it is finished. rest for my soul.

So after 9 months of SBS I am official done. I sit in a cozy bed at 5:57 am (thank you jet lag) in the morning in Camrose, Canada. Let me tell you it has been one heck of a journey. To truly describe to you the last 9 months of my life would take quite a lot of time but i will do my best to make it short, sweet and to the point. To have accomplished studying all 66 books of the bible the last nine months has truly been the hardest most rewarding thing in my life. I cant believe that I got such the opportunity to learn God's word. AMAZINGGGG. It was such a blessed opportunity where time and time again I saw God's protecting, providing hand in my life. I am forever changed by his word and the promises that it has to offer. I have come away with a new found love for my Abba and a desire to allow His truth to flow in and through me. My heart is so full. I wish i could fully allow you to see the ways that God challenged me and pushed me to limits I never thought that I would go. In the midst of studying his word, He challenged me with a relationship and that too has been such an amazing part of the last nine months. Finding someone to walk along with and being challenged to love selflessly and unconditionally. I don't know how Jesus did it so well. If I had to ask myself a few questions about the last nine months as a way to truly describe my heart and my relationship with the Lord and how life has changed, these would be them (with the answers of course)

What has been the most rewarding thing that you have learned the last nine months?
The most rewarding thing that I have learned the last nine months is the fact that I feel like i truly am beginning to understand the ROCK that I stand on. I am beginning to truly understand my identity in Christ and I see the true purpose of grace in my life. It all comes from getting to see God work from the beginning. God was so incredibly faithful to his people from the beginning. He was so sovereign and ALWAYS knew what was going to happen next. He was/is always in control and unconditional love that he has for his people truly blows my mind. Now i'll be the first to admit i don't know everything about the bible. I don't really even know much about the bible but i have has a taste of the bible and its truly addicting. I've scratched the surface and it was an opportunity i would have NEVER traded for anything in the world.

What was the most eye opening thing that you learned in the last nine months?
I think the most eye opening thing that i learned in the last nine months is my honest, desperate need for God's grace and help in EVERY SINGLE aspect of my life. I went into SBS thinking that my relationship with God was pretty good. I went into SBS with some messed up understandings of the bible and who God was but i walked away knowing that I need Him more than ever. In order to have a fufilling life I need him to be the one to walk along side me. To take me by the hand. I need to partner with the Creator of the Universe to walk out what I was destined to walk it. 'But Jesus looked at them and said "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26) Let me tell you this is so true for my life and yours as well.

What was the biggest challenge you had to face?
There were two things that challenged me the most while I was there. This understanding that I was studying the bible for the Lord and to give out rather than my own head knowledge and just working to get it done. Every single book i would have to constantly remind myself that the book charting was God's word and there was a serious challenge behind that. I had to remind myself that i was such a blessed opportunity to actually get to study Gods word and i had that privilege. It wasn't just work. Secondly, to be perfectly honest it was the blessed relationship that I was in with Ryan. Learning to walk out life with someone while you are going through one of the most intense seasons of life was not only the most rewarding thing, it was also extremely heavy at times. But back to the most eye opening thing that i learned was that I need God grace and help especially in this area of my life and God was always there to lead and guide the way. **Shout out to my amazing man, Thank you for the last 9 months and being there to challenge me, teach me and push me every step of the way. Meeting you has changed my life and I am so excited for what is to come.** But seriously, it was hard work, SBS truly is one of the best places to meet someone because you get to see them at their best and their worst and its all in the midst of studying God's word so the real, honest, raw them comes out.

What is next?
This is a question that I am still wrestling with. Mainly because i dont really know what is next. I could tell you word for word exactly how I want things to go but I know in the end its not about what I want its about what God wants and that is the best possible place to be. As we speak Canada will be my place of rest for the next few weeks and then its back to Oregon to work and pay off some school loans so that I can be back in missions full time. I do believe that there are good, long term things in store with Ryan which would challenge me to study Chinese and work towards being back in Asia in just a few short years....until that point, I just want to bring God's truth and light to where ever I am. Please be praying for me in this area as I am not really sure what God has in store. I know that its Good. I know that I have been created for a life that is beyond ordinary. I CANNOT WAIT.....
GOD IS GOOD. ALL THE TIME.


(me with my school leader Lachlan on graduation day)