Family and Friends,
I apologize this update is coming a little late, I safely arrived back in the states last Sunday and have been adjusting to being back home. I am sitting at my family’s dinner table looking back over these past 9months. It is so hard to believe that I am home, not because covid changed our plans again or something else but I am home because we finished the race, crossed the finish line and it is time for a new season to begin.
This past month of May was filled with so many sweet memories as we finished our time in the Dominican Republic. We had the opportunity to finish out ministry painting murals at the local school, spending intentional time together as a squad and just taking in every moment we could together! We said goodbye to Hope Mountain, our base, on May 24th and headed to a week of debrief. The week of debrief was full of sessions, worship, adventures, getting to cook for the squad and lots of celebration! We took time to begin processing the race and preparing our hearts to go home. Then on May 30th came some of the hardest goodbyes I have ever said and before I knew it I was home!
So, what is next? This past week I spent time getting adjusted and just enjoying being home with my family. Transitioning from a community of 25 of my best friends to being at home and back in the states has been a huge adjustment and something I haven’t fully adjusted to yet. I am in the process of looking for a car and for a summer job, the plan for June and July is to just enjoy being home with family and friends, working and going on family vacation. In July I am looking forward to being reunited with some of my squad for a reentry/post debrief for a week in Gainesville!
In the fall I am looking forward to attending Lancaster Bible College and the plan as of now is to study Couple, Marriage and Family Counseling with a minor it Intercultural Studies. The hope is to be equipped to one day serve long term missionaries through member care in other words become a counselor for missionaries!
It has been a joy to share this journey with you and I ca not begin to express how grateful I am for each of you supporting me these past 9 months! I grew so much closer to the Father, learned so much about his character and got to see him work, that is thanks to each of you saying yes to partnering what God and what he was doing through World Race Gap Year!
A couple last prayer requests and praises to leave you with!
Praises!!
– Safe travels; my squad all made it safely home!
– Lifelong friendships and relationships made over these past 9 months!
– The opportunity to be a part of such a unique community that reflected the body of Christ and the Church!
– The growth and fruit of serving in my own life, my squads and the people we had the opportunity to serve in Lakes Charles Louisiana, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic!
Prayers!!
– Continued adjustment for myself and my squad as we experience reverse culture shock and adjust to new seasons of life.
– Healthy processing and grieving of the last 9 months.
– Over this next season as I look for a car and job and then begin college in the fall.
– Opportunities to get connected in a new community, continue to serve and see God move!
Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to hear more about what these last 9 months looked like! I would love to sit down with you over coffee or give you a phone call, it’s the least I can do to say thank you! You are such a blessing!
Have a wonderful summer! Again, thank you,
Abigail
So thankful to hear that you are home safe and working hard on the reentry portion. I am delighted beyond words to know that I will get a chance to meet you in person in Gainesville! I want to give you a big hug and thank you for the support and love you gave so many people on this journey!
See you soon!