Why I Disappeared For a Few Weeks

Hey everyone! First off, I want to apologize for not updating y’all these past few weeks! With this blog that’s exactly what I’d like to do! The last time I had posted a blog, I was in DeRidder, LA and as of right now, I am back in Gainesville, GA. As some of you may know, Adventures in Missions partnered up with Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief team to serve in the communities of LA after two hurricanes hit. For our first week, half of my squad was in Lake Charles while the other half (my team) was in DeRidder. When that week came to an end, we all packed up our things and traveled back home to Gainesville, GA for a week. Then, when our time was up in GA, our squad went BACK to LA, but this time with all of us serving in DeRidder together, instead of being split up. We stayed there for a week, just as last time, doing similar jobs but at different job sites. Now, with all of that, lemme just break this down for all of you, talking about what we did and what the Lord taught me these past few weeks! 

 

DeRidder, LA week 1:

I didn’t know what to expect going into my first week of ministry, I just knew I was so ready to help this community. But what I didn’t know is that they would be helping me even more. The first day was with James and Joe (last blog post) and they taught me so much in just the few short hours that we spent together. They taught me that no matter how bad the circumstance is, it gives us an opportunity to grow. Not only in our relationship with the Lord, but in ourselves as well. It says in James 1: 2-4, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” As I sat with each of these homeowners, they shared their life stories with me and as I listened, this verse kept coming to my mind. These homeowners were constantly being challenged, but always bringing it back to the Lord and glorifying Him through all of it. Which is a testimony in itself that I feel all of us can learn from. 

 

Moreover, as the week carried on and the job sites changed, I realized that you can do ministry wherever you are at. That I could have been helping someone down the street take care of their lawn or visiting with them and becoming their friend. For some, it can be really challenging walking up to a stranger, neighbor, or even a friend and just starting up a conversation. But, when you step out of your own comfort and step into those uncomfortable situations, God takes that step with you. He gives you that courage in the first place to do the things you normally wouldn’t do. Like I mentioned earlier, taking that step and reaching out to someone. Meeting them where they are at, being intentional, having an open heart and mind for God to come in and move in your spirit. Knowing that God is in the conversation, with you and the person you encounter, as well as giving you all the tools you need to best love and serve that person, even if you are just having a conversation with them. I learned this as I went to each property and spoke with the homeowners. One for example, had trees fallen in the front of her lawn and she wanted us to try and put them back up for her. That was one way we could serve her, but also like I mentioned earlier, taking that step and starting up a conversation with her. So, we got the opportunity to do both of these things and it was so, so amazing seeing the joy in her eyes. We were able to fix her lawn, put those trees back up, and the girls and I sat with her all morning and got to know her. She showed us all of her decorations, paintings, bible verses, and pictures that she loved. She told us she was super excited that she had company over because she hadn’t in a long time. Also, that she had been struggling a lot recently and just wanted someone to talk with. So, taking that step and sitting with her, listening, and giving her the love and support she needed meant the world to her. And literally we can do that anywhere with anyone if we take that step, go out, and just do it. 

 

back to Gainesville, GA: 

We got back late Sunday night, just in time for session the next day. Adventures in Missions was able to have One Race come and speak to all the squads here about Racial Reconciliation. This is a strong topic that I didn’t have much knowledge on, so these sessions were very impactful and made me really evaluate on what really has been going on in America right now. Out of the many things we touched on, the one thing that really stuck out to me in the week of sessions was, “the church is the most segregated place in the world today”. After putting a lot of thought into this, One Race was absolutely right and it’s something that’s really hard to hear. A lot of the time, there’s been a lot of judgement in churches. Whether it be about what people wear, what they do, what they talk about, or the people that are there; there’s a lot of judgement that should not be taking place. Church should be a safe place where the doors are open to anyone and everyone. A place where there’s no judgement and only people who will accept you for who you are, just as Jesus does. 1 Corinthians 12: 12-20 explains this perfectly by saying we are all one mind, one body, and one Spirit in Christ alone. That no matter who we are or what we look like, we all are ONE BODY with Him. 

 

1 Corinthians 12: 12-20

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So, it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, ‘I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,’ that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, ‘I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,’ would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.” 

 

I love how this scripture explains it so clearly how we’re all made specifically for a reason, how God has given each of us a purpose, and how we can all use the gifts that He gave us to come in unity together and serve Him. This scripture should not only be talked about more but applied to our lives daily. I feel that at some point, we have been caught up in judging others and putting labels on people when that is absolutely NOT what we are called to do. As Christians we should be standing up for our neighbors and bringing people together. Making a change, turning people back to the gospel, and coming together in His love. This was just one of the subjects they spoke on, along with many others that if you’re interested, you should totally go check it out on their website! It definitely gave me a better understanding and a lot more wisdom on this subject. 

 

DeRidder, LA week 2:

Being able to go back to Grace Church and also visiting their community was so, so sweet! My team and I got to reunite with our friends we had made the first week, visit some of the homeowners from last time, and serve again which was loads of fun. Also, while we have been working with Samaritan’s Purse, they have taught me so much on manual labor… Which is insane because I’m actually such a girly girl. I never would have seen myself working outside or evening living outside with World Race, but here we are! And it has actually been really cool stepping out of that comfort and learning new things. Because of this, I now know how to use a pole saw, chainsaw, leaf blower, drills, and lots of other things that will be super helpful in the future! So, that’s a few things the Lord has been teaching me!

 

Another thing that was really amazing was being able to speak for the youth group on Wednesday for Grace Church alongside a couple of my teammates. Angelina, Sydney, and I asked week 1 in DeRidder, LA if we could speak to the youth, so it was super exciting being able to come back do that. Usually, I would spend a couple weeks in advance praying and preparing a message, but this time I didn’t. Which was really terrifying for me, because I didn’t have anything. All I knew is that we’d be speaking on identity. But what I learned is that when you do this, it gives God SO MUCH space to come in and speak through you. All three of us went in with just a few verses and a topic, not having anything but that. And honestly, I was so nervous because not only were we slightly unprepared, but this was the first time I would be speaking in front of people I didn’t even know. Before we went up, Syd and I prayed in the back and I could already feel the anxiety being lifted off of us. 

 

Each of us spent about 30 min or so speaking on this topic, giving scripture and examples, but when we first mentioned that tonight we would be speaking on identity, the youth director and one of the kids in the room just gave each other a look. Apparently, their youth had been speaking on this topic for the past few weeks and we had no idea. We just knew that’s what God wanted us to speak on that night. So, that was really amazing seeing God come in and completely take over the night. As each of us spoke, it gave the kids the space to be open and vulnerable with us. Which they were! Lots of them opened up, sharing their testimonies, and things they had never been comfortable sharing. It gave them a chance to be open about their struggles and us being able to come in and give them the comfort and support that they needed. Definitely my favorite memory of the week!

 

home again:

So yeah, those are just some glimpses of what’s been happening the past few weeks and also, why I’ve been distant for a hot minute! I wish I could share every single day with all of you, but we both know that would take pages and pages to explain. But, if any of you want, you can reach out to me anytime if you would like to know more about what I’ve been up to or just have questions! This was so fun being able to go out into LA’s community, serving them, loving on them, and building friendships that will last a lifetime. 

 

UPDATES:

I am coming home for Thanksgiving for a week! Adventures in Missions is allowing the racers to fly/drive home for a week to go spend Thanksgiving with our families. This is super exciting because I have been living in Gainesville, GA for over 2 months now. So, being able to go home even for just a short period of time will be super fun!

 

I love you all and hopefully I will see you soon! Blessings, Jamie ?