Reflections on Support Raising
I hate the unknown. I am a researcher by nature, and I have always been an overachiever, wanting to be the most competent at everything, to do all things exactly right. Basically, I’m your classic perfectionist. Doing things perfectly protects me from vulnerability, criticism, judgment, weakness. This need to be perfect and for self-protection was the root of my fear and hesitation towards support-raising. After all, support-raising was something I hadn’t mastered (and didn’t know how to do in any way) and wouldn’t be able to without trial and error (I hate trial and error). It required… Read moreLessons from Becoming a Goer: What makes support raising so challenging?
What makes support raising so challenging? The hardest part of support raising isn’t the work itself. It’s not the hours put into calling folks and setting up meetings, it’s not pouring my heart and soul into a meeting with potential partners, it’s not even getting a “no” from someone. The hardest part of support raising is feeling alone and misunderstood. The devil seeks to kill and destroy. We know that. But what we often forget about is that the devil doesn’t always look a little red dude with horns sitting on our shoulder. It can also look like comparison, isolation, and unreasonable… Read moreLessons from a Knitted Grinch Ornament
Once upon a time, COVID ruled the world. Like the White Witch subduing Narnia with eternal winter, COVID subjected us all to social distancing, mask requirements, quarantine, and more. So when Adam and I first moved into our second story apartment in early 2020, a friendly meet & greet with the neighbors wasn’t high on anyone’s priority list... including ours. Sure, we said “hi” in passing and looked out for one another’s piles of Amazon packages, but that was about it. In October, our downstairs neighbors moved out and a new couple moved in. We’ll call them D & B. They looked about… Read more
Becoming Sweet Elixir
Recently, after coffee with a friend, we were discussing literature or, more so, the production of it. You see, this friend is a phenomenal author, enjoying the process of putting thoughts on a page to convey something meaningful to the masses. While I enjoy the written word as a sweet elixir, I am not so fond of the production side. In genuine curiosity, my friend inquired as to why. My answer simply is that I resented my inability to do it well with general ease. You see, I struggle with spelling and syntax, grammar is a nightmare, and maintaining a single tense in a passage is next to… Read more
My letter to future Goers...
2 years in a flash. One moment I was dreaming about what it would be like to live and serve overseas and the next it seems I am back in Oregon after doing the thing, only there was a lot in the middle too. And that’s where all the good stuff is… right in the middle. Living outside comfort, socializing outside comfort, eating outside comfort, working outside comfort and simply functioning in a world that is so different from your own is hard. While I felt so ready to be where I was I learned quickly in my initial transition that I needed to take time to lament the things… Read more
New Year's Resolutions - Silence and Solitude
2024! The year I leave the United States to live overseas on mission to serve and share the gospel to the people of Asia. The year I grow and stretch exponentially by learning a new language, culture, way of life. The year I will learn that I have never truly known the importance of dependance on God and His plan for me or His will for my life. The year I will question what I am willing to sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. This year, I am preparing for the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Preparing for battle is crucial, and thus far, it has not been easy but it has been RICH! My New… Read more
New Year's Growth
The start of 2024 has been slow and reflective, with lots of cold, rainy days and even more thoughts and questions. This made writing an update a bit challenging. My first thought was, “What even happened last month?” but then I had an even scarier one: “What do I have to show for this month?” I’ve had the imagine of a cocoon on my mind with a little caterpillar essentially turning into goo in there, being broken down into it’s components to be regrown into something new. Maybe it’s the cold weather making me curl up in blankets, but I’ve felt a bit like a caterpillar in a cocoon. So here’s… Read more
Running the Race
I am not a runner. Like at all. I will happily agree to hike a mountain, but ask me to run a mile and I’ll decline. However, despite my personal preferences, my perspective on what it means to finish a race—and finish it well—was recently altered. During our training, we had the chance to volunteer at the Ironman World Championship. As we volunteered and watched the race, we had the opportunity to see many of the athletes at the starting line, in transition, and at the finish line. When they would pass by, the crowds would cheer loudly. Although the athletes appeared… Read more
Joy within trial
I have been in training for the last two and a half months. This week is our last week before heading to the mission field for the next year and a half. Last week I ended up getting quite sick which became the biggest blessing. I've been struggling since saying yes to this and most especially these last six months. So, for the first time in a long time, I had to sit in my bed and just rest. The LORD met me here in such a unique way. You see I have been carrying so much in hopes that the LORD would magically heal me. But this past week for the first time I understood Paul when he… Read more