the next chapter.

This time last year, I was leaving Barbados to return to Grenada. This time this year, my life is about to change again. In seventeen days, I am flying to my favorite place on earth to do what I’ve been dreaming of since I was twelve years old. I’m going to meet seven or eight new beautiful souls every week who will live in my cabin and who I can love. I’m going to jump up and down clapping and cheering with my team at the beginning and end of every game. I’m going to see, think, speak, and breathe green. I’m going to have the privilege of watching God do what He does best: take broken lives and make them new. I’m going to sit in two church services a day and hear fantastic preachers. I’m going to throw my head back and laugh as I sore across a vast forest and breathtaking waterfall on a zip line. I’m going to LIVE.

God has done so much in my life since I left Grenada, too much to name here presently. But I want to highlight two prayers He has answered: two fears He took care of.

When I left Grenada, I was afraid of becoming stagnant, of slipping back into my comfortable lifestyle and forgetting the dependence on God I experienced and learned while far from home. The last month of my journey was, I daresay, the best month of my life to date. I met all kinds of wonderful people and was busy with ministry nonstop and really threw myself into life there. But as the date of my departure drew nigh, I began to fear. What will life be like when I get home? Where is home? Everyone has been living their lives as usual back in Maryland but I’ve been away from all that. So I prayed, even as I packed up my life for the past 168 days into two suitcases in a lonely apartment: Lord, please send me godly friends; and please open a new door of ministry for me. Those were the two requests I brought to Him regularly. Whenever the doubt and worry and loneliness started creeping in, I prayed; and I knew He would answer.

He did. My friends–I have never felt so blessed. With His help, I reconciled a broken friendship. By His hand, I have made new friends through people joining our church. Through His work in our lives, relating to other “friends” I had before became praying for each other, became a shoulder to lean on, became discussions at 2 am of what God is teaching us.

And ministry opportunities? Wow. I’m not bragging–all glory goes to Him and Him alone–because over the past 9 months, I’ve been at my church and involved in ministry as much as was possible. Between my trip to Grenada and all the work God gave me to do at Franklin Baptist, I know that ministry is what I want to do for the rest of my life. What that means yet, I’m not sure. But that’s ok.

And He’s given me my dream job at The Wilds, North Carolina. Wow. Amazed and blessed beyond measure. Let the next chapter begin.