Being back in the states is pretty weird. It is so different than living in Africa. I mean for the past 2 months have been living in community, sleeping on the floor or in tents, taking bucket showers maybe 3 times a week, eating basically the same thing every meal, and waking up doing ministry everyday. My first day back home consisted of a hot shower, picking out which restaurant I wanted to eat at for lunch, getting a manicure and pedicure with my mom, buying some books at Barnes and Nobel and sleeping in a huge comfortable bed. I could get a glass a water from the sink, use a toilet, sit in an air conditioned house, drive my car around, use internet in the comfort in my own home, and wash my clothes by just putting them into a machine. For the first time in 2 months, I didn't really have to worry about anybody else but myself. It's strange....Honestly, I am not quite sure how I feel about the transition home yet. I really want to try and figure out the best way to bring the things I learned in Africa back to my life back at home but I can already tell this is going to be a little difficult. I have had all of these amazing, life changing experiences and God has filled me so much with the Holy Spirit. It is really hard to explain that to people and have them be able to relate to my experiences and share in my excitement.
I don't want this experience to leave me. I don't want this to just become something cool I did one summer. I don't just want to go to people and say "Look what God did!" I want to tell people "Look what God is DOING!" God giving me freedom was not a one time act. Every morning I wake up, He is freeing me. I could choose any moment to go back to my past and continue to believe the lies Satan tries to tell me. Instead God is giving me strength everyday to walk in my freedom. I can not do this alone. If at any point in my life God left my side, I would crumble in a second. I need His truth whispering in my ear every moment of everyday. Without that truth, I am nothing. Without the freedom that is brought through truth, I will only begin to be emprisoned by lies. God is my stronghold. He is my love and I want these truths to continue to be a part of who I am. I want to continue with daily worship. I want to continue to ask the Lord daily what He wants from me and follow whatever He says. I want to continue to boldly declare who God is and who I am in Christ. I want to continue to dive into God's word and learn what it really means to die to self and be a servant of the Lord. I want to search for God's will and follow whatever He has for my life. I want to continue to be a light in the darkness that surrounds me. I want to bring change to my community and challenge those around me to follow the Holy Spirit and be bold in their faith. I know life won't all be the same and I know it won't be easy but if there is one thing I learned in Africa, it is that God is faithful! He will continue to walk with me and lead me. The God that I served in Africa is the same God that I serve here in the United States. That means that although I may be home, I can encounter God each day in the same way that I did while in Africa. Ephesians 3:20 holds just as much truth here as it did this summer.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever! Amen."
Being back in the states is pretty weird. It is so different than living in Africa. I mean for the past 2 months have been living in community, sleeping on the floor or in tents, taking bucket showers maybe 3 times a week, eating basically the same thing every meal, and waking up doing ministry everyday. My first day back home consisted of a hot shower, picking out which restaurant I wanted to eat at for lunch, getting a manicure and pedicure with my mom, buying some books at Barnes and Nobel and sleeping in a huge comfortable bed. I could get a glass a water from the sink, use a toilet, sit in an air conditioned house, drive my car around, use internet in the comfort in my own home, and wash my clothes by just putting them into a machine. For the first time in 2 months, I didn't really have to worry about anybody else but myself. It's strange....Honestly, I am not quite sure how I feel about the transition home yet. I really want to try and figure out the best way to bring the things I learned in Africa back to my life back at home but I can already tell this is going to be a little difficult. I have had all of these amazing, life changing experiences and God has filled me so much with the Holy Spirit. It is really hard to explain that to people and have them be able to relate to my experiences and share in my excitement.
I don't want this experience to leave me. I don't want this to just become something cool I did one summer. I don't just want to go to people and say "Look what God did!" I want to tell people "Look what God is DOING!" God giving me freedom was not a one time act. Every morning I wake up, He is freeing me. I could choose any moment to go back to my past and continue to believe the lies Satan tries to tell me. Instead God is giving me strength everyday to walk in my freedom. I can not do this alone. If at any point in my life God left my side, I would crumble in a second. I need His truth whispering in my ear every moment of everyday. Without that truth, I am nothing. Without the freedom that is brought through truth, I will only begin to be emprisoned by lies. God is my stronghold. He is my love and I want these truths to continue to be a part of who I am. I want to continue with daily worship. I want to continue to ask the Lord daily what He wants from me and follow whatever He says. I want to continue to boldly declare who God is and who I am in Christ. I want to continue to dive into God's word and learn what it really means to die to self and be a servant of the Lord. I want to search for God's will and follow whatever He has for my life. I want to continue to be a light in the darkness that surrounds me. I want to bring change to my community and challenge those around me to follow the Holy Spirit and be bold in their faith. I know life won't all be the same and I know it won't be easy but if there is one thing I learned in Africa, it is that God is faithful! He will continue to walk with me and lead me. The God that I served in Africa is the same God that I serve here in the United States. That means that although I may be home, I can encounter God each day in the same way that I did while in Africa. Ephesians 3:20 holds just as much truth here as it did this summer. "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever! Amen."
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