Wow, I can’t believe January has come and gone so quickly. I know that I’m a little late here, but I would still love to share my thoughts after reflecting on January.
The first 10, or 11, or I don’t even know how many days, we spent at Lake Gaston were definitely eventful. We headed off to Bracy, VA to hear from our friend Bruce who lead us in the Career, Calling, and Vocation retreat. This was jammed packed with knowledge, where he talked to us about the gifts, desires, and opportunities that the Lord has specifically chosen for each of us. This was really neat, especially doing a lot of introspective reflecting and acknowledging the special ways that God has knitted us all.
We spent the first half of those days enjoying the retreat, and the next half in quarantine, thx COVID. :/
While some of those days were really long, I have an even greater appreciation for the community that the fellows has offered me. This has been an answer to a prayer that I’ve had for a long time.
After we got back to Raleigh, I turned 23! Woohooo! It was really sweet to see how much this group has wrapped its arms around me, and I felt really loved! I spent my birthday dinner at my host family’s house, and the Miedema’s also showed me so much love! I am so thankful for their family and the way they have embraced me into their home. That following weekend, I thought I was going to meet one of Jacob’s friends, but when I walked up the stairs I saw two familiar faces. My parents surprised me!! They flew all the way from Texas to see me and I got to spend some much needed time with my favorite people! I am still shocked they were able to pull off the surprise, and shoutout Kayley who went the extra mile to keep it that way.
We also went on a retreat with John Richmond, who was the former US Ambassador for Human Sex Trafficking. I know, crazy! This was a really unique opportunity, and he talked to us about the “Richmond family rules”, which has been a guide for them on how to do life in a way that is honoring Jesus. My favorite one, ‘be generous’. It sounds so simple, but I love how he spoke on not only being generous with our monetary gifts, but also our people. Introduce friends to friends, and the idea of “giving generous assumptions” has really stuck with me.
All that to say, January, you were full, fun, fleeting, and freezing. Thx for the mems <3
-Hayden