Goodbye Felicia aka 2020

 Goodbye Felicia aka 2020

I’m sure I’m with everyone when you can lovingly blow 2020 a kiss goodbye. 

While 2020 was an incredibly hard year, so much good has come out of it. We’ve gotten to reflect a lot, grow in our capacity to love, practice grace, and develop an even deeper care for one another. I grew a deeper love for God’s community and being with one another. I pray that you also had a growing introspective year. 

Before we jump into 2021 and the school year starts, I want to catch you up on what’s been going on around Richland! 

1. Santa clause came to town! We had a Christmas party for our students that my buddy Bridgett and I had the honor of planning! We had so many students show up (well so many in a covid year) we were able to accommodate spacing to have a safe party! We had a special service that we were able to invite some of our students to partake in planning. Sayuri has been wanting to participate in worship so she put a little choir together (it was so fun to see how excited they were!). We asked a few students to share a worship thought about the birth of Jesus and they did an incredible job! They stood in boldness and ministered to one another! I was so proud of them!
2. We wrapped up Core’s for the semester and the apprentices did their sermons. They did an incredible job sharing the gospel has impacted their lives. These stepmoms are testimonial and it always amazes me how one story can find it’s way into the hearts of all people. That God loved his children so much, he made himself available to us. 

   

   My roomie got engaged!!

   
   

   

   I turned 26 (crazy) and a few gal pals hung out around a camp fire with me! 

   
   
3. While our students are gone we get a two week break for Christmas to reset before the semester starts again. My break was so incredibly restful, and on brand with 2020, very reflective. I spent time praying and thinking over the semester. I ended the semester feeling a bit overwhelmed at some of these different areas of growth that I have, how some of my girls are struggling still benign vulnerable, that no matter how bad I want something for someone in ministry they have to want it for themselves. This reflection time allowed me to see how God was moving in these things. Kind of reminds me of when you pull out into a birds eye view and are able to see the whole Forrest instead of just a single tree. I got time with old friends and just rested in the slowness. 

   

   Christmas with my sweet cousins!

I’m so excited for this upcoming semester! Please be praying for our students as school is just around the corner. Richland is closed again this semester so please be praying that God will do his thing in connecting us to more students. We’ve been working on partnering with the student life office to find ways to meet new students. Please pray for our students to continue to find opportunities to minister to one another and to grow in boldness. 

I’m so thankful for you💓