of their beliefs. God is so kind in how He ties everything we do to work for not only our good but His glory. He showed me through this what it looks like to step into something from Him. 

  I’m excited to continue this season at home for a little bit and again, step into what He has next. What a faithful God we serve! Thanks for following along on this GAP year journey! If you want to hear more details about this year or live close by and want to connect, I would love to hear from you via Email! ([email protected])