Launch literally only began about 8 hours ago, but I have so much excitement about what is to come. Abandonment is a word i am focusing on- going into these next few weeks, and continuing when we leave for Colombia. Abandoning my expectations and trusting God. Abandoning home to go into the unfamiliar. Abandoning self, and setting aside all my worldly and materialistic preferences. This is all for the sake of the gospel and for falling more in love with Jesus.
Someone reminded me last week, that going into this, all I have is God. He is my only sure thing, and ultimately He is all that I have and all that I can trust. It is just me and Him. For the first time in all my life, I’m in an environment where I don’t have my parents, my church, or my peers to rely on for my faith. What a cool opportunity to be able to have my faith tested in such a way as this. I am so thankful, so anticipant, so excited.

Something I was worried about going into all of this, was what my team dynamic would look like. I was worried that it would be easy to fall into the trap of comparison of spiritual gifts, and the appearances of the other girls on my team. As I write this, I’m realizing that God is saying, and will continue to remind me that “envying another person isn’t loving them”. I am here to love, I am here to learn. Although it’s only been barely a day, I am encouraged and inspired by every singly one of my teammates already.
There is no spirit of comparison. Everyone is beautifully unique in every way. We are all in different and separate walks of faith, and I’ve already learned so much about these people in just one half of a day.
As you think of me and my team, I would love prayer for a continuation of unity among all of us as teammates. We each long to be steadfast in the Lord, and these next few weeks of training camp will surely be full of opportunity to grow in that.

I am excited, I am hopeful, I am so blessed.