Adventures upon Adventures

This summer I've been adventuring.  My last post was about last summer -- excited to be driving 4,300 miles, thrilled to be going to VBSes and working in Detroit.  The summer was great.  Maybe I'll write more about it sometime. 

But somehow I've missed a year.  It's gone by, and it's felt crazy, and I'm wrapping up one adventure and heading off to the next.  This summer, I've traveled 7,000 miles.  I've held VBSes in Bentonville, AR; Johnstown, PA; Beaver Falls, PA; St. Francis, SD, and Kingston, ON.  This summer, I didn't have do all of the travel by myself!  I had the privilege of taking two teens from my church along!  It has been so exciting to see them trying brand new things, stretching their limits.

One of my favorite memories was when we were nearing the Badlands of South Dakota.  "Hey, Janna, did you ever hear how the Badlands were formed?"  

"No, I haven't," she replied, glancing at me curiously.

"Well, I don't know a lot about science so this isn't going to be a great explanation, but several hundred years ago, there was some kind of space storm.  It picked up these giant formations from a different planet and deposited them here."

"Wow, that's really cool," said Janna, eyeing the beautiful scenery with a new appreciation.  Then she turned in her chair.  "Hey Kinsley, are you awake?  Have you heard about how the Badlands were formed?" 

I think that was the best moment of summer.  But it wasn't nearly the craziest moment of the summer.  

As I wrapped up the 2023-2024 school year, I found that I was restless.  I had been working intensely to improve my skills as a teacher, but even while I improved I had a growing realization that teaching this age group wasn't what I was gifted to do.  I knew God had called me to SCCA, but wrapped up the school year with a definite understanding that this particular role was not a great fit for me long term.  I didn't know what that meant, and with no open doors, I signed the contract for the following school year.  

The craziest moment of my summer came a mere 24 hours after returning from the South Dakota VBS.  Throughout my week in SD, God had been putting a vision on my heart for a ministry centered in Mitchell.  I pushed it off for the most part -- it was a great idea, but for someone else.  Even while I was there, someone asked when I would move to SD, and I told him, "Check in with my in January when my contract comes up for renewal."  We laughed.  It was a joke.  But apparently the Lord wasn't joking.

But on a Monday morning, as I packed for my next trip, I got a phone call asking me to consider being part of a ministry that was already doing exactly what I had felt God putting on my heart.  By the end of that day, I had essentially resigned from my teaching position and was ready to move.  

Just five weeks later, I closed the door to my Bedford apartment for the last time and traveled the nearly 900 miles to my new home in South Dakota.  I am so excited to be a part of the ministry at Faith Bible School.

God knows me so well.  He knew the life lessons and skills I would need to learn in Indiana. He knew the things I would need to get settled before I could be launched into the Wild West.  He also knew about the longings He'd placed in my heart, and the gifts He'd given me.  Now I get to start reading a new chapter of the beautiful story He's written for my life.  

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