Wow the changes keep coming! Steadiness, consistency, and routine are not words we find easily on the Race. This week has been PACKED with changes, and I wanted to take a few moments to reflect as we step into some big, NEW things.

I wanted to reflect on some of the things my team Evergreen has shown me the last four months. 

• Evergreen taught me how to cultivate a space of comfort and home where those things don’t naturally exist. 
• They’ve taught me to find joy in spaces where it’s not present. 
• They’ve shown me that fixing my eyes on the Lord is the best way to combat the enemy's lies. When our eyes are solely fixed on Jesus, the lies, temptations, and stabs from the enemy can’t affect us. It’s about having single-minded devotion for the Lord. Song of Solomon 4:1b says, “Your eyes are doves behind your veil,” and in this verse it is referring to God speaking to us (His bride, the church), and how doves don’t have peripheral vision so as they fly they go directly towards their goal without distraction or temptation. This is how we should run towards the Lord, with no distractions or sins entangling us but just a single-minded devotion for Him. 
• I’ve learned that seeking peace and pursuing it is as simple as turning your eyes on Jesus.
• Lastly...just because we have victory over different parts of our life doesn’t mean we won’t encounter hard things. BUT…those things can no longer hold us down. Jesus just wants us to lay at his feet and simply be who He made us to be.

Evergreen has been such a special team and I have loved traveling throughout Central America with each of them.

That being said…I have a new team now! Meet my teammates!

• Aliseya - our team leader, and also was in my first team! aliseyawilliams.theworldrace.org
• Gabi - prayer/intercession and our health coordinator! gabigifford.theworldrace.org
• Chanel - our worship coordinator! chanelthorpe.theworldrace.org
• Brittany - our treasurer :) brittanycoleman.theworldrace.org
• Lindsey- Beauty for Ashes (women’s ministry) and a fellow storyteller like myself! Lindsey does photography AND videography so that’s pretty awesome. lindseycrown.theworldrace.org
  

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I also wanted to reflect on the last four months in Central America. Each country was so different - the cultures, the adventures, the way people spoke, acted, and lived…yet the Holy Spirit was moving in each place His Spirit was alive and present in every place we traveled. Here are some of my favorite ministry memories from the past 4 months.

VBS & Soccer camp ministry in Guatemala

Carrying wood as a squad through the forests of Honduras

Farm Day in Costa Rica!

The sweetest kids I've ever met during street evangelism in Nicaragua

 I've also had some amazing adventures the last few months. Here's some of my favorites:

Hiking Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala

Going cave diving at Pulhapanzak Waterfall in Honduras

Horseback Riding on the beach in Costa Rica!

Getting a historic tour on the oldest city in Central America - Granada. This was also our last adventure day as Team Evergreen <3

 All that being said… We are traveling to a new continent in a few days! Originally the plan was to fly to Colombia on Wednesday…but due to some very last minute covid policies, our squad has been moved to….*drum roll please*… Albania! It has been a LOT to process and something we were not expecting! 

It has been such a blessing to spend 4 months in Spanish speaking countries. The culture, language, food (sometimes), and people (always), are beautiful, inspirational, and have forever impacted me. Now we will be moving towards spending some time in Eastern Europe, and although I will miss the fiesta vibes, speaking Spanish, and the colorful cities of Central America, I am also very much looking forward to a fresh start, with a new culture, continent, team, and ROLE!

That leads me to my last change I’m gonna share about today! I have spent the last 4 months as a storytelling intern for Adventures in Missions, as well as Beauty for Ashes, which is a women’s ministry coordinator. On top of that, I’ve been given the role of Logistics, which means I’ve joined a team of people who will actually plan and execute the travel days and all that comes with traveling. I am so excited about this even though I know it will be hard work! 

Crazy world, lots of changes. Talk to you all soon from Albania! :)