Wow! My home is currently in Albania! The third country of the race already! It is such a restful place, physically and spiritually, the atmosphere is vastly different than where we just were in Romania. My team and I arrived to our home on January 9th in Elbasan, Albania. The first week we got to check out two of the centers that are a part of the overall ministry we are working with. Bread of Life is a center that adults who are often overlooked can come to for a time of dominoes, music, coffee/tea, and lunch. Hope for the Future is a center that preschool and school aged children who are in need can come to for a time of learning, games, and lunch!
After our first week here we split our team to serve our ministry hosts best. Jessie and I spend each weekday at Hope for the Future. In the morning we help out the preschool teacher, who is also a social worker, with her class. We join the children as they play with toys, sing and dance, do crafts, learn life skills and classroom topics, and eat lunch. Then we get them ready to go home. As they are finishing their morning at the center the school age kids come straight from school for a time of homework help, games, lunch, outdoor activities, and English class! It has been both challenging and exciting hanging out with these children all day. The Lord has been teaching me many things through them, and I hope and pray that they can see the light of Jesus through me.
This week has been really exciting just resting with the Lord in the free moments. Since being in Albania I have read through the books of Exodus, Philippians, and Acts as well as the book Living Fearless by Jamie Winship. I have been so eager to just soak up the Word, which is such an answered prayer to love the Word of God and desire to dwell in His presence. Through spending time more frequently in the Word, it has grown my desire to communicate with God. Crying out to Him, talking to Him on everyday walks, celebrating with Him, and listening to His voice.
This being said, one of the things I have recently been in constant communication with God about is my future after the race. I know I still have about six more months on the field, so there’s no need to rush, but getting to dream with God about the future has been really sweet and special. If you are familiar with my testimony, one thing you may know is that my college years were very indecisive, and even post college it was filled with a lot of lack of commitment. After applying to three different graduate programs in less than a year and dropping out of all three unexpectedly, at the end of 2022 I was met with a lot of disappointment.
Going into 2023 the words I felt God speak over my year were “commitment” and “transformation”. At this point I decided that I was going to commit to something. That year started out with me praying with my friends in one of their apartments and soon leading to my yes to go on The World Race. For eight months I committed to something that had not yet begun, and in the process I made a goal to commit to other things as well. One being to read one Psalm every day. After 150 days of consecutively reading a Psalm a day I completed that goal and was so excited to finally have finished something I committed to. During those months I also really struggled to love the job I was working and just had a lot of really hard days… but I stayed committed and stuck it out until I left for the race. It was just a small victory I was excited to celebrate with God. That time was so sweet to see the word that God spoke early on come to pass, and in the midst of commitment without a doubt I can see the transformation that God has done in my heart. So many people made an impact on my life in 2023, and I am so grateful to be loved by a living God who speaks!
Onto 2024… as I have been dreaming with God about my future I am hearing His voice more clearly and seeing into what life after the race could look like. This is so exciting because I have never really known much about my future, but also knowing about the future can bring fears just as much as not knowing about the future so I’m currently walking in a season of complete trust in the Lord. One of the words I have heard the Lord speak over this year so far is “transition”. This is a pretty weighty word, but I know that the Lord is so good, and what is yet to come is all part of His timing and His plan! I am so excited to continue seeking His face and listening to His voice over these next eleven months of 2024! I would love for you to join me in prayer as I gain clarity on the direction the Lord is leading me after my time on the race.
Until then, pray for me to also stay very grounded in the present here on the field. To spend time in scripture and in prayer, to serve and love my teammates well, to pour into our ministry with all that I can give, and to receive from God more of His heart and trust Him in all circumstances! Albania has been such a blessing in just the short time we have been here, I am grateful for what is next to come in the four weeks ahead!
Sending this blog with extra love and hugs for my family and friends back home who I miss dearly! Even on the days it’s hard because I’m away, I am comforted by the Comforter! Thank you, Lord, for all you have done and all that is yet to come!
