Walking Through a Bendy House
When I was just a wee little girl, living with the fam. in a small town near Seattle, Washington, one of my favorite things to do was go to the Seattle Science Center. What a blast it was, every time! They had the coolest, most educational, fun things to mess around in! You could learn about shapes, leverage, balance, momentum, weather, sea life, outer space, butterflies, dinosaurs, zippers, I don’t even know! You name it, and they probably had some giant interactive exhibit that you could have fun with and learn something new at the same time. Some of the exhibits were a little... Read more
Getting to Know Grenoble
Some days, I feel like I don’t know Grenoble at all like the day they changed the tramlines without notice, or the day I got lost, I braked too hard on my bicycle to avoid a car, and flew over the handles like a cartoon character, feet flailing. With my knack for attracting trouble and dubious skill of any sort, I sort of expect moments of misfortune. However, I am almost at the two-month mark and though I did have that brief bike accident, experience a bomb explosion, and fall off of small cliff injuring my ankle, I have made it thus far with minimal scarring both bodily and socially.... Read more
Hinds Feet on High Places
Hinds Feet on High Places is a book I've recently read. In this story, Much-Afraid seeks God by going on a journey to the High Places, but along the way the Shepherd leads her to the Valley of Losses. There is a lot of heartbreak and loneliness and fear in this valley. She says, “How could one follow a Person who asked so much, who demanded such impossible things, who took away everything?” Like Much-Afraid, I am feeling loss – loss of my home, loss of my family, loss of my friends, loss of everything that is familiar. Going on the mission field for me very much feels like walking through the... Read moreGod is Comforter
Our fellowship has started a bible study. We have had a consistent, small group attend and be very engaged. A lady came in crying with deep sorrow and sadness. She was overwhelmed with caring for her children with disabilities, lack of finances, and tiredness altogether. We sat and listened, allowed her to cry as we sat silently comforting. I asked God to give us an opportunity to speak into her life in a way that was genuinely helpful to her. We continued the bible study, and God did exactly that. Opened up a conversation that led perfectly into Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. I saw her eyes... Read more
5 Things I Still Don't Understand About Peru
It has been 684 days since I moved to Peru. One year, ten months, and sixteen days. Wow. Simply, wow. Those days have been filled with more learning and growing, laughing and crying, adventure and change that I ever dreamed possible. Peru is a country, a culture, and a people I have come to love. There have been moments of sadness, of missing family and friends and the familiar. Moments of longing, both for what was and the day when things will feel known. Of laughter as I make mistakes and struggle for words in my new language. Of joy as I see God working. Of beauty. Grief. Learning. And... Read more
What is Grace?
The other day I was talking with a few girls who have become close friends, and they asked me (somewhat out of the blue) what does the word “grace” mean? Caught off guard, I did my best to explain but to my extreme frustration I couldn’t articulate a simple definition for them. I walked away from the conversation kicking myself. What an incredible opportunity, and I had blown it! As I reflected on my struggle to articulate the definition of “grace”, I realized I rarely (if ever) talk about grace outside of the context of the Gospel. That afternoon I wracked my brain, trying to figure... Read more
You will Lack Nothing
“I don’t know what God has in store for you when you turn away from pursuing comfort, stability, and security to ground your identity in the family of Jesus. But I do know he will be with you, and that you will lack nothing.” I recently read this quote in a book that I was reading called, “12 Lies that hold America Captive and the Truth that Sets us Free” (amazing book, I highly recommend!) This quote jumped out at me and resonated deeply with the season of life I am currently in. Here I am, three months fresh out of college, finding myself in a place of little security, stability, or comfort... Read more
The Foundation of God's Throne & Our Wedding Garment
Over the past 5 months our team has been going through a study focused on righteousness and justice in the Scriptures. Our team leader put this study together a few years ago when he was struck by Psalm 97:2 which says that the foundation of God's throne is righteousness and justice. He thought that if the Throne of Grace (Heb 4:16) is sitting on a foundation of righteousness and justice, that it is important for us to understand righteousness and justice for our work. In this study we tracked God's plan of righteousness and justice through the scripture. At the end, we were asked to pick... Read more
False Peaks and Rebounds
One of my family’s favorite vacation spots is a small town named Cave Creek near Phoenix, Arizona. If you’ve never been to the Southwest US it’s a hot, aired, dry climate. Some areas like Sedona have beautiful rock formations, cliffs, valleys, and gorgeous desert hiking trails. Cave Creek has one small mountain, Black Mountain. Each time my family visits Cave Creek my Dad and I hike to the top of Black Mountain. The entire trek, from bottom to top and back again, takes about a few hours. At times though, the journey can become quite discouraging. I’ve never hiked a mountain... Read more