Nicaragua seems like another lifetime.
It’s crazy to think of who God changed me from and into during my time there. It was long, and complicated, and painful, but it was beautiful. This being said; though it was beautiful, I would NOT want to go back and relive it again.
It’s crazy to think that I’ve only been here in the Philippines for a few days, and I already feel at home. I feel like I belong here. I love this culture. I love that I can communicate with the people, that I know about their politics and their religious conflict, I love my new team.
Oh, about that.
Within our squad, they shuffled our teams around. Previously, yall have heard me mention Hadassah. I’m, again, on the all-girls team (the only one this time, and I seriously love it. There’s such freedom to having all girls.) Our Name is isREAL. The meaning behind that is we all want to be honest and real with each other. To hold each other accountable, to tell it like it is, to be who we are without holds barred, to have freedom, to encourage each other to truly grow in our relationship with Christ. Though spelled wrong, the double meaning is Israel. I’ve challenged myself to read through the entire Bible before I get home in May, and I’m in the old testament, which is clearly all about the people of Israel. I’ve realized that I myself am Israel, I daily and clearly see the face of the Lord and hear His voice, but I repetitively turn away from that. All the same, I am still one of the Lord’s chosen people that He wants to love and use, and He constantly has redemption and grace for me. He uses me to shake the nations, despite my flaws, and whenever I get comfortable somewhere, He shakes that up and sends me elsewhere to wreck more things in His Name. Those are the principals we desire to stand for.
Our ministry here is a beautiful thing. If I never leave this place/if I come back here, yall can’t be surprised. We’ve been blessed with an amazing contact family and facility, with a piano, a wonderful church, and options of ministry. My first day? Made some new friends at the orphanage, my favorite being a 19-year old girl with special needs named Marcel. Today? We went to the Jazz House to hang out with the trafficked girls – they’re all so so beautiful, my heart hurts thinking that people could possibly mistreat such amazing little guys. There are feedings for the people twice a day, a sickly baby named Mikey the World Racer’s are mothering and passing on to us, opportunities to tutor kids and teach at the school, etc, etc – anything a huge, driven heart like mine could desire.
It’s a beautiful thing, and it’s a beautiful thing that God’s brought me here, for such a time as this, to call this place home. I’m thankful beyond what I can express in words.
