19 Years of Knowledge (Much to Come)

Happy Saturday from Gainesville, Georgia! 

I have been here for 8 days now, which is absolutely insane! Everyday gets a little bit easier to be away from the people I miss back at home. Although, I am learning that sometimes we have to leave what is good, to grow into who we are called to be. That definitely does not mean we don’t miss those people when we are away, but we make the choice to press into what the Lord has for us to learn in the place he has put my feet in this season. 

As I have spent some time reflecting on the time leading up to me leaving, I have felt so overwhelmingly blessed by the people who made my birthday on September 5th so special. Huge shout out to anyone who reached out or made my day so special. Nineteen definitely feels a lot older than any of my other birthdays. I have learned a thing or two over the years, so here are the top 19 things I have learned!

1) You are never fully prepared to start a new journey. You can think about it and all the things that come with it, but stepping into a new season will always be a bit scary. 

 2) Asking for help from a counselor, friend, or someone wiser when you are struggling is so so helpful. It took me way to long to realize this, but the time I have spent in counseling has helped me tremendously to stop the cycle of thoughts, that feed my poor mental health.  

3) God hears the prayers that seem insignificant to us. He loves to show us that he cares for us by showing up in the ways that are super close to our heart.

4) The little things in life mean the most. Period. 

5) Boba in ice cream is so extremely good! (Trader Joe’s if your wondering ;))

6) Closed doors are for your protection and redirection. No matter how much it hurts in the moment and even how hard it is to process overall, I can very clearly tell you from experience, if some of the hardest doors had not been closed I would not be here today. My life would look so much different and I would be farther from God rather than closer. 

7) God speaks through repetition. Years ago, God started planting the seed of the idea of going on The World Race and used repetition of people bringing it up to direct me to finally look into it. I am so thankful he finally got my attention because he is changing my heart in big ways already!

8) God’s opinion is the only one that matters. This is something I still struggle with, but that he is awakening me to. I have a tendency to desire to people please and cling to other peoples opinions, when getting into the Bible and asking God what his opinion is all that should truly matter. 

 9) Journaling my prayers is one of the best ways to stay focused for praying. I started doing this a couple years back and it has changed my ability to pray. Plus, you get to look back and see all the ways that God answered your prayers when you look back in the journal. 

 10) I still have not outgrown mac n’ cheese and pizza. Comfort food is always good and I don’t think that will change!

 11) Music is very therapeutic for me. Whether it is feeling really close to God while listening to worship music or belting out the chorus to a country song, I relate a lot to the music I listen to which is why I listen to it.

12) You can’t run from the things that cause you pain. Just because you change locations or seasons of life does not mean those things disappear. It takes time to process through pain, but there is always a reason and something to learn through it. 

13) Don’t take time for granted. We can never get back the moments we miss, so be present. 

14) Missing someone who has passed away is something that stays with you. It hits in the most random moments when you are reminded of someone who is no longer with you. Although, there is beauty in being reminded of their legacy in the little things around you. Miss you Grandma <3

 15) I’m still in love with the simple beauty of flowers! I could look at them forever!

16) There is a time for everything under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 3) God has placed every season in our life for a reason. It is ok to mourn, but there is also a time to dance! With this in mind who am I to think I am bigger than God and able to change the plans and seasons he has me in?

 17) Growth is continual. It is not something that you ever arrive at until we get to heaven. If you are anything like me, this was a hard realization because you also realize perfection is not a realistic goal. We will never get there, but there is beauty in getting to continue to walk that journey too!

18) I love driving the long way to locations! Driving is a time to pray, to worship, and a time to have a dance party, so you better bet, I’m gonna go the long way and soak up that time! 

19) I need my sleep! I am not someone who can get up at 6 am and go to bed at 2 am. That is totally ok! I need to honor myself by allowing myself to rest. There is a difference between being lazy and taking time to reset your body. 

So there ya have it! Just a small snippet of all the things I have learned over the last 19 years of my life! God has been so good to continue to redeem my story and reveal areas of growth I didn’t know I needed to grow in through these years, but continues to do that in this very moment as I am training to launch on to the missions field. 

Thank you for your continued support as I have begun my World Race journey! I am so excited to see how much transformation God does in my heart over this next year. What I can say right now is he has already begun to move the mountains in my heart and mind in ways I never expected.

I pray that this blog finds you well! If you need prayer, feel free to reach out to me at 208-866-2309! I will have my phone before breakfast (8 am EST) or after our day (8pm EST). I would love to connect with you and encourage you in your journey with the Lord. 

Have a great day!

Kalyssa <3

Specific Prayer Requests:

1) Healing for the brokenness and wounds that the Lord is revealing to me in this time.

2) For protection from the enemies lies and shame over me and my whole squad.

3) The final funds to be provided for my teammates who are not yet fully funded! 

Announcements:

1) Our domestic ministry will be to New Orleans, LA! We will be working with Samaritan’s Purse to help with hurricane Ida relief there! 

2) Our first country has been switched to Costa Rica! We are tentatively planning to fly out of the United States on the 5th of November!

3) My tentative return to Idaho date is May 29th, 2022!