Shared Comfort

Hello, everyone. This post is being written out of spite for the papers I have due in the morning that have not even been started yet. Please, enjoy my procrastination as I pour out my "heavy thoughts" to you. Entonces, let us begin. I'd like to start by giving you a small glimpse into my odd mind. I believe that in Heaven, there is a book titled with my name and in that book, there is everything I've ever experienced written down and divided into chapters. I'd imagine that each chapter has a clever name with a funny pun in it--given my sense of humor--or the chapters are named with some random book reference that nobody would understand but me and the person who created my heart. I can think of the many chapters of my life but I think of the most recent one that came to a close. It should be titled "the Great Perhaps." This is the chapter of my summer. The chapter that I spent exploring the North American Continent, exploring who I was, and explorin...

And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and waves, the people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:25-28. ESV This morning I woke up and checked social media to see record of the largest mass shooting in USA, to date. I don't know what overcame me but tears instantly began running down my face. Anyone can attest to how emotional I am. If I am overcome with any emotion that isn't my neutral emotion, I cry. I cry hard. However, these recent disasters haven't led me to tears until today. Today, I found myself sobbing as I was having one of those "you've got to be kidding me" conve...

I didn't want to write this post. As a matter of fact, it was an "avoid at all costs" topic and I would get hot and shaky when someone would ask me when my last post about Costa Rica was going to be up. I had a friend in high school who told me that she never watched the last episode of any TV series so she never had to face the end of it. Similarly, it seemed as though my heart was doing the same exact thing with my mission trip to Costa Rica-- if I don't talk about the end then it doesn't really have to be over. During a car ride today, my mother asked me why I hadn't posted my last blog about Costa Rica and suddenly felt guilty (thank you--no thank you--spirit of conviction). How incredibly rude of me to bottle up what the Lord had done during the last week of my trip in Costa Rica. The Lord didn't send me all the way to Costa Rica for me to sit in my room and avoid telling people about what He did. In fact, He sent me there for quite the opposite. ...

This past week flew by. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was typing up my previous blogpost and questioning if I'd actually be able to make it through the week (surprise: I lived). The days here in the Rich Coast blend together and it makes it easy to lose track of time. As of today I officially have nine days left in San Pedro and my heart isn't ready for the separation. I've said it before and I'll say it a million times over: I am in love with Costa Rica and I dread the day that I have to say goodbye. Costa Rica is unique in many different ways but specifically in the way that the land is structured. Near San Pedro are two massive volcanoes that seem to dominate the land. Because of this, the majority of the land is either up or downhill and hardly anything is flat. The roads wind up and down through residential areas and coffee farms and it seems that if you drive any further up, you'll eventually reach the sky. (The clouds also have a way of resting...

Week one is officially over. It's a little bitter sweet to say that I can check that off of my list but I'm grateful for the work of the Lord in such a short amount of time. The country of Costa Rica is truly one of the most incredible places I have ever been. The people here are so genuine and the nature is next-level beautiful (you can literally see a volcano smoking from our backyard). I've fallen in love with this country and it might be a little difficult to get me back to the states. On the ministry side of things, I can tell you that the Lord surprised me with how I would be serving this country. I don't want to lie to you, I expected to be preaching to the little kiddos and leading massive worship sessions in the park while random people joined along. However, when I got here, I quickly noticed that our ministry revolved around everyday things like painting  a recycling  center and cleaning up the backyard of a boys home. I guess the best way to put it is th...

Goodness gracious. The Lord is so sweet and His presence in my team so far has been incredible. The past four days we have been at training camp: sleeping in tents, showering with buckets, spending an endless amount of time in worship, and listening to different people teach. The whole purpose of this time was to build relationships in our teams and dive deeper into the vast love of the Lord that we are going out to share in Costa Rica. I've learned so many things in these past few days. I've learned some life tips like how sometimes baby wipes will have to suffice as a cleaning device, also how rainflies on tents only work to certain extent but sometimes the rain just gets in, and lastly how chocolate tastes one million times sweeter after you've craved it for four days and finally get it at the airport at 1:00AM. Most importantly, though, I've learned some kingdom tips. I've learned that the Lord actually talks to me (whatttt) and most of the time, I just have...

I guess I would like to begin by welcoming everyone to my blog! Whether you are checking in for my mission or simply hoping to read my jumbled thoughts, I hope that you find the Lord here. This is my first post ever so I wanted to explain my url "shared comfort." When I finally got myself to sit down and create this blog for my mission (that I leave for in three days by the way) I was trying to come up with creative blog titles that would instantly notify someone that this blog was a christian blog. However, it seemed as though all of the titles I wanted were taken and, for the life of me, I couldn't come up with anything that worked. I then began to look through the verses I have bookmarked on the app on my phone and stumbled across 2 Corinthians 1:5&7 which say: 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 7 Our hope for you in unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will al...