Summer of Joy

This summer, I’ve had the opportunity to live in Oceanside, California working with an action sports ministry called Ride Nature. As my time begins to wrap up, I wanted to go ahead and do a little update to fill in on what life here has looked like so far, what I’ve been learning, and how our recent mission trip to San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua went.

In some ways, I feel like I’ve been here forever and in others, it feels like just a moment. My days have been filled with sunrise surfs, day trips to the desert, wetsuit swims through bright blue water, picking fresh oranges from the backyard, walks through parks lined with huge oak trees, perfect sunsets seen from the cliffside, and a growing in my understanding that the God I follow is behind every bit of it… it’s something so obvious, yet so easy to overlook in the every-day.

I’ve become so grateful for how fun and how creative and how intentional the heart of God is. The fact that I get to experience all of the above in the name of ministry and of growing in my walk with the Lord- How sweet!

I’ve seen prayers answered, I’ve felt God’s presence, I’ve watched people come to Christ, I’ve heard testimony after testimony of Jesus moving, I’ve grown more confident in leading and sharing, and I’ve connected with God in a whole new way during my time here.

Each week, we have class Monday- Friday where we learn where and how we personally fit into ministry, how to execute our role well based off of our own strengths and weaknesses, and what that will look like for us back home. From this, I feel like I have gained so many ideas and hopes for the future that I’m stoked to see come to life.

Alongside class each week, we attend a minimum of 3 different outreaches- Shred Sisters (our women’s bible study), surf church, and skate church. I’ve had the opportunity to share at all 3 which has stretched me in ways I didn’t anticipate and encouraged me in ways I couldn’t have guessed. I’m learning how powerful our testimonies are and being reminded how important it is to share. People can choose to deny the validity of the bible, but they can’t deny the ways He has moved in our lives personally.

Last month, we were fortunate enough to get to visit the Ride Nature Base in Nicaragua. Love truly flows from the Nica hub. The staff is passionate about Jesus and about loving others. They’ve established such a presence in the community through a Church that they started, weekly outreach events, and a coffee shop opening later this month. During our time there, we were able to help lead a VBS for the local kids.

Leading up to the trip, I was nervous as my Spanish speaking skills are weak, and the thought of leading a VBS without being able to properly communicate seemed daunting. However, very early into the week, I had already begun feeling so connected to so many of the kids and was reminded that love overcomes language.

It was so special to get to spend time with the community over there and to get to experience life and ministry alongside them. Mornings were spent in prayer and making breakfast together in the kitchen and evenings were spent out on the patio playing cards and having entire conversations through google translate. The slowness was sweet and refreshing and being surrounded by childlike wonder was beautiful- I was reminded of how often I lack it.

The church I've been attending here has been going through a series called "Summer of Joy" and it feels so fitting because that's exactly what this summer has been for me. As I soak in my last moments here, I’m feeling so grateful. I’ve made so many sweet friendships, grown so much as an individual, learned so much more about the Word, and fallen in love with all that Oceanside is. As sad as I am to leave, I'm equally excited to be back in Florida and reunited with my friends and family. I feel refreshed and have so many new plans and ideas for the future of Love Letters and my next steps in ministry. I'm incredibly blessed to have something to look forward to so deeply back home.

Please join me in praying for the rest of my time here…

-For God to continue to move throughout California. For Christians to not see California as "too far gone", but to instead look at it and see opportunity.

-To understand who God is even deeper

-For safe travels

-For guidance about what’s next as I arrive back in FL

-For me to be able to carry over the routines and consistency I’ve built here as I adjust to being back home.

Love yaaaaaa!!!!!! Talk soon<3

"I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." Luke 4:43