Heading to Orlando

Hello again!

Kathryn, my co-leader, and I left our homes bright and early on August 31st to start our drive down to Orlando! We will arrive in Orlando on Saturday and chill for a few days until the Gappers (the students on our Gap Year team) arrive. They get to Florida on September 6th and we are so excited!! When everyone arrives, we will be spending our time receiving training on many different things. From "how to do cross cultural ministry" to "how to budget abroad," we all will be doing a lot of learning this month. This will be the first time the team meets each other before we spend 9 months together!!

August has been such a sweet time for me. My friends and family came together to support me in my last month before I was launched into ministry! Aside from the time spent with loved ones, I tried my best to wrap up my time in Erie by finishing things that needed to be done and get packed! I (hopefully) packed everything I need for this 9 month journey. I also made sure that I finished off my crochet projects and books before I left. I am so grateful for the people God has placed in my life because I felt so loved and encouraged this month. From coworkers, to friends, to family members, I was very encouraged and celebrated this month.

This whole summer was a huge lesson on God's control in my life. When someone starts the support raising process, it can feel like it depends on them for the funds to come in. Nothing could be farther than the truth! I watched how God opened opportunities to share with people what ministry He is calling me to. I watched how people generously gave when I timidly asked them if they would be interested in supporting me. I watched how God crushed the doubts that I had about Him in the moments that were stressful. God was and is in control.

Saying goodbye was very hard for me. I felt the deep love of my community and immediately had to step out of my comfort zone. But in that, God knew what was going on. In August, I spent time reading through Ecclesiastes. People always laugh about how depressing this book is but I actually think it is a beautiful reminder of where our hope and purpose is found. It is not found here on this Earth or in people or in the work we do, but in God alone.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceive that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil- this is God's gift to man." Ecclesiastes 3:11-13