When I am weak, he is strong
The Lord is faithful, and he is deeply at work. Looking back on this past month, it was filled with genuine struggles and clear victories, all of which kept leading me back to a single call: learning to depend entirely on him in my weakness. August was a quiet month with most of the team away, but having lots of work to dive into was such a clear provision from the Lord. I was able to wrap up editing a 31-episode devotional series, as well as four podcast episodes centered on abuse. Getting to spend that time stewarding work that shares important biblical truths, especially around hard, heavy… Read more
Four Thoughts
I just returned to my location after two months in the States and a week in Europe for my company’s conference. Every other year, all the teams in the region gather together for a week. I had so much fun meeting other Goers on other teams and soaking up the Mediterranean sun! The speaker this week talked about four thoughts we run into in ministry (and in the Christian life). I came into this conference tired after an intense first year on the field, and these talks felt like a breath of fresh air. I summarized each session in hopes that it can encourage you wherever you are! God uses our… Read moreUnexpected Paths, Faithful God
Hi! I will be going to Uganda with Mesa Global to serve at Hope58. I have been drawn to missions since I was young, and I could not really tell you why. The dream stemmed from the exposure I was given by my home church in California, where I learned a lot about a nonprofit based in Rwanda. I remember being a young girl and dreaming about going to Africa one day, and I just thought that was the norm. This dream was present throughout high school, but then my first trip overseas was to Thailand. My trip to Thailand wrecked me in the most beautiful way and placed a deep burden for the… Read moreThe Importance of One's Mother Tongue
Before my move overseas, I understood that learning Greek would be an important part of ministry and the mundanities of life in Greece. I knew that I would need it to navigate public transport, get the correct groceries at the grocery store, and simply order a coffee. Even more so, I know I would need it to be successful in reaching the people I’m ministering to in my church community, my neighborhood, and the brothels. What I did not know or anticipate is the level of connection that comes with learning someone’s mother tongue. I just recently returned from a short visit back to the States,… Read moreLearning to Dwell Well
These last few weeks, I’ve found myself deep in the book of Psalms, particularly going back to Psalm 91 time and time again. The Psalm focuses on dwelling and this idea of making the Lord the foundation of our dwelling as believers. According to the Webster Dictionary, the term "dwell" refers to living in a particular place. As I've been settling more and more into life and routine in Athens—as I've been establishing a sense of dwelling in this city—I find myself returning to one question: "Am I dwelling in the presence and refuge of the Lord as intentionally as I'm dwelling here?" It's a… Read more
Sands of Itty Bitty Goodnesses
What do I want to share about? How should I begin this new endeavor in sharing my life in written word? Good question, and no pressure at all! Right now, I am filled to the brim with thanksgiving because of how good our God is. I have tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord in every conversation I have had in this fundraising season. There has not been once where I thought, God is not here. He is here. He has been with me from the beginning and to be blessed in how He has woven my story with that of all my brothers and sisters in Christ from before the first chapter of my life…how can… Read more
We Love Because Be First Loved Us
When team dynamics got messy or challenging this month, it was really special to see how the Lord used that to reveal more about me and my relationship with Him than anything else. It was cool because I felt like He began to reveal to me how only once I really begin to understand and see the beauty of the gospel, how Jesus came into our messiness. It's only when I truly understand that and receive His love and grace, that I'm able to extend that to others. It was also really cool to be able to get a fresh breath of encouragement from my local community and from some interns that have come… Read more
Discerning God’s Will: Choosing Freedom over Fear
Dear Potential Goer, If you’re reading this, you’re likely considering the possibility of serving overseas in missions. But you may be wondering if this is what God is calling you to do. You want to make the “right decision”. It might be helpful to know that just a few months ago, I was in the same spot. Before December, I had never heard of GoCorps. My plan after I graduated from college was to go directly to grad school for occupational therapy. A large part of my senior year of college was spent applying to different programs and going through the interview processes. Due to the… Read more
Ways language Helped Me Connect with My Host Family
Before I took a short term trip to Manila, I consistently heard phrases like “everyone speaks English.” As I’ve been processing my experience there, I’ve realized that I basically learned English all over again. As I learned how to adapt to my new culture, I also learned some basic Tagalog. Learning English and Filipino enabled me to communicate with my host family. I very quickly learned that not everyone in my host community speaks English. My host mom speaks English very well, but my host dad spoke very little English. The little Tagalog I learned was essential to communicating with my… Read more