My Journey: 27

    I’m in my last few days of being 27. I have been thinking a lot about this past year…
  
    The truth is that it’s been a rather tumultuous year. One of my hardest. We have gone through some really tough changes as a mission with Tommy and Linda (our founders) leaving. We have faced a great deal of loss and death within our church family. My parents’ house burned down. Andres left for Costa Rica. And by far, the hardest part of this year was losing my Nicaraguan brother, Anthony (pictured right). Honestly I’m still reeling from his death. Like, I said… tumultuous year.
    
     I always get ridiculously excited about my birthday. I really love any reason to celebrate, but I have always loved birthdays. Give me a holiday or a reason to celebrate and I am instantly transformed into a 5 year old jumping and dancing around unable to contain my excitement (you can ask my brother who old I was and still waking him up super early on Christmas morning shouting “Joe!! Joe!! Get up IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!”). I love to celebrate! This year I have been extra excited for my upcoming day. It makes me remember New Years Eve in 2002. I was with my best friend, Steph. It had been a particularly difficult year for her and I remember her excitement at welcoming in 2003 and the possibility of new beginnings. I think that’s how I’ve been feeling about this birthday. Because 27 has been filled with a lot of grief and loss, I’ve been anxious to herald in this new year of my life and see what new possibilities it will hold.
    As I was thinking back about this past year, I realize that the hurts and heartbreaks can seem almost impossible to see beyond (especially when the pain is still only partially healed). However, the more I thought about this year the more I realized how ridiculously beautiful it has been. Hard? Absolutely. Marked by great loss? Without a doubt. But beautiful still and filled with so many blessings of the Lord.

    So, in this last week of my 27th year, I wanted to take a few minutes to celebrate all the beauty of this past year…

* I celebrated my one-year anniversary in Nicaragua and we celebrated 9 years as a mission.
* My ministry here has grown and expanded in ways that I absolutely love!
* I have moved into more and more ministry with the beautiful children in Candelaria which has always been my dream. (Playing with sweet Jayson pictured right)
* In this year, I have finally learned enough Spanish that my language no longer inhibits my ability to minister or build friendships.
* I made good on my promise to Andres and Anthony and learned (at least somewhat) how to speak in their Spanish pig latin (con la p)
* We have been blessed to welcome two new staff members, Barb and Whit, who are wonderful additions to the ministry and great friends.
*We have also been blessed with some really amazing short-term teams with whom I have really built lasting relationships (pictured left with one of our World Race teams).
* I welcomed a beautiful new niece and two new cousins in this year.
* I have been able to stand by my youth and support them in dance performances, band competitions, and school dramas.
* I have fallen in love with two beautiful little girls (baby Junieth and Paula Belen) who are daughters of two of the teenagers I love.
* I have built wonderful friendships with the family from the Corner House and poured out the love of Christ to them. (Visiting baby Junieth and Gema at the Corner House- pictured right)
* I have camped behind waterfalls, surfed down volcanoes, and zip lined through the canopy in some amazing Nicaraguan adventures!
* I have enjoyed countless Nicaraguan traditions: annual cowboy festivals, New Year’s eve celebrations, swimming in the local dam, and egg-cracking birthday fun.
* I have seen people healed in prayer repeatedly.
* I have seen salvations and baptisms. 
* I have gone deeper in discipleship with the girls (Pictured left with some of the lovely girls I disciple)
* I have seen my youth experience more of the Lord in worship and prayer, especially at our youth retreat in Matagalpa
* I have found more of the Lord and fallen in love with His presence.
* I have loved and been loved in return

    Despite the hardships of this last year, I wouldn’t trade my life for anything in the world. I am incredibly blessed! This year has been full of the Lord’s beauty and grace. Thank You Jesus!! I can’t wait to see what new surprises the Lord has in this new year.