After three months I am home!

Saying that still feels a little unreal. I keep catching myself thinking I should be packing my backpack for another ministry day or heading downstairs for breakfast with my team. Instead, I am sitting here in the quiet of home, letting my heart settle and allowing space for everything to catch up with me. Being home feels peaceful, but it also gives me time to look back and truly see how incredibly faithful the Lord was in every moment of this journey.

When I think about Italy, I think about beauty, but I also think about growth. I think about the tiny details that did not seem important in the moment but now feel like threads the Lord was weaving together to create something I could not see at the time. Our last two weeks especially stand out to me, because they were nothing like we planned and yet exactly what the Lord intended.

Our team’s ministry for the final week in Italy ended up being canceled, which originally felt discouraging because we all wanted to finish strong in the work we had prepared for. But almost immediately, God began to open doors we did not expect. Instead of the ministry we thought we would be doing, we were placed in different classes, allowed to sit in on conversations, and invited into spaces where the Lord was already moving. I kept finding myself in small, simple moments that somehow felt important. Conversations in class that turned into deep spiritual questions. Quiet times of asking the Lord what He wanted to show us. Opportunities to pray for people that I might have missed if our original plans had stayed in place. It reminded me of the verse in Proverbs that says to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Being pushed out of our plan showed me how true that is, because He was working far beyond what I could understand.

One of the most meaningful moments came during our last night in Isernia. Our hosts gathered us together for a time of feedback and reflection. We sat in a circle and shared stories of what we had seen God do during our time there. What moved me the most was hearing not only from our team, but from our translators who were our age and had spent so much time with us. Hearing them talk about how God had touched their hearts, how they felt encouraged, and how they had grown made everything feel even more real. We had come to serve, but we were also being used to show them the love of Jesus and to walk with them as they came to know Him more. Those goodbyes were incredibly hard because it felt like leaving family.

After that emotional night, we boarded a bus and traveled to Sorrento for a week of debrief. Sorrento was a time of rest, reflection, and healing. We spent long hours talking as a team, processing everything that had happened over the past months. I had so many conversations about things I had pushed aside while we were busy in the field. It was a time to breathe, to laugh, to cry, and to recognize the ways we had changed. I am grateful for every moment of it because it allowed me to finish this season with a clear heart.

Now that I am home, I have a few little updates to share. First, my ear has been doing so well. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me. Throughout Italy and all the traveling home, it caused me no pain at all, which is such a blessing. Praise the Lord for that. It feels like one more reminder of His kindness and protection.

Second, I am still sitting at twenty two percent for the spring. If you could be praying for the financial support to come through, I would be so grateful. And if you feel led to support me, the link is below. Everything helps and I am trusting that the Lord will provide exactly what is needed for this next season.

Lastly, please be praying that I receive the rest I need in this time at home. I want to step into January fully ready to serve again, with energy, clarity, and joy. These next weeks are a gift and I want to use them well.

Being home is bittersweet. I miss Italy, I miss the people, and I miss the sense of purpose that comes with waking up every day knowing you are exactly where God wants you. But I also know that He is not done. This season at home is part of the story too. And just like those small moments in Italy taught me, God works in the quiet places just as deeply as He does in the loud ones.

Here is to rest, reflection, and whatever the Lord has planned next.

See you all soon!