A little update from Michigan!

Why hello there my dear family and friends!

It's been awhile, eh?! Just thought I would drop a note in your inbox to fill you in a bit about what's been going these last 9 months and what the new and exciting things that will happen in this new year!

Around Europe I go!

As you know, I spent two months after my DTS to travel around Europe to visit my new found friends and my family in the Netherlands. To say that it was an adventure, is an understatement :) It was an incredible experience! The whole trip was orchestrated by God and his timing was always perfect even when I did not think the plans would come together. I don't know which was a more growing expereince, the DTS or the travels afterwards! Some highlights were being with almost all of my DTS team in Sweden for a wedding of two of our teamates, saying "Hello!" to Ms. Mona Lisa in Paris, and riding through my homeland of Holland on bicycles.

Hey there Michigan!

After my grand 10 month adventure, I decided it was time to go back to Grand Rapids, Michigan where I lived before. God called me to a time of much needed rest for three months. During this season, I lived with a good friend of mine and her gracious family in a small suburb of Grand Rapids. It was the perfect place for me just to be as I did not have to do anything but just rest and reflect on my past experiences. I felt antsy at times to get back in the workforce, but God continually said that I would get a job in September. I rested in his Word and spent a lot of time outside by the lakes kayaking and walking around the dunes. It wast not easy to be the changed person in a place that I was so comfortable being in with my old self. It has been a process, one that has been filled with God's grace and abounding love.

God was faithful to his word and provided me with two part-time jobs in September that are quite different from each other. God knows I like variety!:) I work for a nonprofit Christian assisted living place as an In-Home caretaker. I have 4 clients that I see each week to either help them around the house or to simply offer companionship. I love being with each of them as they always have such great stories to tell and are quick to encourage me! Their lives inspire me! When I am not working in my scrubs, I am all dressed up at a high-end office in downtown Grand Rapids working as a Program Director for a nonprofit Christian counseling center. Our desire is to reach the young adult population by offering them affordable Christian counseling. I wear a variety of hats with between my administrative duties, greeting the clients, marketing and grant writing. I am most excited about our upcoming support groups that I am beginning for teen moms and one for teen girls regarding their identity in Christ. My heart is full of gratifude to God for blessing me with a job that allows me to work in my passion for raising up a generation of women who are firmly rooted in the truth. I praise you Father!

Oh hey future!

Being back in the States has not been easy as I truly found a home in Europe. To say that I loved it there is an understatement! I have been praying that God would provide an opportunity for me to go back and further his kingdom there. Thankfully, he has heard my cry. I was asked back in early fall to begin a retreat center in Budapest, Hungary. Immediately, I was ecstatic, as you can imagine! However, the excitement went down as I began to seriously think and pray about accepting this offer. Well a couple months have gone by and I have had several confirmations that this is something that I need to pursue. I do not know many details, but what I do know is that I would be working under YWAM, specifically for the Hinge family( their daughter Amanda was my closest friend in my DTS). As of right now, the hope is that I would go in April when they are hosting a conference there with the Central European YWAM leaders to cast my vision and gain their support. Then I would move out there as soon as I have enough support.

This is all in God's hands. I encourage you to join me in prayer as I pursue this opportunity. It has been on my heart to lead a retreat center since last spring when I first heard God speak to me about leading one. I know that this is from God because it is a desire of mine for people to take time to rest with God- to be silent and listen to what our gracious, redeeming, loving Father wants to earnestly say to us.

As plans unfold, I will be happy to share more details with you.

May you all have an abundant new year filled with experiences that you never thought were possible. Dare to dream big!

Much love,
Kelsey