To recap Kona…

• Awesome time of medical and missionary training, learning from a different speaker each week, from personal devotions, and from the incredible people around me
• Loved volunteering at an elementary and jr. high school 3 times a week, tutoring kids and encouraging the teachers
• Got to know some of the giant homeless community surrounding our base by making/giving out sandwiches every other day
• Found a church home at Living Stones Church, volunteering in their children’s program after attending the main service
• Had a blast at the YWAM weekly outreach, serving dinner to a Marshallese community and becoming best friends with some of the girls through our shared love of dance – ending every night with them teaching me the new “hip” dance moves and songs!
• Favorite thing ever: visiting the MemoryCare (dementia ward) patients at the local nursing home – hearing their stories, singing Christmas carols, coloring pictures, exercising, you name it!

To recap Papua New Guinea…

• First 5 weeks spent on the Pacific Link medical ship, sailing up the uncharted waters of the Sepik River (which entailed pirate watch, hitting a few too many mud banks, and incredible movie-like jungle scenery), stopping in 5 villages to run medical clinics
• Enjoyed pretending to be a doctor and making babies cry (sarcasm) 8 hours a day by working the immunization station and giving hundreds of shots a day
• Fell in love with the Sepik – learned their language and songs, shared messages/testimony, sang back up for Ashley in the village churches, played games with Marie and hundreds of kids constantly, was Simon in “Simon Says” way too often, painted nails and told Bible stories, received the sweetest gifts, and built relationships with families I’ll never forget
• Shifted focus after our time on the ship to the town, Wewak for the last 6 weeks, where trash lines the street, crime is rampant, women have no rights, families are close, but abuse is everywhere
• Made contact with the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, who got us into businesses to do morning devotionals/encouragement + worship with their staff, leading up to a Leadership Seminar we hosted for 40 of the town’s business men and women (almost all of the businesses)
• Spent Sunday’s speaking in churches (surprised how much I started loving public speaking), sharing my testimony, singing backup for Ashley, meeting the congregations and encouraging their pastors
• Spoke in almost every school in town, with Mikal speaking to over 1,500 students at one, trying to speak value into the young men and women who are giving everything they have to get an education
• Sang and spoke (like a mini, casual church service) in the marketplaces and community gatherings – I was super nervous about this at first, but then overwhelmed by the positive reaction of all the crowds that gathered!
• Built close relationships with people that will forever be in my heart – people who need support and feel hopeless, people with dreams and faith, and people working hard each day to create change in their nation

To recap being home…

• Absolutely loved spending the last 3 weeks catching up with family and friends, some of whom I haven’t seen for 9 months
• Preparing for the next chapter in Germany, with some things falling in place and some falling a part *I could really use prayer for this 🙂
• Answer to prayer: I found a partner to serve in Berlin with, Ethan, one of the 7 I went to PNG with, who is an awesome man of faith and is excited to see where God leads us while we work with refugees, churches, and the community
• Had a lovely Easter, celebrating at Saddleback church with my family and grandparents over for lots of food and stories!

I am so stoked to be flying out this week for Germany on Thursday, April 19th!! Please stay in touch for the 6 weeks before I return on June 6th! Love you all!!