Come with me 🌊

Over the past 6 months I was living in California and I went surfing. A lot. Every time I threw my board in the front seat and zipped up my wetsuit it felt like a dream. This can’t be real life that I am driving 10 minutes and standing at the edge of the water watching the waves.

It reminds me of the first time I did this on a different beach in Morocco. This time I’m not smiling, I’m crying. I’m terrified. All I wanted was a lesson and someone to be in the water with us, but they were all out of lessons for the day. It felt like an act of faith to trust God to walk down to the water alone. As I am about to take a step in, I hear the pitter patter of feet running from behind me. It’s the man from the shop and he says, “I tell myself, she never surfed before. I see if I can go help.” That was all I needed. For the next two hours he stood in the water and watched me fall and get up with a smile on my face as he shouted, “Again!” I just needed someone to be there.

I don’t think the fear ever went away. Every time I stand on the beach and watch the waves I feel that pit in my stomach. But it’s only when I’m alone. As soon as my friend runs up beside me with her wetsuit zipped and looks at me I forget all fear. “Let’s do this!” And we run in together. Tumbling through the California waves, swimming with sea lions, and watching the orange glow take over the sky.

Sitting on my board that last night on the West Coast, feeling each wave underneath, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if fear had kept me from this.

So now I’m standing on the metaphorical edge of a new beach. Sitting in the airport with a ticket to Ecuador. South America feels like a big wave. But the job is with a Christian company I love and I worked with them before in Italy. I’ll be leading programming and discipling college students who are studying abroad. It couldn’t be more perfect and accepting the job felt like catching a wave and riding it. Don’t think too much, jump on this wave because it’s going to be a fun ride.

But like I said before, surfing was always more fun when my friend was with me. I couldn’t wait to pop up after each wave and give her the thumbs up that I’m still alive. Or a cheer for a great ride.

Adventures are always more fun when we go together. I’ve heard the quote, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Well I’m asking if you’d like to go together and come with me. Come with me in your prayers, encouragements, texts, phone calls, following, and maybe even a visit! Would you come with me and be like the man standing in the water in Morocco cheering and encouraging as I take a step to follow God to a new place with new people?

Come with me in my suitcase. To my mom’s surprise I have room and it’s under the weight limit. The plane leaves in just one hour. This is a full-time job with no end date. That’s exciting for me. The program runs in two semesters so I’ll be able to return home in the summers. College students from all around the United States will be arriving in Ecuador in just a few weeks to spend a semester studying abroad and experiencing God’s character in a new culture. I’ll be learning Spanish while I’m there, I get my own apartment, and I’ll be facilitating the programming and mentoring the leaders of the group. This will be an adventure!

Come with me!