It's been a pretty eventful year to say the least, so I figured I would write an update for anyone who was interested in what has been going on and what I have planned for the future. As most of you know, after I graduated high school, I did a nine month long mission trip with Experience Mission where I spent three months in Belize and six months in Africa serving alongside local churches and organizations. (Thank you to everyone who supported me on that both through prayers and financially!) I will always cherish the time I spent in those places, the way the Lord worked in my life during that time, and the privilege it was to serve in those communities. Following my mission trip, the Lord opened up a lot of doors for me. I ended up moving to Roswell, New Mexico and living here with a few of my other teammates from the gap year. I can honestly say Roswell has been one of the most challenging seasons of my life, and I'm thankful for all of it. Moving across the country, being away from everything familiar with no end date, building a new community, starting a young adults group, becoming a leader at youth group, having my house burn down, and negotiating a lot of new and changing relationships was a lot at times. But through all of that, I have experienced the sweetness of the Lord and the Father-heart of God in ways I never had before and have been pushed in unexpected ways. After all that's unfolded in the past eight months here in Roswell, I can't believe I'm writing this during my last week here, in this place that has become a home to me. I am leaving Roswell to return home to South Bend for a few weeks and then will be spending the Summer interning for Experience Mission. I and my other interns will spend the Summer on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. There, we will lead and coordinate the short term teams that will come to that location throughout the summer where they will participate in practical construction based projects and kids ministry. I firmly believe that you cannot step into another culture and serve and not walk away with a changed and bettered perspective on life, on our shared humanity, and on the power of the gospel. I am so excited to be a part of sharing that opportunity with other youth. I also firmly believe that we as the church have been called to serve the alien, orphan and widow, to “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.” (Isaiah 1:17) I think we as the American church, myself included, have often neglected this call and neglected to do it, not only in our own communities, but in those of the many Native American tribes that live throughout the country, in our very backyard. They have often experienced incredible pain at the hands of Americans, including at times, the church. I am beyond thankful for the privilege to, in some small way, serve the Diné people and help show them the love of Christ. I would greatly appreciate anyone willing to partner with me in prayer during this season, specifically for wisdom and discernment when leading teams, building meaningful relationships with community members, and that we as a team seize every opportunity placed before us to glorify the Lord and love people differently. Thank you all so much for all of your support :)