What summer has looked like for me

This summer has been awesome! God has been so much a part of everything I've done. Walking into the summer I wasn't sure what to expect. I was anything but excited, I had so many doubts and was just ready to fast forward through summer. Despite my attitude God as always has been so faithful. 

This summer for the first time since graduating I finally had some sort of consistency in a schedule. It was still super flexible, but compared to what the last 12 months had been I had a schedule. All of a sudden I went from having no job to having multiple jobs, which at times seemed crazy but it has been such a blessing. I have had enough work to keep me busy and to challenge me and yet I've still been able to travel on the weekends and spend time with people. Admin work at a church wasn't necessarily something I ever thought I would do, but I love it. I've really enjoyed being on that side of it. It has been an interesting time in the life of that church to say the least and my job is evolving and changing as the churches make some changes but I am eager and anticipating great things to come. I am SO thankful that I still have a job. And I'm thankful that I still get to work with the people that I've only begun to get to know. A few things I've learned through this transition and this job: patience, diligence, and embracing the unknown.

I've had several visitors this summer, which I've loved! I absolutely love hosting people. It has been so good to have friends around when they are in town. I'm so grateful for my bigger apartment with the space to do that. Not only have I had visitors but I've gotten to travel and visit a lot of people. This is something I'm kind of limited to during the year so it has been so nice to take the opportunity and go see friends and family. God has placed incredible people in my life and while some of them I see and talk to often, others I don't get to see or talk to as much but the times when we do get to are always so special. I try and tell the people I care about often how much they mean to me, but I feel like I never truly can express to them how encouraging they are to me and how much they mean to me. I'm so grateful for each and every one of them. For the new friendships, the old friendships, and the restored friendships. This has been a part of my summer where I have really seen God at work. Some things I've learned through this: love, grace, and redemption. 

This summer I've also had a lot of opportunity to read, which I really enjoy. I have read some very challenging books as well as some fictional books just for fun. And have spent a lot of time in the Word. I feel like I have learned so much. 

This summer my back has been bothering me a lot, and so I finally switched chiropractors. I was so discouraged because I was going multiple times a week and just nothing was getting better. It was affecting my sleep and I haven't been able to run, sitting is even painful. This week though it hasn't felt near as bad as it was and I even drove in a car for 14 hours this past weekend, so I think it's healing. Praise God! A bad back is never fun, especially at a young age. I will be so grateful when I can run again without pain. 

In my new apartment I have a piano, which may seem like such a small thing- but I love it! I love just sitting down and playing one song or playing for a half hour. It just brings me so much joy and I had really missed having easy access to a piano. 

Another huge part of my summer was my trip to Ecuador. Beyond grateful I got to go, not a day goes by where I don't think about that trip and the people I met there. I still believe that one day I'll go back hopefully for a little longer term, but still just waiting to see what the Lord has in store. 

Today begins the first day back of another year as an ARD. I am very excited about this year and what God has planned! I can't believe it's already here and yet I am ready and eager to have everyone back. The stillness of our campus during the summer has been nice, but I love when the buildings are full and my RA's are here, the residents have moved in, and my friends will be back on campus. (I've missed them!) This time last year I had no idea what to expect. I felt so unprepared. And while last year was hard, I don't doubt that The Lord had prepared me and that I was able to learn and grow a lot. This year I come in with a year of experience, a new perspective, and just a fresh beginning. I am so excited and anticipate God to work in ways beyond what I could ever ask or imagine. 

A week ago I had a conversation with a friend. We were just talking about life. The good, the bad, the hard, and the joys. She referred to God as sovereign. And I love that word. A word that can only be used to describe God. It has stuck with me and daily I'm reminded that I serve a SOVEREIGN God. 

A few things that I've learned that continue to be on my heart. 

1. I love where I'm at. God has placed me here for a reason and a purpose. He is the controller of all things.
2. I am chosen, treasured, and am found in Christ.
3. God is love. He loves me unconditionally and He gives me the strength to love others 

Light, Ecuador, Life

Tonight I am just in awe of how God can turn something so dark into something full of light. He does this daily as night turns to day. But he also does it in each of our lives in various ways. I was reflecting back on the moments in my life that have seemed so dark, moments where I just couldn't find a beam of light. And for one minute I was thinking back to a friend I had years ago that I no longer am in touch with, then I started thinking about other dark times but very quickly God pulled me back in and reminded me that in all things He is good and that in dark times He restores. I am so thankful for the restored joy that God has given me. I am eager for each day, even on days when I am tired I have energy, strength, and motivation. I hope someone else can be encouraged today that whether you are going through a time with lots of light or a time with little light God remains faithful and God will bring light in all things. 

On another note, my trip to Ecuador was incredible. I have been on a few other missions trips, and every time I process the trip differently. While in Ecuador we worked on a project in Cumanda, about 6 hours South of Quito. The DS in that region is building 10 Compassion International Centers and so we were able to help start 1 of them. We dug trenches, moved dirt and rocks, mixed cement, tied rebar, picked up twigs, to name a few. We got to work with the pastor of one of the churches- after just a few days I learned so much from Pastor Maykol and his family. His story was both encouraging and challenging to me. We need more people like him who are willing to take a leap of faith no matter what the cost. His children are precious and we had a lot of fun together. 

We also did a VBS with the kids while they weren't in school. I loved being a part of this. I learned that I really enjoy kids ministry! Something about this trip that really impacted me was getting to watch Shirley, the missionary we were working with, in her role. She is a beautiful woman, so full of joy and has a servants heart. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to work alongside her and learn from her. The way that her and her husband work together is so neat to watch.  As the week went on, I found myself asking more and more questions. At the time I wasn't completely sure why, but through many conversations and many silent moments before the Lord I really feel as though He was using this to open my eyes to what missions in my future may look like. I am excited and eager to continue to listen and watch as He unfolds that. I am also extremely grateful for the people I got to meet and who I got to know well in such a short time. The people that you can be real with and go deep with fast are definitely special friendships. 

Every opportunity God places in front of us is to prepare us for whatever else He has for us, whether it be the next thing or something years down the road. It is awesome when we can look back and see why certain opportunities were put in front of us and how that leads to other opportunities. God is always working, I'm glad He's got it together because I am exhausted just after an 8 hour work day! 

Always Learning

First, let me just say that God has taught me A LOT over ther course of this last year. No one ever prepared me for the challenges of life after college, I have grown in so many ways through those challenges. Through my experiences over this past year I have drawn nearer to God. I have learned more about His heart and His unconditional love for me. I have learned more about my heart, and what is important to me and how I am treasured by my Heavenly Father. I am extremely grateful for those who have walked through this season with me.  God has placed people in my life who have seen the good and seen the bad. I have learned so much through that. God has taught me so much about grace, forgiveness, patience, and perseverance. He has deepened friendships I had and He has placed new relationships in my life. I am so grateful for both and couldn't have made it through this year without Godly people in my life praying for me and encouraging me.

For a good part of this last year I battled with what it is that God wants me to do with my life, a broad  question I know but I have wrestled with where God wants me and what it is that He has gifted me with. Through a lot of applying, interviews, conversations, and most importantly prayer The Lord has helped me to see that He will give me joy right where I'm at. He is using me right where I'm at. My ministry as a resident director isn't over yet. I went back and forth several times, I doubted, I had fears but through this I didn't feel like The Lord was leading me away from Olivet. I felt a sense of peace that He wanted to continue to use me here. He wanted to restore my joy and He wanted to continue to use this place as a grounds for growth. After wrestling with where He wanted me and then asking Him to help me be open to wherever He wanted to take me, He did just that'- He opened my heart to be willing and then He made a way for me to stay here. I was reminded once again that He reveals His plan at just the right time, never a minute too early or too late.

Another challenging piece to this was that I was staying but I still didn't have a job lined up outside of my RD role, but I made the decision to stay trusting that God would provide something and opening up my mind and heart to what that might be. As always, God continues to provide. Today I started my first day of my new job. It's a part time job and it's an administrative job at College Church, which is great because it is right on campus. Working part time will still allow me to pour my time and energy into being an RD. I am just beginning to learn what all my job entails, but I am excited about what I get to do and to be a part of the church in this way.

The hardest part about this will be being in Bourbonnais all summer, I'm not exactly thrilled about that- but I am anticipating that through this The Lord is going to continue to teach me and mold me. At some point I'll be moving apartments, so I will have some projects to do which will keep me busy. This move is allowing me to serve in a different living area on a smaller team. This summer I'm also going to Ecuador in June, so I'm really looking forward to that. I am thankfully to have weekends to get to visit friends and family. This will be the first summer like this for me. I already know I'm going to miss CIY a lot, I learned so much from my summers traveling and working with them but God obviously has other things in store for me this summer and I am just eager to see what they may be.

I serve a God who is trustworthy, He's faithful, and He is always loving. I have so much to be thankful for.