Hello family and friends! I’m sorry that it’s taken so long to get an update out to you all, but I’m overjoyed to be sharing with you now! It’s crazy to say that almost six weeks of the race have come and gone. I met my squad, went through training camp, took a perspectives college course, flew to Kyrgyzstan, and have been here for about 3.5 weeks now. This time has been so sweet and growing. The people on my squad are full of passion, zeal, gentleness, and love!! I feel truly blessed to know them. As for our time here in Kyrgyzstan it has been so sweet. I will share more about this in weeks to come :)

For now, I want to share what the Lord has been teaching me. As I mentioned during our training camp we took a perspectives course and it has changed my way of thinking in so many ways. However, the biggest thing is when it comes to hope. What hope is, what our hope is in, what it looks like to live out of hope, etc. I have come to realize just how VITAL it is for us to be living in hope in our walk with Jesus. And honestly how much we don’t, or really how easy it is to forget the hope that we have. Because this hope that we have is alive and active. It is not stagnant. It is not passive. It is consuming. It is joyful. It is true.

Growing up I often heard “Jesus is coming back.” I knew this in my mind from a very young age (praise God). However, I don’t think I actually realized what this meant and how it impacts how I should live. Being on the race the last year and a half I had seen many different religions. I have seen many different cultures. And you know what? None of them come close to the truth and hope that Jesus offers. Now I don’t just say this because “that’s the Christian answer.” I say this because I have tasted and I have seen. I see the hope of the gospel in a new way. (And I fear I won’t be able to do justice to what is going through my mind, regarding this, but I will try).

There is a reality where Jesus is coming back. It could be in my lifetime, or not. But there is a day where He will come back. Where the sky will spilt open and He will come down on a white horse. Where He will wipe away every tear. Where we will be with Him in perfection. I feel like so often when we talk about this we say “well maybe one day…” But the Lord has been teaching me that this is a reality that we need to be living out of. Him coming back, is so much of what our faith is rooted in. And our faith cannot be rooted without hope as the seed. The hope of the gospel is unlike any other religion or way of thinking. Because we don’t have to live in question or of fear of what will happen. We get to live saying MY SAVIOR IS COMING BACK! I can face today because I know my savior is coming back. This hope is life giving. It is so good. And it is changing my mind and my walk on the daily.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭1‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I want to be a person with oil ready, waiting for the bridegroom to come.

God is on the move. Here, the US, Europe, He is moving. He is in control. What a joy that we get to live knowing that and knowing Him.

Thank you all for your support and your prayers, it means more than I could ever express.

Prayer requests:

• health over our physical bodies. We have had quite a bit of sicknesses through our squad. Prayers for healing and for thereto be no more sickness.

• Prayers for meeting with people, especially during Ramadan. That hearts would be softened.

• Prayers for safe travels as we prepare to move to Turkey :)

Thank you all🫶🏻 more to come soon!

With joy,

Emma