• Mt. Fuji, Japan    -    February 15, 2026

In a town that has seen so many tourists yet has refrained from becoming a touristy town, I sit and wonder how it is that a place remains so humble when its glory is so great. Life here is so quaint, and I’ve found that the simple things are often hard to find when life becomes consuming.

Having a moment to step outside the world of squad leading has helped me to see life for what it is: a moment to join in and seek His glory wholeheartedly.

Before we get there, let's first step into the world race that has felt like my whole world at times. It began in the flame of my heart to see all believers walk with Christ deeply and know Him intimately. My heart burned with passion to make disciples of the team that has been assigned to me. Ironically, through each person's heart, I’ve gotten to see glimpses of my own. Full of fire, love, hope, fear, disappointments, pain, anxiety, insecurities, pride, hunger, drive, and desire to know God deeply through it all. Watching from the outside as these girls processed an arrangement of these emotions and experiences, it felt as though I was peering into the window of my own soul. God has given me a gift to see people in the light of Christ, despite their behavior, and has given me insight to counsel each girl on my team with wisdom and compassion. I was looking through this lens, and all the while, God was inviting me to step into His eyes and see myself in the same light. In all my toil, He looks at me with complete peace, knowing the end of the story and simply drawing close in the process of it all.

In Colombia, I felt the fire sustained by His grace and fueled by the fiery, passionate worshippers of the Spanish church. In my coming and going, I found myself walking according to my own agenda to bring correction and vision to the squad, often abandoning my need for the team of leaders at my side. God moved anyway to change hearts, deliver His children from oppression, build trust with my team, lay a foundation within the walls of El Foundation de Refugio, where you could find baked goods for 25c and recovering addicts from the streets of the broncs full of love for God. We left the bustling city of Medellin for the beautiful Guatape mountains to debrief. My heart was full of encouragement, and my stomach was full of rice and plantains.

Our host (Gracia, meaning Grace) had a story that moved me because of her willingness to go anywhere despite other desires because her ultimate desire is to proclaim Christ crucified to the captives. Our week in Guatape felt like a breath of fresh air, and having morning swims in the lake made for a peaceful awakening. I also got to see our squad move in repentance for not being great stewards of our time and letting a country pass us by without truly seeing the people around us. Hearts were softened, and minds were renewed.

Entering into our time in Vietnam, I was eager to impart all I had been given from Christ to my team. I wanted to lead times of prayer, practice daily discipline, share meals, consecrate fasting, and worship together. While there were some learning curves, I would say that I rest assured that I was faithful with my piece. We lived in a small city called Tuy Hoa that had just been hit by a flood that left businesses and homes completely ruined. We journeyed to a farther away village and found an old woman’s home still standing after almost coming to the ground. She is a praying believer who is under constant persecution from her own husband, who is devoted to ancestral worship. She prayed that every idol in her house would be lost in the flood, and that’s exactly what happened. In efforts to save his valued possessions, her husband got severely injured and was brought to the hospital. If he had never been taken out of his home, we would have never had the opportunity to come help bring things back in order. We spent the whole afternoon cleaning dishes, crying with this faithful woman, and trying strange snacks that she insisted we eat.

Most of the rest of our time in Vietnam consisted of teaching English to 8-14-year-olds. With funding from our host, we got to see the King of Kings movie with 80+ students who had never heard the gospel. This in itself was a miracle because religious movies are PG13 and the chances of them letting us bring all these kids to see a movie restricted by the government were very slim. After getting out of the theater, a young boy comes to me and expresses his interest in becoming a Christian. We have been able to get involved in the International Church and were able to get him plugged into a community to be discipled in the faith. Pray for James (his English name) and his journey to know Christ. Leaving Vietnam, I felt “satisfied” with my labor and felt my team was on the right track. Meanwhile, there was a team with immense struggles, and my co-leader was in one of the hardest seasons of her life. I felt convicted of the kingdom I was making for myself and realized I had neglected the needs of my peers because I was too busy building up what was under my name. God invited me to offer up my gifts again to the altar to be used how he best saw fit.

Then we decided to switch which leaders were over which team. This moment brought me to deep grief to release what I had sown my heart into. I felt as though I’d been uprooted from my field and dropped into a new field completely unknown to me.

I was put over the team that had been in a lot of turmoil, and I felt I was at ground zero all over again. Alright, “God, I need you.” I humbly admit.

We headed off to Tondo, Philippines (the poorest slum in Manila), and I felt a need to guard my peace and joy with what I was entering into. We arrived in a single room unit with one window and nothing but the floor for furniture, and nothing but a bucket of water for bathing. What lay within those walls was greater than what money could ever pay for: a home to a family who loved God and gave everything they owned to be to our use. It was just one week before three out of the six girls left abruptly one morning. It seems my prayer for unity in this team was answered in a way I could have never imagined. God needed to sift with his winnowing fork through this team. The faithful three and I began to learn to do life together with market runs and meals shared with many people. I saw hope and healing begin to rise after sickness, sorrow, and daily battles to love people who didn't want it. I’m coming out of this season carrying disappointments in ways I felt unfit to lead because of my own wrestlings and with a slight weariness to show up anyway. Yet, all the while God has met me with a steady love and a deep awareness of my need for Him AND for the people around me. Not sure if I yet understand the gravity of the latter, but slowly He is removing my tendency for independence and distrust. I feel Him teaching me His pace and finding that slow and steady really does win the race.

I stand in awe of His patience towards me and kindness in letting me fail and find everlasting grace. I’m currently at a small desk overlooking Mt. Fuji beyond a skylight set in a cabin in the woods, and my heart is so tender to receive what I could never deserve by my own might. I can’t help but attribute every good thing to the hand of my Father, whose love never fails, even when I’ve operated in my own understanding and neglected to see those around me with love that goes beyond what I feel is within my capacity.