The Lord has done wonders in my heart this week!! I am his beloved!! Let me tell you about it!!!!!!!

I arrived to training camp August 28 after very hard goodbyes with my family and with Mason, and the first few days of camp were pretty rough emotionally. 150+ brand new people, 94° while sleeping in tents with porta potties and bucket showers, and SO many unknowns — but the Lord was working, and truly I am just so thankful for every part of it.

A few highlights of the past 9 days:

— hiking Mount Yonah with my squad and seeing a beautiful sunset!

— squad wars (we sweptttt all glory to God)

— beautiful beautiful times of worship

— the joy of getting to use an actual shower and finally feel clean (truly unmatched)

— going into town to get coffee for our sabbath and getting to pray over three individuals while there because ministry is life and life is ministry and there are no off days!!!!!!

&& now a testimony!!!! We serve a God who is NEAR and I was reminded of that again and again this week.

Tuesday night we had a night of worship and heard from an incredible speaker from Brazil. He spoke on how we cannot fully give our heart to God if other things from our past still have bits and pieces of it. He touched on forgiveness, and we wrote down lies we have believed about ourselves. I realized that while I believe in my head that I am forgiven, it is harder to get that to my heart — to truly believe that God is my FATHER who LOVES me and who desires to be with me and who truly wipes me clean.

The last night of camp we had baptisms. There was absolutely no thought in my mind of being baptized originally, but sometime during the evening I felt the Holy Spirit like I never have before, prodding me to be baptized and let the Lord wash me clean. While standing in a crowd, a serve team member (world race alumni) came over to me and simply said, “Do you want to be baptized tonight?” I immediately began to weep because I KNEW this was the Lord responding to my prayers and calling me to this.

Baptism at world race is such a beautiful process. I got in the water and was able to share why I chose to come to the water in that moment. Then everyone gathered around, laid a hand on me, and prayed a waterfall prayer — that I would trust what the Lord has for me. That shame is not my portion. That I am a beloved daughter of the King. My dear friend and leader Maddie was able to baptize me and it was the most beautiful and intimate and spirit-led experience :))

This week the Lord truly broke chains in my life. He tore away anxiety and gave me a peace like I haven’t had in a long time. He tore ideas of legalism I have been bordering on and reminded me of the true joy and freedom found in Christ and that it is a privilege and an honor to listen to the voice of God and follow. He reminded me that we serve a God we can call on and who responds!!!!!

My team just landed in Kigali, Rwanda after three flights and a full day of flying. I am soooo thankful for this past week, for the dear friends I have made that I get to do life and ministry with for the next three months, and for the ways the Lord has prepared my heart and my mind. The Gospel is so worthy.

Thanks for following along. I love you all and I cannot wait to see and to share some of what the Lord is doing in AFRICA!!!