Safely home

And not quite sure what to say

Three weeks ago, my team flew from Durban to Orlando and reunited with the other four teams from our school in Kona. To say I loved reconnecting would be a dramatic understatement. It was *such* a joy to hear how they both received and gave love during the two months we were scattered across the globe. God is so good, and He showed up for each team uniquely. The stories are incredible.

Two weeks ago, I flew back to Cincinnati. I spent the first few days in Ohio playing catch-up — both with friends and on sleep. A personal highlight was reuniting with my church family that first Sunday. They are home to me.

Last week, I drove to Michigan to see my family and a few friends. It was wonderful! The Mitten State really pulled out all the stops with snowfall *and* blue skies.

And now, I am back in Ohio. Nearly everyone has asked, “How long are you here?” My reply seems vague, but it’s the best I can offer: “Indefinitely!”¹ At this point, I don’t have plans to be anywhere else. So I’m in Cincinnati for now!

My body seems to know something my head and heart don’t yet realize. I have been sleeping so much that I’m convinced the transition back to “normal” life in the Midwest is more challenging than I know. In light of that, with the exception of my overeager return to pickleball, I am taking things slowly — lots of rest, journaling, reading, and reflecting on the past five months.

Summarizing everything is impossible, so I’m telling myself not to bother trying, especially in a single post. I actually appreciate my loss for words because it confirms God exceeded my expectations (and perhaps even my comprehension).

You may have noticed my communication was sparse during the home stretch in South Africa. These final weeks were full and rich! I am excited to share a few highlights — with many photos! — from February.

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Local churches

Our team served at a different church nearly every weekend. Depending on what they requested, we prepared a combination of the following: a teaching, a personal story from someone’s life, music, a drama, and/or prayer. Two of my favorite opportunities came toward the end of our time in Durban: (1) leading worship with my friend Karla and (2) teaching at a community development center’s weekly church service.

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Lesotho

Early in February, our team traveled to the small nation of Lesotho² for three days. We partnered with a nonprofit organization who has supported pastors in the country's remote villages for decades. On Friday morning, we loaded into a fleet of rugged Land Rovers (admittedly quite cool) to traverse the Sani Pass. The pass and the mountainous landscape of Lesotho are stunning. My favorite moment of the weekend was my friend Maria sharing the story of God with an entire village on Saturday evening.³ The real heroes are the local pastors who faithfully invest in these communities and who translated everything we communicated into the language and culture of the Basotho people.

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Rehab center

I can’t remember if I have said this, but Tuesdays were my favorite day of the week in Durban because I loved simply being with the residents at the rehab center. Our last visit was the sweetest for three reasons:

• We handed out the Bibles you bought! I didn’t know how many people would be interested, but it seemed like every resident was excited to receive one. Someone told me personally it was the first Bible she has ever owned. Thank you so much!

• As another parting gift, my friend Karla and I sang a song called “The Blessing” over the residents and our team. (You can watch/listen to us practicing here.)

• When goodbyes are hard, it is usually evidence that true friendship has developed. And the goodbyes that night were tough!

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Team Joy

No surprise here: For me, the best part of South Africa was our team. From the day the five teams were revealed in Kona, we became known as Team Joy, and we fought to live up to our name. I am *so* proud of how we practiced vulnerability. We grew closer with every passing week because of our flat-out commitment to each other. Our team unity was the most beautiful thing I witnessed overseas.

We spent our last few days in South Africa debriefing and celebrating as a team of 13.⁴ For me, this included my first dip in the Indian Ocean! After saying our goodbyes to the beloved YWAM Durban staff, we flew to Florida⁵ for our school-wide debrief and graduation. There were no caps or gowns, but we did it!

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I cannot adequately thank you for your support over the past five months! You have partnered with me in numerous ways — by praying, by checking in on me, by giving financially (both for my expenses and for Bibles), and more. I have felt *so* supported from day one. It means the world to me that each of you are on my team.

Over the coming months, I hope to continue posting occasionally. Maybe someday I will even have something definitive to share about what I am doing next. In the meantime, all my love to you!

1. I realize this is true for anyone who lives, well, anywhere. Lol.

2. Lesotho may be the only country landlocked by only one other country (South Africa).

3. Literally the entire village. I think every man, woman, and children was in attendance.

4. For any accountants paying close attention, one teammate joined another team halfway through our time because of visa limitations. Our 14 became 13.

5. Our return itinerary was *much* better than on the way there. This time, travel entailed a quick flight to Johannesburg, 16 hours overnight to Newark, a six-hour layover (fortunately long enough to navigate customs and baggage issues), and three hours to Orlando.