Life now 6.17.14

Back in India, I wrote prayer/update emails a couple times a month and I’ve caught myself missing it lately. I’ve also been called out by my dad for not updating my blog as regularly as I gave the impression I would… whoops. So, I just figured I can write little updates here.

Life Now.

Life right now feels good. I’ve been in Bellingham, WA for five months now and things are starting to fall into place. Usually when I talk to people back in Nebraska, they ask about life in three categories: work, friends, church. It’s a loaded question but lately, I’ve been finding my place in all three categories.

I’ve been taking on more at work and although it can be stressful at times, it feels good to be challenged and grow in leadership. I do a lot more art directing that I’ve ever done before and I’m liking the challenge of that. I can tend to be one of those “let me just do it myself” people but the more I try to let go of that, the cooler it is to see people grow in their skills and take a design in directions you never would have thought of. I work with super talented people so I’m constantly being inspired to be a better designer… whether or not I actually am is probably harder to answer myself, but I hope so.

The friends category of life continues to also find a groove. I feel like I have a close group of a few girls that I’ve been able to really open up and get close to. I’ve talked before about how amazed I was that I was welcomed into communities of friends so well and so quickly and although, I appreciated getting to know so many people, it’s been nice to dive into a fewer amount of relationships intentionally. I value deep conversation and connecting with people highly and that’s just harder to have in large groups. One thing that’s been interesting here is that I’ve related to quite a bit of people here with traveling. Most people in Bellingham have spent some time overseas and it’s great to connect with people about that. But what’s also interesting, is that people leave because they love to travel. So for the first time in awhile, I’m the one staying while others leave or explore what living somewhere else looks like. It’s just super different. I hope as I continue to connect here, I can stay up with friends in different places. It’s been hard to figure out a rhythm here but that’s something I want to grow in more. I’m also looking forward to some summer trips to see friends and being back in Omaha this fall for a bit.

And church is the final category. This one has been interesting. I’ve never really “church shopped” before. It takes awhile to visit churches since services only happen once a week. Even still, I found one that I was attending for a few months here which is where I met most of my friends. It’s a great church and I felt super welcomed in right away. But then a strange thing happened. I went to a womens event at another church in town and felt God nudge me to go there. (How I “felt God nudge me” is for a much longer blog post but basically I can recognize when God is leading me one way or the other.) It didn’t make sense since I was already attending a great church in town but I figured God is usually (ok always) right so I’d go to this Presbyterian one. And, I’ve gone ever since. And it still doesn’t make a ton of sense. I’m still friends with people from the other church and haven’t really met many people at the Presbyterian one but each Sunday I walk away challenged and encouraged. I have peace that this is where God wants me to go and that alone feels amazing.

Besides those three “biggies” life is truckin’ along here. I love that it’s sunnier out now that it’s summer but also enjoy rainy days when the colors get super saturated and beautiful. I continue to explore and go on new hikes around here and love watching sunsets by the water. I still get homesick for Nebraska and also for India but overall I love where I live and the people I get to do life with here.

 

The travels continues….

A lot of people have asked if I’m going to keep blogging now that I’m back in the states – and the answer is… YES! I’m still a “Nebraska traveler” at this point so why not?

Quite a bit has happened since my last post. I’ll post more about all that later but I thought I’d get a quick little something out – kind of giving an picture of life lately.

////// HOLIDAYS //////
I LOVED being home for the holidays. Although I was going through some hard “reverse culture shock”, it was so life-giving to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. My parents have never made me feel bad for leaving Nebraska to travel all over the place. They have always believed in me and encouraged me (and let me stay with them when I am in Omaha). My brother and I always have a blast together (mostly because he’s hilarious). My sister and I are super close so we keep up with each other when I’m gone but it’s always nice to see her in-person and also to get some time with her and my brother-in-law who is also pretty awesome. We always spend the holidays with my aunt and uncle on my dad’s side and I love seeing them. It just wouldn’t feel like a Gerhart family holiday without them!

////// FRIENDS //////
I am so grateful for the incredible friends I have in Omaha. I wish I could have seen more people and saw the ones I did get together with more. Time seems to go by super fast whenever I’m in Nebraska but I treasure each time I get to see the people I love back home.

I was also grateful to see some friends that I met overseas in the states. I took a trip to Colorado right after Christmas where I met up with some friends I made in India and also with some from when I was in New Zealand! It was such an encouraging time and my heart was full after getting to reconnect with them. A day after getting back to Omaha, I drove down to Kansas City, MO to visit friends that I made in Uganda. They were all there for a conference so I attended a couple days of it and got to hang out with friends I cherish. It was amazing to get to see so many people in such a short time!

////// WHAT I’M LEARNING //////
Man, is there ever a time when I’m not processing something or learning some lesson from God? It doesn’t seem like it! After getting past most of the reverse culture shock, I started to look ahead to my little trips (Colorado & Kansas City) and my move to Washington state. I drove through some bad weather when I was coming back from Kansas City (only a three hour drive from Omaha) and it freaked me out about moving. At the same time I was somewhat panicking about the route I had chosen to drive to Bellingham, WA (near the border of Canada & about 2 hours north of Seattle) I also got sick. Long story short, I had a rough couple days and it felt like God was no where to be found. I was mad that He wasn’t making my life easier and His plans for me weren’t looking the way I wanted them to.

Something I think is funny is that people assume I must be brave or courageous with all the traveling I do and to the places I go. They assume that by now, traveling around (especially within the US) would be easy for me. Well, let me set the record straight – I freak out and get nervous EVERY time I travel. Whether it be by plane, train, or car. Whether it’s in the states or in Uganda, India, or Europe. I get freaked out because of all the unknowns that come with traveling. Things I can’t control like my baggage, or flight schedules, or weather. Especially weather.

I often look back after getting to a place safely and wonder if I just didn’t have enough faith or trust in God when I freaked out or if it’s ok for me to get nervous because I still get on the plane, train, or vehicle. I mean doesn’t it matter that I still take the step of faith even if I have butterflies the whole time while I do? Or does God ACTUALLY want me to not worry… like, at all. Is that even possible? He doesn’t say don’t worry because I’ll make things easy and pain free. The opposite actually. God is pretty upfront with all the horrible, hard, and dangerous stuff that can (and probably will) happen to us. But God does say no to worry. He commands it. And of course, there’s no chance I can “not worry” on my own strength. But somehow, through the Holy Spirit’s presence in me enables me not to worry.

I’m still learning. And processing. But I can see how little I make God when I want Him to do life on my terms. I was reminded how much He deserves my respect and reverence. He IS good. He DOES bless me. But no, life will never be easy and pain-free. But it will be purposeful and rewarding. Everyone looks for ways to avoid pain and make life easy but if those things are not God, they come with a short pleasure and a long hallow dark feeling sooner or later. I know that even in life’s hardest and most painful moments, I have a God I can run to and lean on. I know that He is working all things together for good. I know that He will use whatever painful things I go through later for a better purpose and redeem them.

////// LOOKING AHEAD //////
The drive ended up being ok. I changed my route last minute but was still able to find places to stay with people at each stop. I was blessed by people’s hospitality. I felt God’s presence as I drove the whole way. And I saw an incredible views along the way that I will never forget.

Now I’m up in Bellingham, WA and just finished my second day of work at my new job. I wrote out a prayer for this next chapter and in it I wrote about God teaching my heart not to worry. I wrote about wanting to focus most on Christ and not just finding friends and doing well at my job. I want to see God rightly so that I won’t fear. I won’t worry. Because I’ll know that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is for me not against me. And He is faithful and trustworthy. He rules over all creation and nothing is impossible for Him.

And He writes beautiful stories in the lives of people that follow Him wherever He leads.

Adjusting

I’ve been back in the states for just over a month and I still find myself adjusting. It depends on the hour how close India feels. Sometimes it feels like I’m right back there and other days it feels a million miles away. This season of adjusting isn’t something I’m experiencing for the first time. It’s actually like the fourth time or something. Sometimes it’s surreal to think back to my life before I started traveling. I lived a fairly steady life. I mean I moved around a bit with apartments and stuff but even that was in the same zip code. I worked a stable job for over three years. I volunteered weekly at a ministry for over six years. I did Bible studies with the same girls year after year for six years (mostly Beth Moore, a personal favorite of mine). Things were steady. All my siblings and I lived in Omaha, only a 30 minute drive to my parent’s house and/or grandparent’s house. I still went through seasons of change but it all happened within this sturdy framework of life. And I loved it.

Then I moved to New Zealand for a year of Bible school.

I knew when I was leaving I was wiping the chalkboard of my life clean. I quit two jobs, moved out from living with my best friends and heading into the unknown. It was terrifying. But at the same time, it felt like I was taking the step I was supposed to take a long time ago. I had always wanted to travel and live outside of Nebraska. I had always wanted to see New Zealand. I had always wanted those “God stories” of when you have no clue how you’re going to get out of a situation unless God shows up.

It was an amazing year of adventure. I met people from all over the world. I studied my Bible in a completely new way. I learned more about myself from living in community with others. I took more risks than I ever imagined I could. I put myself in situations I never dreamed of and saw God in incredible ways. I saw Him “show up”. Orchestrate things in ways that were obviously His handiwork and not just mere coincidences. I relied on God in new ways and grew so much deeper in my faith because my circumstances required a new level of faith. I made amazing friends and fell in love with a new country. And I knew that my life wasn’t going to go back to my old normal when I returned after a year. I knew this was my new normal. And it was.

Then next year brought some familiarity and also some change. When I came back to Nebraska, I was able to work at my old job for six months. It was great to be back in a place that was like home for me. The team I had previously worked with were mostly gone but it still felt like trying on a old sweater when autumn hits – it was cozy and fit. I stayed with my parents while in Omaha so I never felt that “settled” feeling you get when you have a place of your own, but it was a generous blessing for them to let me crash at their place. Even though Nebraska felt different to me because I had just lived overseas, I actually gained an appreciation for it.

Then some change. I took a job in Colorado so it was time to adjust once again. I had actually gotten the offer to come volunteer in India right before I started my job in Colorado, so it never felt long-term. To be honest, I went into this adjustment pretty selfishly. I was sick of saying goodbye to people so I entered into my new place closed off (which is hard when you’re living at a Bible school). I think my adjustment suffered because of it and I really didn’t find my place there until just before I left. But even so, in the wrong way I handled things, I still learned so much. It helped me know what not to do when I headed to India.

So yeah, after Colorado it was back to Nebraska for three months before heading out to India. I committed to volunteering for a year because I was tired of moving around all the time but things didn’t exactly work out like that. I lived in India for five months, came back to Omaha for my sister’s wedding for six weeks, then went to Uganda for two months and finally, returned to India for another six months. When I was flying back to the states last month, I had to fill out the re-entry form that asks what countries you have visited since you last left the states. It was weird to be able to write down four countries – Denmark, Uganda, Thailand, and India. It was surreal. When did my life turn into this? Moving and adjusting. Packing and unpacking. Jumping into community and saying goodbyes. Exploring new places and experiencing new things with new people.

Sometimes it feels like I’ve lived my life in the “in-between” for years now. Not really putting down roots but just floating from place to place to place.

And so here I am. Back to the in-between. Back to adjusting. But this time, I’m not just waiting for my next short-term adventure. I’m gearing up for a whole different next step. I’m packing again, and moving again, and saying goodbyes, but this time I’m going for an unknown period of time. Could be a year or 10 years. (I keep telling myself at least three years but that’s probably to do with all the moving around lately.) I’m moving to a place where I’ll have a home to settle into (I’ll be living with a couple of girls in a house). I’m going for a job that isn’t temporary or voluntary. And it feels weird.

God loves to push us of our comfort zones because we learn the most about Him and ourselves outside of them. And in a weird way, all the traveling and moving have become a bit of a comfort zone for me. It’s crazy I know, but it’s been my “normal” for over three years now. I’m used to jumping on a plane or planning my schedule in little chunks around my travel plans. I’m used to the excitement of taking leaps of faith into the unknown. So this next step is sort of new for me. I mean, I know it will come with excitement and adventure but in different ways.

I’m sad to close the chapter of “world traveling” that has been my life the last three years. I never would’ve expected my life would ever be as full as it has been. I’ve cherished every opportunity I’ve had to see so many different places and meet so many amazing people. And I’m excited to see what this next stage brings. What it looks like to experience “God stories” in the states and in a more steady life. To dive into ministry again with a marathon attitude instead of a sprint. To meet new friends and actually stick around long enough to enjoy them for longer than a few months. I’m excited to see what new things God will show me about who He is, myself and others.

As I look back on all the adjustments one thing that has been steady is Jesus. He has been faithful. He has provided. He has been there with me through it all and has worked all things for good. He has seen me at my lowest and best moments. He is who I have turned to for wisdom, comfort, and grace over and over again. He never changes. He has never left me. He has always guided me. He goes before me and yet is alway right beside me. And He writes one heck of a story in my life.

One word

During a graduation speech, a person said they were asked to reflect on the last six months and come up with one word to describe those months. I LOVE to spend time processing and reflecting so this little exercise was immediately interesting to me. (Also it’s now become one of my favorite questions to ask people.)

So to give a bit of context, I would describe my first five months of India with the word “Full”. When I looked back on the fall of 2012, it felt full. India is A LOT to take in on all levels. It took me a couple of weeks to not have wide-eyes everywhere I went because I was looking around and taking in all the colors, outfits, people and buildings. Then there’s the smells of India. Then the sounds (mostly the constant honking of car horns). Then after getting used to the surroundings, I started to encounter a culture completely different from my own. Full of contradictions, humbling lessons, injustice and beauty. The people who I met and friendships I formed were full of laughter, (more) lessons and love. Work at EMI involved project trips and a publication that covered a year’s worth of stories. I traveled around India and visited different ministries, towns, beaches and mountains. I saw most of the sights of Delhi. And I did this all within a five month period.

So now that some time has passed since I last asked myself the question, it crept back into my mind. If I had to describe the last six months (Feb-Aug) with one word, what would it be?

Surprising.

It’s the word that naturally floated to the top of all the other words. When I got ready to leave India last January, the future held all sorts of unknowns and curious questions I had in my mind. What would it be like to re-enter the states? What would it be like to see my sister get married? What would it be like to leave yet again? What would a random trip to Denmark be like? What would EMI Uganda be like? How would coming back to India feel? I was anxious to find out all the answers to these questions but like most unknowns in life, you can’t rush the answers; you just have to trust God that He knows and enjoy the ride.

What would it be like to re-enter the states?
And the ride has been amazing. I didn’t have as hard of a time coming back to the states as I anticipated. I loved being back home and enjoyed the conveniences of America instead of condemning them after living overseas. It was nice that I could look forward to continuing my time in India since I was only half-way done. It was great to get out of India to be refreshed and have a better perspective coming back.

What would it be like to see my sister get married?
I LOVED being a part of my sister’s big day and welcoming in a new brother to the family. Since I obviously didn’t have a job when I was home, I was able to help out with preparations and join in with the festivities. (Here’s a post from my sister’s blog about her wedding day) It was great to hang out with Amy and Nick as they settled into their new home and life as a married couple. Plus it was fun to sit by them each week at church!

What would it be like to leave yet again?
I was hard to leave again but I had a renewed energy for this next part of my journey. I left India a bit drained and headed back out from Nebraska energized and motivated to meet new people, travel and reconnect with friends. I’m more and more grateful for the support I have back in Omaha. I think leaving makes me appreciate the people who I love more and treasure my time with them when I have it.

What would a random trip to Denmark be like?
The Denmark trip was incredible! I was nervous about all the flights and connections but everything seemed to work out just fine and it was amazing to reconnect with Bible school friends. We did and saw so much (which you can read about here) and I can’t imagine a better trip.

What would EMI Uganda be like?
Uganda was also great! When I was packing to head back overseas, I was so unmotivated to go to Uganda. I just wanted to go back to India where I knew people and the culture. I didn’t want to start over and have to learn how to live in a whole new place for two months. So I was very surprised by how much I loved Uganda and how quickly I settled in there. I loved the weather, the nature, the people, and the culture. You can’t rule out how close you can get to people in two short months because I made some of my closest friends in that time. (More on what I miss about Uganda in this here)

How would coming back to India feel?
Last but not least, coming back to India has been surprisingly good. I was nervous I would have to relearn a bunch but actually I was able to start from where I left off and jump back into life here. I’ve made friends faster than I expected and have found a groove here in a much shorter time than it took the first five months.

So ya, surprising. In the best way. God is good and I’m excited to see what the next six months bring! (I already have a list of curious questions of course…)

What about you? What word would describe the last six months for you? (I warned you that I love asking this question)

Jaipur

When I heard Lillian, a summer intern with EMI, wanted to go to Jaipur and needed someone to travel with, I jumped at the chance to go. Jaipur is part of the “Golden Triangle” which is three cities in north India that are very popular for tourist (Delhi, Agra and Delhi). I live in Delhi and went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal last December so I was excited to check Jaipur off my list of places I wanted to visit.

We decided to go the day before we left which made things  a bit stressful for me. Normally I’m all for a spontaneous weekend adventure but I had a design deadline that Friday so I had a lot to do in a short amount of time. I could tell I was stressed and then God reminded me to pray. And not only that but to also send an email to a list of people who regularly pray for me. I felt a bit lame for sending a frantic email out but no one on that list thinks I everything together anyway so I don’t think it mattered that I probably sounded worried over nothing. But later, I could see why God specially nudged me to send it.

 

Our first stop was the Hawa Mahal. “Hawa Mahal, is a palace in Jaipur, India. It was built-in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and designed by Lal Chand Ustad in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god.” – Wikipedia. Our auto rickshaw driver tried to tell us not to pay to go inside of it because it was “just full of empty rooms” and instead we should hire him for the day and he would take us all around Jaipur. Ugh. No thanks.

And sure enough, when we DID go inside it was amazing. There were all these different levels and you could get some beautiful views of the city and surrounding hills. Well worth the 50 rupees (about $1).

Here’s the view from one of the top levels of the Hawa Mahal looking towards the Narhargarh Fort on the hill. I loved how much open sky and hills you could see in Jaipur. Something I miss living in a very flat mega-city.

Another view looking down onto the street. Man, I love those rolling hills in the distance.

Walking around the Hawa Mahal. I just got a proper camera from some coworkers here so it was a great trip to work on my photography skills… (buuuut I still default to my iphone most of the time…).

This is the Jal Mahal (which means ‘Water Palace’). We only stopped for a moment to get a picture but how cool is this place?

Our next stop was the Amber Fort. We actually stopped at a food stall across the street from where you enter the fort and it was a good thing we did because it started pouring down rain. The walk up to the fort isn’t short and totally uncovered so we were happy to wait out the rain under the food stall’s little tarps. We eventually ventured out when the rain let up and just enjoyed the fort while it rained on and off. I had an umbrella and Lillian had a rain coat so really we were all good. Plus the rain made the colors more saturated and beautiful.

Pictured above is the entrance into the fort. Like most forts in India, the craftsmanship and attention to detail is amazing.

There were tons of people in the covered areas because of the rain but when you’re in India, there’s always lots of people everywhere. I loved the silver/shiny metal used on the walls and ceiling in this part of the fort. It was a new design that I hadn’t seen before and was so beautiful.

Just across from there is this covered area with a completely different design on the walls and ceiling. Never a dull moment when looking at India design.

Some gardens in the fort. They reminded of the this place I would go, “Hamilton Gardens”, when I lived in New Zealand. They had gardens based on different countries and their “India Garden” looked a lot like this one.

Some gorgeous views from the top of the fort. I sure wish Delhi had some mountains to look at like this.

Another view from the fort. You can see the city walls that are all around Jaipur hugging the hills that surround the city (old Jaipur).

A major part of going to Jaipur was to go to “Elefantasic”! Lots of other interns have gone and always give great reviews of the place. Basically you sign up for the day and ride elephants, paint them, clean them, and eat dinner at an Indian home.

Here’s Lillian and me next to “our” elephant, Birly. She was a sweet elephant and I think Lillian and I were happy to be paired up with her. The first thing you do is just pet the elephant and feed it. It was fun to get that close to a huge elephant. It’s skin was tougher than I expected and they actually have more hair than I thought. It’s and asian elephant (of course) so that’s why it has the spots on its trunk.

Next was riding “bare back”. This was my favorite part of the day. We just had a very worn blanket/mattress thing that we sat on and held on to some ropes they tied around Birly.

After a short ride we came back to where we started and painted the elephants. Lillian did one side and I did the other. She did a huge mural where I got a bit detailed and forgot how little art looks on the side of a very large elephant.

At this point I’m pretty tired as you can see in this picture. We drove to a park and rode the elephants in a more cushioned seat and in their fancy garbs. I think I was Elefantasic’d out at this point but did appreciate the flower garland necklaces we got and the peacefulness of being out in nature.

Total pros at this point.

The last thing we did in Jaipur was going to the Nahargarh Fort. It sits on a hill overlooking the city and Lillian had heard we could go up and look out at the city. The thing was, we had hired an auto rickshaw for the day and when he asked if we wanted to walk up to the Narhargarh Fort or have him drive us, we figured we’d walk since we were trying to pay as little as possible. BUT when we saw what we had to walk up we weren’t as confident we’d made the best choice. Basically the picture above (Lillian’s) shows the countless switchbacks we had to walk up to get to the fort. We figured it would take us a bit of time but still no big deal.

Right before we started walking, our driver told us if any guys bother us just tell them to shut up or leave us alone and we should be fine. Um… ok. That wasn’t exactly what I was hoping to hear. Sure enough and each of those countless turns there would be a group of 5-6 young Indian guys sitting around and yelling at us and in general being jerks. I can’t convey how it feels to be a white women in India. Everywhere you go you get stared at by guys. And not the “wow look at that person from a different country/culture” stared at, but the “I’m a man and have a right to look at women any way I want” kind. It’s awful and one of the hardest things to adjust to when you live here.

So ya, there we were, walking as fast as we could up this hill, and being harassed the whole way up. It was hard to put up with over and over again. We prayed together when we got to the top and I was reminded of how Jesus was yelled at, beat up, spit on and humiliated on his long walk to the cross. And that walk that Christ endured for me and my sins, was a walk to His death. I can’t imagine and I’m constantly humbled by the lengths that Jesus went to so that people can have a relationship with God.

That walk up the hill gave me a tiny glimpse into a couple things. How it must feel to be a woman growing up in Indian and constantly being put down by men who think they have the right to do/think/say whatever they want because they’re male. And how if feels to constantly be aware that you are different and don’t fit in because of the way you look. Like I said, I by no means think I understand fully how it feels but I do think I’ve gained a lot of empathy for people who endure stuff like that more regularly.

We ended up having to walk that same way down (we didn’t even end up staying at the top because we just turned around to get back before it got dark). Once I got back to the hotel I was pretty upset but I’m so thankful for Lillian and also that we had great internet and I was able to call my sister and talk with her. I know God protected Lillian and I from any harm that might have happened and was with us the entire way. I also know that Christ died on a cross for those guys just as much as He did for me. We are ALL made in God’s image whether we acknowledge it or not. I truly forgive each guy who yelled something or made me feel small and threatened. I hope they know Christ as their Savior the way I do one day. I know God will continue to redeem and restore people here (and everywhere really) so that we can treat each other with respect and love.

So the “spiritually refreshing” trip that I was hoping for wasn’t what I got. Instead it was challenging and really hard at times. But in the end, it taught me about grace, forgiveness and gave me more empathy. It helped me appreciate the prayers of people who know me and pray for me. It helped me appreciate Christ and the hope I have in Him and the restoration work He does in the lives of people, including me. India continues to teach me so much about how I am a sinner and Jesus is my only hope.

Missing Uganda lately

Saying goodbye to the people I met in Uganda was no easy task. And in a strange way I’m so thankful that it was hard. It meant that I didn’t just survive my two months there, doing the bare minimum when it comes to relationships. I dove in and was blessed richly for it. Because I’ve lived a bunch of places the last few years, I’ve had my fair share of good and bad goodbyes.The bad ones are the ones where I’m not sad at all to leave. It’s disappointing. And causes me to question why I didn’t get close to the people around me in the chunk of time I was with them.

Most of the time it’s because I decided to stay in my little comfort zone and not be transparent and vulnerable. It’s way easier to just sit in my room and read or watch a movie rather than taking a chance on community or even yet, to join in when it doesn’t feel like I’ve really been invited. It’s not easy for me to trust people and let them in but over the years I’ve had to learn that Jesus is the one that holds my heart (and will never hurt me) so I can take risks when it comes to opening up to people quickly. It doesn’t mean that I don’t get hurt, because I definitely do, but the reward of connecting with people on a deep level is so worth it. The friendships I made while in Uganda are ones that I miss but hope continue.

Some of the people who I miss:

I love this picture because so much of my time with these girls was spent laughing my head off. Here’s me, Jess, Katie and Meggie at a waterfall for Katie’s birthday. We surprised her with the trip and it was such a great day. We spent the day talking about life together on a little bridge at the top of the waterfall, eating delicious sandwiches Meggie and Jess made and just soaking up the beauty of God’s creation.

Here’s Jess and me. Jess taught art (she just went back home to the states) at an international school near the EMI East Africa office. She also lives at the DOORS Ministry’s house so I met her when I met the other DOORS Ministry girls. I miss my chats with Jess because they were never fake and never sugar-coated fluff. She always shared exactly where she was at in life and spiritually and I loved hearing her insight on stuff I was processing. I also loved having a fellow artsy friend around.

This is on that bridge near the waterfall and Katie is enjoying her lovely birthday sandwich. Meggie (left) and I met in August at EMI orientation in Colorado Springs. She has an amazing ability to make lasting friendships quickly and I think she left orientation with a whole gang of new best friends. It was so nice to see a familiar face when I got to Uganda. Meggie quickly included me in the intern/DOORS girls group hang outs. EMI EA had nine interns when I was there and they would get together with 3-4 DOORS Ministry girls at least once a week. Usually it consisted of cooking dinner together but generally we all saw each other on the weekend as well. I really clicked with that bunch and felt so loved by them from day one. I really am grateful that I got to hang out with Meggie in that group but also that we were able to hang out one-on-one. She one of the most encouraging people I have ever met and completely sincere.

Katie and I knew we would get along right away since we both had nose rings. I also miss this lady here in India. Katie has a life that wants to be filled more and more with Jesus and won’t settle for less. Her faith is nothing short of inspiring. Not because she’s this great “Christian” but rather because she’d be the first to admit her struggles and the tension of life as an American in Uganda. All the while pouring out love on everyone around her, yearning for Christ in everything and not missing an opportunity to laugh. Man, I miss laughing with this girl. I bet most people who have been friends with Katie aren’t the same after being friends with her. She can’t help but make an impact on those around her.

Sam! I loved hanging out with Sam. We walked and talked together one of the first weekends I was in Uganda while hanging out with Ali’s family (one of the EMI guards). For me, Sam was a listening ear when I needed to vent or when I was struggling with a lesson God was teaching me. She is in such a great time in her life. She just finished college and is about to head out into the working world. I love her heart for Ugandans and EMI kids. I think Sam was the unofficial EMI EA babysitter because all the EMI staff kids loved her! She never settles for mediocrity and I know without a doubt she will make an impact no matter where God leads her.

Here’s a pic of Uriah (left, New Zealander) and Paul (right) teaching David (middle) some rugby moves at Family Fun Day. I also met David and Paul at the EMI orientation in Colorado Springs. It was great to see them again and hear all that God had been teaching them over the seven months they had been in Uganda. They both had invested in Ugandan friendships and it was so cool to see their heart for to welcome new friends into their lives. David and I for sure have the same weird sense of humor and that kid can crack me up! I think everyone thought we were crazy when we would find something obscure to laugh about until I had tears in my eyes. I think all three of these guys have a joy for life that makes you just want to be around them.

There’s SO much more! I miss my roommate Brittany and was bummed to realized last week we never took a photo together! I loved living with Brittany. She is a true picture of a servant. She was welcoming and generous from day one, from letting me come into her home for a short two months to including me the tons of ways she serves in the community and hanging out with her friends. I loved having super deep big picture talks at night while also totally making each other laugh about something. She’s an introvert so I feel even more lucky that I got to get to know her and learn how to love people better by being around her. I’m hoping we’ll cross paths in the states if I end up in the northwest since she’s from Seattle.

I also miss the EMI EA staff, especially the local staff. Janet our cook walks around to all the offices to let people know “lunch is REEAADy” in a sort of singing way that I miss. Her and Stella, another local staff, are hilarious together and I loved when we would all leave at the same time and I would walk home with them. I miss looking out the window and seeing lush green plants and looking out at Lake Victoria. I miss the excitement Ugandan kids have when they see white people (even if it can get annoying after a while). I miss worship nights at DOORS and hearing more and more stories of the people of Uganda. I miss getting out of the city and going on adventures. I miss avocados that fall from the avocado tree at the office. I miss movie nights…. I think I could on for a while.

Although I’m slowly but surely getting into a groove here in Delhi, I can’t help but miss Uganda. Both places are dear to my heart for such different reasons. I’m so grateful I was able to serve at the East Africa office. I left feeling filled up. I hope I can go back someday and that the friendships that I made will last much longer than just the two months I was there.

Catch up time!

It’s been FOREVER since I’ve written a blog post but I don’t blog because I feel like I ‘have to’ and never want it to be a burdensome thing. That being said, I feel like I should sum up what I’ve been up to since my last post.

//January//
It’s weird to think back to January. As I write this so I feel so far removed from my life back in India. In January I was still living in Delhi. I was roommate-less for the first couple weeks but spent lots of time with my coworkers and new church friends.

I traveled up to Dehradun to help with a teacher training conference put on by a friend of mine from New Zealand. She started a non-profit to help train teachers in South Asia and Africa. It was an incredible time that I spent interacting with village teachers and New Zealanders from the non-profit. It was held at the Himalyan Torchbearers which is the most beautiful facility. I had visited once before but this time I was there a week so I was able to talk to the director and his wife more. I felt overly blessed that week and I was reminded of the abundance of God’s grace and love in my life.

Glenys doing her thing!

This was the group of village teachers I worked with. I think we had the best group but I might be bias!

After the teacher training conference I moved to another retreat center in Dehradun for an EMI staff week. I didn’t know what to expect for staff week but again, I was blessed more than I anticipated. I loved hearing the staff share their hearts and my level of respect (which was already high) for the leaders of EMI grew even more. I am honored to be a part of this organization. It was also great to let loose and play games with everyone at night and hang out with the different staff kids.

It was pretty chilly where we were which is why everyone is sporting the puffy coats and hats. We had our meetings in this old chapel when it was raining outside.

Just down the road from the retreat center was a school that EMI has worked with in the past. Here is a building that my co-worker Ryan helped design. It was SO cool to see!

When I got back to Delhi, it was time to pack up for my trip to America. The new interns arrived just before I left and it was hard to see new people come into the flat because I forget that it’s not ‘my’ house but a shared space for all EMI interns and volunteers. I think I had a million thoughts going through my head each day before I left. I was SO thankful I was saying, “See you later” and not “Goodbye”.

I flew out the 23rd and jumped right into helping my sister with getting ready for her wedding that was a week after I got home.

//February//
February first my sister got married! She was beyond beautiful and the ceremony was so Christ-centered, simple and elegant. I was so thankful to be a part of my sister’s big day and also to welcome my brother-in-law into the family!

After wedding stuff died down I jumped into seeing people and catching up with friends. Over the years, God has blessed me with such an unbelievable support network of friends. People to laugh with, cry with, vent to, listen to, challenge and encourage. I love being able to have coffee with people and having one-on-one conversations about life and God.

Me and my brother

Just some of the people I was blessed to see while home in NE:

Meredith, one of my roommates in India came up to Omaha and it was SO great to see her and catch up!

And Amy, one of my other roommates in India drove through Omaha and we were able to grab coffee!

Alyssa, Anna and I went geocatching downtown… not so successful but lots of laughs!

My cousins Angie and Sally. It was great to see family at the wedding and then to have dinner to catch up more with them.

I wish I would have taken a picture of every person that I got to catch up with because there are so many people who have blessed me while I was home.

I wasn’t sure why God had planned for me to be back in Omaha for six weeks but I can see now that it has been a time for me to reflect on my time in India and get some more clarity about this next adventure overseas. Life always comes with ups and downs and my time at home has had both. I can struggle with where God has me at the moment and where I want to be. It’s hard to just stop focusing on the future and enjoy today. I can also get overwhelmed with traveling. I always feel so unprepared and never know what I’m doing. I sometimes think God messed up when He chose me to go overseas. I’m not that courageous, spontaneous, organized, flexible, etc. But that’s why He gets all the glory. It’s not me, it’s God. I mean I don’t just sit around doing nothing but really, the fact that I do what I do speaks so much to how Big,Powerful, and Gracious God is.

//March//
March has been more of meeting up with friends and family. I’m actually writing this post on my birthday. It’s hard to believe all that I did last year and to think about where I’ll be next year on my birthday. I hope this next year of life brings an even deeper closeness to God. I always pray that each year of life is more amazing than the last year because I believe when you follow God, He will never let you settle into a life of boredom.

I leave in just two days for more adventure. I’ll travel to Denmark to meet up with some friends that I met in New Zealand at Bible school. I’ll be there for a week and then head to Uganda for two months. After that I’ll be back in India for six months. I don’t think 29 will be a boring age for me!

//Please Pray//
I would LOVE prayer for my travels coming up. Please pray for safety and that things would go smoothly. I’m always thankful that God cares about the big things and the small details. I always need help packing and the logistics of traveling by myself. Pray for great conversations with the people I’ll meet and that I would be glorify God as I transition. I hope to be a blessing to my Danish friend and the EMI office in Uganda.

Can’t wait to get back into blogging!

Infographic testimony

Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared my testimony of how my faith has changed my life, multiple times. I shared twice in Colorado and once here and I think I share it again this weekend when I leave for a project trip. I don’t mind though, because I’m not the one who wrote the story… God is! (I actually made this before I left so it was funny to already have it)

Click-Click, Click-Click…

I love roller-coasters. I love that feeling in your stomach when you go over the first drop. I was so nervous the first time I went on one, and I remember my sister gave me the advice, “You can either close your eyes or scream really loud”. I choose to close my eyes. I was terrified. But, it wasn’t long before I went on my second roller-coaster later that day at Worlds of Fun. Even though I was scared and nervous and even though I closed my eyes the whole time, I wanted to feel that rush of adrenaline again.

You know what the worst part of a roller-coaster ride is? Yup, you’ve probably guessed it. It’s the very beginning when you’re crawling up that HUGE hill, anticipating that first drop and hearing the “click-click, click-click, click-click” as your about to reach the top. You don’t know if you’ll be okay, you don’t know if you’ll like it or if you just signed yourself up for a terrible experience that you can’t do anything about because you’re half-way to the top. It feels like FOREVER and just when you don’t think you can take it anymore….

you go down the first hill,

and you feel the rush of falling and falling and falling,

and then, whoosh, you hit the first dip and head into the next hill,

and it’s an incredible ride,

and you don’t want it to end.

And when it does… you want to get back in line to go again.

When it comes to India, I’m on that first hill to the top. I’ve waited in line and have been so excited to go on this “ride/adventure”. But now, I’m hearing another “click-click” everyday it gets closer to me going. I’m nervous and excited. I don’t know if I’ll be okay, or if I’ll like it. I have no idea what it will feel like to go on this adventure but there’s no turning back now.

I went through the same thing when I went to New Zealand. And I loved that adventure. And whenever I get back home after traveling, I immediately want to go again. I know it will be incredible and I’m so excited to get over the first hill of my journey. I feel so blessed to even have this opportunity. This next week will be full of emotions. But God is good, faithful and with me for the whole ride.

Prayers & Praise:
– Praise that was able to talk to Carrie and hear more about life in India
– Praise I was able to end well at CCC. Such a blessing to be able to work there the last few months
– Praise for support raising. I have heard from more people and am still contacting others who want to participate*
– Prayer for packing and last-minute details to come together this week

* I’m still needing financial support. Would you prayerfully consider giving to this calling I have to go overseas? If you would like to give online here is a link: https://dlq4.donatelinq.net/qv10/Donation.aspx?MerchantID=Engineer (On the first drop down menu, you can select “Long Term Volunteer” and then another drop down menu will appear and you can select my name.) I want to thank you in advance for your generosity and support.

Abundance

New Zealand. A waterfall I went to on ABS (Adventure Bible School), and got to climb down and swim at the base of it.

I was talking to a friend the other night about how much I love waterfalls. It was a great reminder for me to dwell on the abundance of God.

Waterfalls are incredible. I love when you are hiking and you can’t see the waterfall yet but you start to hear the roar of it. It’s displays such power and force. Tons and tons and tons of water comes gushing over the rocks and never stops. It’s amazing to me how it doesn’t just go in spurts but it continually has massive amounts of water rushing over the edges.

I’m reminded that God doesn’t run out of resources. Everything He gives; He gives abundantly. Whether it’s grace, mercy, strength, wisdom, provisions or love, God pours it out.  He has this amazing power and force yet is so gentle and patient with us. And the reason God pours all that out on us, is so that we pour out on others. We show love and grace/forgiveness to others because of the abundance we have received ourselves.

New Zealand, Milford Sound

New Zealand, Milford Sound

New Zealand, Bridal Falls

New Zealand, Milford Sound

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 2:6-7
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Prayer & Praise:
– Continued thanks for people who have shown their support of me in my next step
– Praise for being able to get a lot done in these last few weeks
– Continued prayer for financial support*
– Continued prayer for preparations, safety in traveling and for friendships overseas
– Prayer that I would use time wisely and get to spend time with everyone I want to before I leave

* Would you prayerfully consider giving to this calling I have to go overseas? If you would like to give online here is a link: https://dlq4.donatelinq.net/qv10/Donation.aspx?MerchantID=Engineer (On the first drop down menu, you can select “Long Term Volunteer” and then another drop down menu will appear and you can select my name.) I want to thank you in advance for your generosity and support.