Here is a collection of pictures of some friends in Wilmington painting pottery for Jessica Mixon’s birthday. We had a blast painting our pottery, eating cookie cake, and looking at all of the bizarre, yet brilliant surroundings.

I feel like God did this. There really isn’t any other way to describe what has gone on since my return to America. So many things, have just really come together. Things that I never thought would. I’ll give you the brief run down of things that I see God providing me with. A roommate, an apartment (in a place I thought I’d never be able to really live), friends, a car, a job, verbal affirmation, friends to help me move in both Raleigh and in Wilmington, an iphone, and community. God is so very, very gracious. I feel overwhelmed that He chooses to provide for me in such real and tangible ways.

I’m so overwhelmed with all kinds of thankfulness and truth. I’m glad to be in this season, where I am, enjoying life, and in many ways so glad for all that God has done in my life so far.

The past month has brought on some hard realities about returning to America - missed out inside jokes, shared experiences, and just a general feel that I was really really gone, and life here went on. It’s harder now than it was when I first returned and I think that’s because the honeymoon phase has faded and I’m now entering into some crazy realities of what you experience as a returned missionary.

But there’s a lot going on in my life, and no one around me denies it. Most understand it and give me grace to live.

I’m getting settled into my new apartment and I’m loving it. I can’t wait to have friends over and make this a home!

This is not coincidence, none of it. I recognize all of this as full provision from Jesus. I’m so thankful and the full reality that I don’t deserve any of this is sweeping over me like a rushing river.

I suppose I could call it this.

There is a beginning, today I started cleaning out everything that I’ve collected over the past 9 months, including notes from America, journals, notebooks, maps, currencies, books, and lots of ministry materials.

It was really fun to look back on all the notes that were sent my way by some of you, it made me really thankful to see how a lot of you have done your best to encourage me from a distance. Most of those notes came during one of my hardest times, in October and November. Looking back on that, I just see God paving the way for me to understand His grace, His mercy, and how He wanted me to experience what losing community was like so I could appreciate it all the more when I gained it.

I find that I have so much that I want to write about and yet nothing at all. Most of this hinges on the fact that God is tuning my ear close to his heartbeat, and wanting me to experience the rhythms and patterns of grace. It’s just that, I don’t want to, I want to know now, but I’ll wait.

If you think of it you can pray for me to experience the love of Jesus today. In so many ways the past few weeks have made me see how burnt out I have become over the course of the semester, so I cut back, and will continue to do so. My walk with God is way more important than my “output” of ministry.

I want to update you in the next few posts on my trip to Venice, the upcoming trip to Serbia and how you can pray, what I think returning to America might look like, and my next steps (especially as I find out more).

Thank you for your prayers.

And there is an end, at least to this chapter, 27 days from now I fly out of this country I’ve grown to love.

I wanted to take a chance to say happy birthday to my great friend Rebecca Buchanan. I met her on summer project in Daytona in 2005 as staff, when me, her, Sal, and Meredith roomed together. It was a great summer of sand, discipleship, Moes, and conversation. As time went on, I continued to keep in touch with her, and visited her a few times in Charleston. Rebecca is currently on staff with Crusade in the low country of South Carolina, sharing the gospel with students and doing the essential work of meeting with people. She is a great encouragement to me in my walk with the Lord and in my life stage. I enjoy her sense of humor, her laidbackness, and her appreciation for hipster, vintage, bluegrass, indie and thrift. I’m thankful for our conversations since I’ve been over in Slovakia, even if it is just to give advice on how to do taxes as Crusade staff (I still don’t think any of us know how with accuracy.) Reb is my roommate at most conferences, until this year when I straight up abandoned her to go on STINT, sorry Reb. She says she’ll take me back. Reb calls me her “most resourceful friend” and I’m thankful to be of help whenever, wherever. She keeps me non-mainstream, and pushes the way I think. I’m thankful for you Rebecca Buchanan and I’m glad our friendship has withstood the test of time and staff life.

I just returned yesterday from women’s weekend. We were joking all weekend because we felt like it was really men’s weekend due to all of the hiking/walking we did to get to the place where we were staying, oh and did I mention, we took shots, okay, well just one shot, but we all did it together — all 14 of us. Apparently it is tradition when you are invited to a Slovak’s village - they give you shots and hot wine. But, I have never taken a shot before - so this was a new experience for me. Not only that but we made our own fire, grilled spikacky and klobasa (sausages and hotdog type things), had to start a fire in the inside oven to make the radiators heat up, chopped our own fire wood, and so I threw in some grunting and scratching just so it would be an authentic men’s weekend. We got a ride to the bus stop (praise) good thing since it was a 2 hour walk away, and it was raining. Once at the bus stop we waited for an hour before the bus came…in the rain. A true cultural experience. Here is a picture from the adventures.

Today is Lauren Danaher’s birthday. Lauren is a great friend, and someone that I know I can always count on to pray for me and with me on things that are hard (and isn’t life hard a lot of times?) I met Lauren almost 3 years ago when I first moved to Wilmington. We have some pretty crazy stories of how God didn’t cross our paths until 2005 when I first moved to Wilmington (went to high schools that were rivals, I almost went to UNCW (she went), her parents live in Cary (as do mine) etc.  Lauren is hilarious and always makes me laugh, and then also we’re able to discuss things that really matter, things of the heart that are deep and hard. I appreciate your friendship Lauren and am so thankful God did cross our paths in Wilmington. Some of our fun memories could be listed here, but I don’t think they would make sense to most of the internet world. And, in addition, Lauren is one of the few who reads my blog on a regular basis, maybe even half of my viewership, or at least, she is one of the only ones that comments. So thanks for that Lauren, I look forward to indulging in the growing list of things to do once I get back on the “soil.” Happy Birthday.

what a delight! on thursday night while i was still in budapest, i had the privilege of video chatting with sadie, sarah, and jeremy! it was so fun. here is a shot from our time together! what a beautiful family.