As this year comes to a close it is very much bittersweet. We are currently in Jordan our last country before we begin our journey back home. I really don't want to accept this reality but everything must come to an end at some point. It has been a wonderful experience with tons of unforgettable memories that are too vast to post so instead I will share a quick overview of the adventure so far. I thank God for opening this opportunity up as well as each one of you who has supported me along the way. So, here is the journey thus far...

Guatemala:

Guatemala is one of my top three countries so far for many reasons. It started off with being with my first team, Team M.O.M., who still holds a special place in my heart. They are a powerhouse that helps pioneer and lead the way for others. It was here that God began introducing mourning and lamentations to me by breaking me to the point of complete surrender, obedience, and vulnerability. He also began unveiling a lot of lies that I believed about myself and spoke the truth of who I truly am. Guatemala also had the hidden gem within our host who openly invited us into their daily lives and what it truly looks like to be the body of Christ by faithfully serving their local community which in itself is their family. We helped with the local kids in many ways from teaching them during the week to simply giving them the attention they needed. These kids will always have a special place in my heart. We also helped put together a Beauty for Ashes event for three weeks once a week which empowered the local women by showing them how much their heavenly Father loved them and how valuable they truly are. We even partnered with a local worship ministry called "Worship Room" that held weekly worship events where locals and different church backgrounds of all sorts gathered. It was inspiring to see a local community come together and worship God as one with no issues. As a squad, we also had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hike an active volcano that erupted three days prior and then again the very next day after our hike right where we were. It was truly marvelous gazing into a fierce wonder of one of God's mighty and destructive creations. This was Guatemala in a nutshell and of course, there were so many other things but the thing I enjoyed the most was living life with our hosts every day. Guatemala I hope to see you again one day I love and miss you dearly.

This is Team M.O.M.!

Our team had candlelight dinners every night which shows the tender intimate care we had for one another and how intentional we were to place value on our time spent together.

The kids were truly a delight even with the little sass they gave me it was always heart-whelming seeing them run to us every time we would pull up.

The sheer joy these kids had regardless of their circumstances was both humbling and very moving. I miss them dearly.

They were so quick to help with our work projects event to the point of taking the tools out of our hands and willing to start working in our place. They had true servant hearts and just wanted to be involved in everything they were able to.

This picture was actually taken by one of the little girls. She truly has a good eye for capturing photos. This is my teammate Aaron teaching one of the locals how to play the guitar. Also, this photo captures the personality of the kid in the back exceptionally. Truly both a pain and a joy to be around.

This was one of the 'Beauty for Ashes' events where my teammate Alli was sharing how loved and valuable God sees His daughters. Truly a powerful time.

We started and ended our time here during the weekly Worship Room events. They are probably one of my favorite moments during my time in Guatemala. My teammate Aaron had a great opportunity to sing and be a part of the Worship Room events during our stay here.

This was my first time being at a black sand beach!

Sometimes you just need to stop, abide and appreciate God's creation. It's easy to let beauty like this pass you by. It's defiantly worth lingering for a bit.

This was the hike to Pacaya the active Volcano that was close by.

Pictures can not do this experience justice. I remember standing there in the silence being able to hear the lava flowing like a rushing river and boulders crashing down the side. Truly a speechless marvel.

Again pictures don't do this any justice. Such beauty yet terrifying power.

Sunsets are one of my favorite things to experience in life. Especially when the moment is shared with others. This is downtown Antigua.

We had a privileged opportunity to be invited to a dear friend's birthday while spending our time here in Guatemala. It's always nice to be able to celebrate the people we meet while traveling it's truly special and an honor.

Saved the best picture for last. These are our wonderful hosts! We had a spectacular time with them and I miss them dearly. Nolo and Rachel you guys are amazing may God continue to bless you.

Costa Rica:

Costa Rica was a unique yet challenging experience. This month the whole squad was together which in itself was challenging to operate in along with certain restrictions on what we could and could not do. Our time there consisted of a variety of projects from painting light posts and murals to surf clubs and business ministries with "Oceans Edge". We were also working between two cities. Our main place was Jaco with "Oceans Edge" then each team would spend a week in San Jose, the capital, with "The Hope Project". Regardless of the challenges I defiantly enjoyed my time here. I enjoyed our morning devotions with Richard by learning a lot of wisdom and practical applications of how to be a better follower and person. I really enjoyed surf club which is funny because beaches and oceans are not my forte but as soon as I got on that board and eventually caught the first wave I was hooked! I also liked helping out our host with the business portion of their ministry. My favorite moment in Jaco was the time we did night ministry and I and a couple of others had a powerful conversation with one guy who was on the verge of making a deal with the devil only moments before we showed up and at that moment God revealed Himself to him to where this guy had no doubt that God was looking out for him and was in utter amazement how He used us to speak to him and from that interaction he didn't go through with the deal but instead came to church with us the next day. Truly a win for the kingdom! San Jose was an eye-opener where my insecurities were magnified by the local ministry there. These people truly knew how to operate in the Spirit and when it comes to living like the original church they were close for sure. Our time with the Hope Project was both sweet and humbling. It was here that God was moving mightily in one of the guys there where I was prompted to give my 'Keys to the Journey' key which had the word "rooted" on it to him. This brother was so moved by this kind gesture I haven't seen a man cry this much with sincerity in a while. It was great being a part of both of these ministries and I'm sure I'm skipping over some great things but I can only speak about so much. I still have about six more countries to recap. I do miss Costa Rica and the people we did life with. Hope to see you soon as well. Love you all.

This was our H.Q., Oceans Edge, for the two months we spent here in Costa Rica.

Jaco is a beautiful city where the light of hope steadily shines brighter day by day.

We spent a good chunk of our time painting light posts and murals like this one. These were truly some hot and sweaty days.

It was on this rooftop that we prayed and worshiped over the city for a few days while hitting the streets doing night ministry. It was on this day that we ran into that guy hindering his plan to make a deal with the devil.

This building we are worshiping and praying under is known to be the major hub of prostitution where a lot of said things would take place. So, we warred against whatever ground the enemy had there and proclaimed victory in Jesus' name!

This place and the family who owns it hold a powerful and special story. This family through loving, willing and compassionate obedience took in and adopted hundreds of children raising and calling them their own. A beautiful testament of God's love for us as He also adopted us into His kingdom calling us His own.

This picture captures the heart and everyday life of the people we did ministry with within San Jose. The Hope Project truly brings hope to everyone in the city especially those that are overlooked and cast out. This ministry truly began to open my eyes to what God is doing thru those who are willing to do whatever for the sake of those who are lost and in need while providing a medium like dancing to reach people by disciplining them to be like Christ.

This is where we said our final farewells to our wonderful hosts at Oceans Edge. They are taking Jaco back for the Lord at an exponential rate.

The sheer beauty that Costa Rica had to offer was truly amazing. My breath is still taken by sights like this. Utter amazement.

Dominican Republic:

The D.R. as a whole wasn't my most favorite country but it still had its sweet moments. At this point, we changed teams and I was a part of the all guys team (Papa Smurf) plus this was our first A.T.L(Ask The Lord) month where we practiced praying into and asking God where and what He wanted us to do. He brought us to a city called Sosua. Sosua is a dark and oppressive city where people only come to feed their physical desires since prostitution is pretty big and openly accepted there. That within itself was pretty hard to be around. Honestly, the main highlight here was a couple of our guys getting in contact with a local guy who owned a bar and was able to bar ministry by worshiping at this guy's bar. It was pretty amazing. We also had an opportunity to worship with a local church there in the middle of the center square. I almost forgot there was this local fisherman we got to meet up with and were able to spend time with him. We basically just played a couple of games of pool with him but the best part was the sheer amount of joy this man had from a simple game. It was in this moment that I realized that even if we don't get the chance to share about Jesus with our words it's our actions and how we live that represent Him most, as well.

When we had this worship night by the casino I had a conversation with a guy who was deep in New Age philosophy and basically out knowledge me about a lot of different things. I felt defeated. Even though I know the truth that Jesus brings and is I just couldn't speak about Him. Thankfully my teammate came up and helped with the conversation to guide it back to where it needed to be but at that moment I felt inadequate. Little did I know that this was the beginning of something more profound that God was stirring within me. This month I mainly rode to the coattails of those around me and let everyone lead the way while I more or less played a passive role. Can't say if I would return here but the time spent could have been better but overall it was still purposeful in its own way. Regardless of what I did and didn't do God still moved and did what He wanted to do regardless if I joined Him that month or not. Still a growing experience.

This would be one of the last times I would get to see and be on a beach from this moment forward so defiantly had to cherish it. We also played beach volleyball with locals which was super fun as well.

This is the city square where we partnered with a local church and worshiped with them.

This is a couple of our teammates speaking life into a group of kids who grow up on the streets learning and living the ways that it offers.

This was the guy that a few of our teammates met as he beckoned them up to his penthouse hotel suite which then turned into a unique relationship that opened doors to other opportunities like being able to worship at his bar.

Here are our teammates having a great opportunity to worship at the guy's bar.

Turkey:

Turkey is one of the other countries within my top three. It's such a beautiful and culturally rich place. This time us guys had a host and a pretty simple straightforward schedule. Our days consisted of morning devotions as a team, English classes where we would help students practice their English so they could grow in it, and whatever else we filled our time with. This month all of us were invested and intentionally engaged with everything and everyone. All of our conversations and interactions were genuine and sincere and I miss every single person we spent time with. We spent the majority of our time hanging out with the students and they were very hospitable and a true delight to be with. I felt truly loved and cared for here. It was here that God finally pushed me out of my comfort zone and began to abolish the insecurities within me. While in San Jose they had a dance ministry there and I was intimidated to express that gift that God gave me but it was here in Turkey that gift manifested tenfold for the sake of reaching and encouraging those around me. So, in essence, God used my weakness and self-doubt to reach those He loved and needed to have extra confidence to walk in their gifts as well. The team even had an opportunity to travel to Cappadocia on our way back to meet the squad before we left the country. This place was very beautiful. It's known for its hot air balloon rides in which we defiantly took advantage of. Overall Turkey was phenomenal and I have so many stories so please ask me about it I would love to share.

This is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. What once was a church is now a famous mosque. This area and building were beautiful.

This is Aaron and our good friend Mustafa who we met during our time in Istanbul.

During our first day in Antakya (AKA ancient Antioch) we happened to come across a wedding where friends and family were full of joy for the new bride and groom.

We had an opportunity to visit and help out at a Syrian refugee camp right next to the Syrian border.

This was the view from our place. I enjoyed waking up and going to sleep to this view every day. I truly miss this place.

This is me doing my typical 'into the distance' pose.

Our host took us on this journey to check out the 'Tomb of Kings'.

This is our teammate worshiping at the tomb which got the attention of all the people there. This was a great moment where everyone here got to hear sweet praises to our Lord and Savior Jesus. Truly a win this day.

This is the Mediterranean Sea. Yes, it was gorgeous.

Some of the students we got to know and b