Wow what a crazy and amazing last 2 weeks! I almost don’t know where to begin… I’ll start by saying how grateful I am for debrief week and how the Lord worked the change of plans for His good. Our flight to Guatemala was delayed, leaving us in Georgia for an extra 4 days due to some chaos in Guatemala. Of course, change isn’t the easiest and we would all prefer if there were no problems in Guatemala, but I am so excited to share how God worked in debrief and our extra time in Georgia! Here are some overviews, points that stood out, and what I’ve walked through recently. 

Debrief…. 
Debrief week was mainly focused on conversations, relationships, and reaffirming what the Lord has taught us in training camp. We got to meet our coaches in person this week! Their job is to be a listening ear and help us and our team process our previous weeks before leaving for a new country. They are just so amazing and I truly love all 4 of them. Each of them have so much wisdom to offer and getting to talk to them was so so sweet. They spoke truth over us, who God made us to be, shared their stories and things God has taught them throughout their life. I also had 1-1 with some of our leaders, AIM staff, people on my squad and got to know them all better.

One of the biggest things we did during debrief was have teamtime at an airbnb where the coaches were staying. (ps they had a trampoline and that might have just been the highlight of the last 6 weeks… getting to flip on a trampoline again) Anyways, it was just our squad mentor, coaches, and the team. We had such good conversations and I believe made some breakthroughs with each other, which were so needed to start ministry together! We have created such an open space in my team where we can be fully ourselves, fully honest, and open with where we are at in life and our spiritual walk. It’s beautiful to see a safe space created amongst us and how much grace we have for each other.

1-1’s with coaches & staff…
I got to have a 1-1 for 3 out of the 4 coaches!   My first was Teri, and she is so evidently walking with the Lord! She helped re-affirm my identity in Christ and spoke over me some things I was hearing from the Lord that I hadn’t even shared with anyone!! I got to hear about her family as well which was so sweet!
- My next 1-1 was with Brandi and she has so much wisdom to offer and has such a big, kind heart. We got to talk about our life stories, vulnerability, relationships and so so much more! I loved getting to know her!
- Next was Brian… this was my longest one yet and he was able to answer so many of my questions!! I could’ve sat there for another few hours but we already missed dinner and it was getting dark! The night before our talk, he and his wife (Brandi) shared their story where 2 points stuck out to me… 1 being God’s will for our lives and when lives are cut short. He gave me a whole new perspective on God’s will for our life, how God teaches us lessons, and overall healing! It has genuinely been one of the most impactful conversations of my life and how I view God. I am still sorting through points I took away from that and what I personally believe! 
-Another one was with one of the AIM staff. He gave me some insight with forming friendships here and going deeper with my team. He also shared some tips with vulnerability, taking initiative, some mental walls that were formed, and stepping into gifts from the Lord.
I had so so so many other beautiful conversations with amazing people which were all fruitful and so much fun! I learned I thrive best in 1-1’s over big groups.

Lies I believed and how that affects perspectives.
To try and put what the Lord did over debrief in a few short sentences, He showed me so many lies I had been believing my whole life and revealed how to step into who He made me to be. Not fully, of course, because God is so gracious with His timing and this is a whole life journey… but one’s that will help me thrive better during my time on the world race! Not only have I grown deeper in my relationship with Him and gained a more clear view on who HE is, but with every person on my squad. It has been so sweet to have so much time to get to know everyone better!

- One of the biggest things I have believed my whole life is that I struggle with connecting with people. Something that has been repeated by many people over the last few weeks though, is my way of connecting with people and how they open up to me so quickly… essentially forming those deep relationships. I’m still trying to step into that and how God wants me to use that, but I do believe there’s more I can do and learn about how I understand people. I now have a new perspective on how I view myself while making those connections and am more open than ever to new relationships.

- I learned how valuable it is to get to know every person around you and there is truly something to learn from each person. The way Go demanded each of us so uniquely different is just so beautiful.  Each person has so much value to add to this world.  God has changed my mindset on who I get to know, even if it doesn’t seem like we would get along, I want to get to know each person on a deeper level. There is always something to find in common.

- One I didn’t fully realize I was believing until debrief week was that I wasn’t always worth peoples time or I needed to earn their love for me. That lie has been broken down and covered in truth which is a beautiful thing that will continue to take time to grow and step into fully believing. 

I think it’s genuinely insane how sneaky the enemy can be, leading you to believe so many false things about yourself and how much more you can grow when you let people in to help you. It can be hard coming to the realization that your actions are based off of your thoughts and how impactful those lies are to your everyday interactions. They can change how you view others, yourself, and connect with people. I’m realizing now more than ever how important it is to step into the truth, weed out those lies, and step into the gifts the Lord has placed on your life.  This is a journey for the rest of my life and I question if I will ever fully “know who i am” but I’m so grateful that process is farther than ever before. I encourage you to take a moment to see what things you may just be believing about yourself and start the process of washing yourself with the truth of God instead of the world’s/ enemy’s lies in your mind. It is a game changer walking into freedom and can be so life-giving. 

Extra time in Georgia… 
I decided to write a separate blog about my experience with the church we ended up going to on Sunday! That one will be up soon and is one you won’t want to miss!  
Monday ended up being just as beautiful as Sunday and one of the most beautiful days of ministry yet! We volunteered at the same food bank we did during stateside ministry and they were so grateful for the extra hands. This time we got to help with the people receiving the food. It was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. The Lord was working so clearly through my team and I to speak to so many people. I made some crazy connections and saw some, so called, coincidences that I hope to never forget. The first few people helped, I was able to pray for after. All 3 were separate yet they all mentioned how beautiful and powerful my prayers were to them. That was just so sweet to hear and confirmation of the Lord speaking through me. I’m so grateful to be a vessel for Him. One of those women ended up actually being born in the same exact area as me which was such a random thing but so cool to see. The next, her son had 4 kids and one being name twins with me! That was crazy to hear because my name is so uncommon and I have 3 siblings. I don’t believe in coincidences, I just believe God wanted us to see how He so intentionally brought us together with things in common. The next group of women I prayed for was such a sweet connection and I was able to hear about their life stories, struggles, and gifts from the Lord. That is a connection I will never forget and the joy / fire they received from the Lord through that conversation was simply so beautiful. I wish we had more time there but the seeds planted for the Lord in that short time was amazing. I think I realized more than ever how fulfilling it is to pour God’s love into others and how His hand is on each conversation.

Random funfacts
- I learned I am the worst bowler on my whole squad… that was humbling for sure!
- I learned some guitar over the last few weeks and God blessed my team with an extra guitar for free! My whole team wants to learn!
- I went to the laundromat for the first time in my life.
- I’m starting to fill in my “public journal” where I’m writing what we do for ministry each day and will give to friends and family to read when I come home! The first page, everyone on my squad signed!

Honestly, this probably isn’t even half of the information I would love to share from the last 2 weeks. My hope though, is that this somehow spoke to you and painted a more clear picture of my personal perspective about how the Lord is currently working. Thanks so much for reading and I would love to hear any thoughts in the comments! My Guatemala blog is coming soon!