Destination Paradise Week Seven: Jon and John

This week there has been quite a bit of John in my life…the speaker for the week was a man named Jon Peterson and his intent was to get us completely immersed in the word of God so that we would be equipped with a deeper understanding of how to study and unpack the amazing scriptures and literature the Bible holds. He challenged us by asking us to read the book of John, five times, in five days. There are twenty one chapters in John and it takes about two hours to get through it, which may not seem like a super challenging thing to do but it truly proved to be a difficult task. The book of John and really the Bible is amazing for so many reasons, but right now, my favorite reason, is that it speaks to me in a different way every time I read it. Bible believer or not, it is full of amazing literature, poetic prose, gruesome battles and tales of the revolution that was and is the power of Jesus Christ. Reading John so intensely called my attention to how incredibly passionate and spot on Jesus was. Jon helped us put the stories in context to allow the power of what the book tells to come out even more. Jesus was not one to follow the cultural norms or expectations, he stepped out of those boundaries and into the lives of real people who were desperate for something other than religious condemnation and rejection. Getting so intimately acquainted with the book of John makes me so thankful to be in a relationship with Jesus, a relationship that challenges me to step out and love people regardless of what culture or history tells me, regardless if they choose to love me back, knowing full well that I have a hope and a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a truly freeing realization to come into, that love died for me and by saying enough to all of the hypocrisy and injustice in the world I can begin to love, to step into the skin of Jesus and bring His heart for His people to the world I live in. I have one more session with John to complete and even though this will be the fifth time, I am not at all bored, but rather more excited that the first time.

This week we sailed just about two hours to an island called Caye Caulker. It is one of the more famous islands for backpackers and tourists alike and for good reason too! It was super quaint, quiet and alive and vibrant at the same time. The reef is nearby, there are tons of funky little hostels and restaurants, no cars but only golf carts and bikes, and simply breath taking tropical waters and landscapes. It was super fun to be there for the week and could be a place I would venture back to in the future. I can hardly believe we are in our 8th week here, it doesn’t seem possible that I have been here for that long! Each week seems to go by faster and it is so amazing to see God work each and every day. I am definitely in process in many ways and still waiting for details, which seems to be a place I often find myself. I am still not at all decided on an internship location so prayer over that would be much appreciated. Also we are still trying to make contacts with people in Mexico that could be our connection to a community we could serve there, so prayer for that would be a huge blessing as well. Thank you all for reading these updates and praying for me, it is such a comfort and a blessing to know you all are supporting me in the adventure God is taking me on. Love and hugs to you all!

This is one of my favorit sunsets that we have seen so far, it turned the entire sea this deep blood red color and was simply glorious!

This is 3/4 of my small group, Hannah (left) and Maggie in the middle (she's one of our amazing staff) an Liesel is taking the picture, you will see lots of her later!