Oh Community, How I’ve Missed You!

     
Anyone who has been following my journey here, will know that one of the biggest challenges in the last several months has been a lack of community. (To read a part of these challenges, read my blog My Journey: Living in Community, Loneliness, & the Lord). Yes, I know that I am living in community in a culture that is incredibly community oriented, but I have had a serious lack of community of my age and culture. For me, this has been one of the hardest parts of life in Nicaragua.

     I just returned from a 3 week trip to the States to celebrate Christmas with my family and friends (a Christmas highlights blog will be coming soon!). One of the biggest blessings in the midst of this trip was having some time of really diving into community again. I was able to spend my first 5 days in Boone, North Carolina reconnecting with community from Nicaragua through Living Water Fellowship (pictured below- top two photos), my lovely WR sister Katie Rowland (pictured bottom left), and my mentor from college Liz Abel (pictured bottom right). It was such a gift to my heart to connect with a community that just sets my heart at rest.

     It was a time of coffee dates, talks about life and the Lord, worshipping and praying together, and just enjoying one another’s company. It was community that was so easy and natural. I don’t think they will ever know how much their love, presence, and friendship fed my heart!! It was exactly what I needed to recharge and refresh before beginning a new year in Nicaragua.
     Then I headed to West Virginia where my parents live. The Lord continued to bless me with some incredible times of community and friendship. I don’t have many friends still living in WV, but I was able to spend time with one of my best friends Amanda Meadows (pictured below left). She has been one of my best friends since kindergarten and it was wonderful to have lunch and coffee dates with her and then also get to spend time with her beautiful children. Bev Rhoades (pictured below- top right), one of my best friends from college, came down for a couple days. We talked about all the new things that the Lord is doing in our lives, laughed a lot, and spent time together soaking in the Lord’s presence praying and prophesying over one another. I also was able to spend time with my cousins, Stacy McClung and Amanda Clark (pictured below- bottom right). What a blessing it is to have family that I have always been such close friends with! We enjoyed great time chatting over coffee and desserts as well as all of our normal family get togethers. 

     Thank you Jesus that you know exactly what my heart needs to be refreshed and recharged!! Through this journey, the Lord has been teaching me how to allow Him to fulfill the needs in my heart that community normally fills, to dive deeper into His heart, and to trust Him more. It was been difficult, but an incredibly beautiful and needed process in my heart!! However, I am incredibly thankful that He placed me in the midst of some amazing community during my time at home. They have poured His love into me and have given my heart some much-needed rest and peace. Oh community, how I’ve missed you!!