Entry 02

Acceleration of time…

As I sit here in Ukraine, yet again, I’ve come to realize that time has flown by at such a pace that sometimes I get thrown for a loop. I still remember fondly the summer of 2022 when I first stepped foot onto Ukrainian land knowing I was committing to this for a season. I knew that it wasn’t going to be a one time trip; I knew that the Lord was asking me to work the ground, to til the soil here in Ukraine for a season. And I said yes. Not knowing what all was in store - my blind faith (in that moment) set me onto a journey that continue still today. I am well past 2 years in. Every time I am back in Ukraine, I am still in awe that the Lord has graced me with being His hands and feet here.

All that being said - I keep coming back to this thought/revelation that hit me deep late last year. The reality is that so often in “churchy” circles, becoming a missionary, being sent, etc is portrayed as such an act of “sacrifice” (and so often from the perspective of how much we have to give up). But today, I want to offer you a perspective the Lord so deeply instilled in me in this season: I GET TO partner with what He is doing, I GET TO say yes to His plans, I GET TO be His hands and feet. Let’s change the subliminal message with the word “sacrifice” and present it as a gift … which it truly is … rather than a burden/task we have to grapple with. Once I embraced the truth that I get the joy, the honor, the privilege, the opportunity to come to Ukraine, to be the one that says yes to bringing the Gospel, my time here has taken on a whole new level of breath and life. I am not saying that it doesn’t contain challenges (cause boy does it - even though I speak the language, my mentality is definitely developed in a western context, so even the basics of customer service is sometimes quite a challenge). However in the midst of every challenge, His Spirit pulls me back to the truth: He is with me, I can do all things, He is for me.

Dear friend - my prayer is that this emboldens and encourages you today to finally just say yes to what He is laying before you. You will get to walk in such a joy, strength, confidence - because HE is all those things!