Third Year of Birthday Blessings

Hey everyone! 

Today is yet another rainy day. The last three days have been consistent rain, mist, and storms. Just another perk of living in the mountains of a tropical country. Right now I’m outside under the roof we built, sitting on the sidewalk we also built. And I’m dry! What a blessing!

Yesterday was an example of what it’s like to not have protection from the weather. Our team went on a hike through the mountains in the rain. We went to a massive area of land that’s only for indigenous people to live. The closest house on this whole plot of land was a two hour walk up a steep mountain. We went for it! 

The mud was insane. 

You took a step, then started sliding back down, even if you were trying to stand still. It was a two hour haul. Eventually we got to a small house at the top of this mountain. It had wooden plank walls, dirt floor, and rusted tin roof. A family with 7 kids lived there. The parents ran a ministry out of their small house trying to educate the surrounding mountain kids. They lived off the land. Lots of farm, lots of animals, not much stuff. Spanish is their second language. They mainly speak some native language that only that area speaks. 

It reminded me a lot of Burundi. Two years ago, I was making those same kinds of treks on an every day basis. 

Two years ago, on the same Saturday, I was in Burundi hiking up a steep mountain in the dark waiting for the sun to rise on my 18th birthday. 

Last year, on this same Sunday, I was in Colombia prayer walking and inviting people to church all morning before church started. Climbing up those steep mountain roads on my 19th birthday. 

This year, on Tuesday, I’ll be in Costa Rica painting the front of a small church in a small mountain town on my 20th birthday. 

It’s been a little over two years since I’ve started this crazy journey of following the Lord’s voice. Another year celebrating my birthday with my spiritual family all around the world. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

The hike down yesterday was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. I was near the back at first. Every two seconds I would watch someone slip and fall in the mud. It was a massive slip and slide. Some people gave up and tried to just slide down the mountain instead of walk it. 

The year before that, I was playing with a group of Sunday school kids. Wearing that same dinosaur shirt they loved. Wrestling and playing soccer and teaching about God. 

Two years ago, I heard the happy birthday song in French, Swahili, English, and Kirundi before I taught their daily English lesson. Going home to my second family making one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. And unknowingly putting a Roman candle firework on top of the cake, thinking it was a big birthday candle (somehow nothing caught on fire!!)

The Lord is sending me all over the place. Places that can seem scary. Unknown places. Places I never would have dreamed could exist. Yet He’s there. He’s protecting me. There are scary things that happen. But He makes a dry places for me to sit. He consistently makes a roof over my head with solid ground to sit on. 

As I sit on this sidewalk, under this roof, thinking of all the blessings I’ve had over my life and birthdays, I’m grateful that I’ve had two full decades. Over the last week, the Lord has been giving me dreams about people all through my life that have been such a blessing. Reminding me of the people that have poured into me and gotten me to this point. 

His journey is fun. It can look a little muddy. It was be a little messy. You can fall a few times. But He is still so present. Even when you have to take a freezing cold shower to get that mud off, He is still pouring out His blessings on you. 

Take some time after reading this to think of His amazing love and goodness over your life. What was He doing in your life two years ago at this moment? What was He doing last year at this time? 

I hope you find that you’ve grown a lot, He’s blessed you a lot, and maybe even recognize new area you need to grow in. I hope you see how much He really does love you. How much He does bless you. 

Love you guys. Feel free to reach out to me at anytime. I have a Costa Rican phone number at the moment, so I have signal at most times, but I won’t get your texts. Reach out to me through WhatsApp, group me, Instagram, or even email. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Be blessed.