Good Ol' Missoura

The next leg of my journey took me to the great state of Missouri. First stop...St. Louis to see Sierra, my closest friend from Cottey College. She's doing some summer missions work with a church in St. Louis. It was a short visit, but, like always, we picked up right where we left off. We drove to the tiny town of Vandalia where I stayed that night. The last time I was in Vandalia was for Easter my second year at Cottey. Talk about a walk down memory lane. It was such a blessing to be able to reflect with Sierra about where the Lord has brought us. Neither of us are where we thought we'd be, but He has certainly done more than we could have imagined. Throughout my travels it's been incredible to recognize His provision of brothers and sisters in Christ who are a huge part of my support system.

The next day I drove to the other tiny town of Huntsville, Missouri to see my friend Aaron and his family. Aaron and I went to Indonesia at the same time. For three years, I heard all kinds of stories about this little town and its quirks, so it was so fun to get to see it all. His family is amazing and made me feel like part of the family immediately. There just aren't words to describe what it's like to meet someone from my Indonesia Life in America. Once again, though, it was as if no time had passed at all.

Memory lane continued when I headed to Kansas City to see a dear friend from my Cottey years. Kali and I were R.A.'s together, Spanish speakers and coffee lovers. She is married now with a cute one year old and another on the way. So, a lot has changed, but I thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories of God's provision and orchestration of where we are today. That night I stayed with her inlaws...one of the more random accomodations of my trip, but it turned out to be a divine appointment when I got to meet Kali's sister in law. She just got engaged, so we got to talk about wedding craziness and everything that comes with committing to someone and their family. I was able to be an encouragement to her and made a new friend in the process.

Going back to the places where I've been was a weird feeling. I couldn't help but think of that song by Sara Groves, "Painting Pictures of Egypt."


The places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I've learned


My time in Missouri while I was going to Cottey was only the beginning of God preparing me for something big. I love looking back and seeing how He's continued to write my story further shaping my life into someone that portrays who He is.