Hi! I have been in North Carolina for about a week now and so much has already happened. Our team has grown really close and we’ve shared laughs, tears, and a lot of bug spray. I want to keep you all updated on how things are going and what I’m learning so read on to hear all about it!
I’m a little behind on the updates so let’s start with training camp! My squad and I arrived in Gainesville, Georgia on June 28th where we stayed at the Adventures in Missions base. We were there for three days and spent time getting to one another, connecting with the Lord, and learning how to serve others well. It was a huge change from normal life as we used porta-potties and slept on the floor each day but every moment was worth it. God stretched me to be okay with being uncomfortable and ready to learn in every situation. We also spent a lot of time in worship which was so sweet and you could really see the joy of the Lord fill the room as we jumped around and sang together.
On July 1st, our squad said goodbye to Gainesville, piled into a van, and headed up to North Carolina. We discovered our shared love for High School Musical songs as we screamed them on the road and arrived in Black Mountain after a few hours. We are staying with Excel Ministries here and living with them has been such a blast. Almost everyone is right around our ages and they really know how to have a good time. On the 4th, we attended a firework show that the community collectively spent $1300 on so I really mean it when I say we are having fun. Being here has meant experiencing what it looks like to truly live in community. Twice a week we have “All Team” nights where everyone in the community comes together for dinner and a teaching. It is so sweet to see people come together and just live life alongside one another while following the Lord. The amount of love and encouragement present among this group is truly amazing and has been such a reminder of God’s love and design for His people.
This week, we started working at a thrift store/cafe that supports Black Mountain Home for Youth. I’ve been working in the cafe and have learned to make pretty good coffee and sandwiches (not without a few mess-ups though). Even though the work can be a little tiring at times, it is so worth it to know we are supporting an amazing cause and serving the Lord. I love the vibe of a small-town coffee shop because we get to have awesome conversations with customers as we serve them and I’ve loved hearing people’s stories and what brought them to Black Mountain. I’ve actually found myself missing the cafe on our days off so I’m excited to get back in there next week and perfect my lattes.
God has been teaching me so much over this past week and a half. He has reminded me of what it really means to be His child. I’ve never fully understood what it means for God to be my father but as I’ve learned to lean on Him and experience His love, my identity as His daughter has become more and more clear to me. His love is so perfect and unconditional that it blows my mind every day and we are so blessed to get to experience it. I’m also learning how powerful prayer is. God has really been moving among the community here and we’ve had so many amazing stories of Him working in the past few days. I’ve learned that there is nothing too small to pray about and I want my first instinct to be to turn to prayer.
Speaking of prayer, here are some ways that you can be praying for my squad and me right now!
– Please pray for health as we work. Our days can be long and we’re around a lot of people so if anyone is sick, it’s gonna be easy for us all to catch it. Please pray that the Lord protects us so we can all feel our best while we serve.
– Please pray for us to continue to grow closer to God. We are all learning so much right now and I ask that you pray for us to continue to be open to hearing from God and being refined by Him.
– Please pray that we will show people around us the love of Christ in everything we do. We work alongside a lot of people at the thrift store/cafe and we want to be a blessing in their lives.
That’s all for now! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I can’t wait to share more of what my life looks like right now with you all!
