(A Recap)
It’s 2020! 🥳 A new year! A new decade! Time to talk about…last year. 😑 That’s right. I still have a few more blog posts to recap 2019 before I move on. Why? I don’t know. I have a process. I can’t seem to move on until I finish what I set out to accomplish. This feels like a sickness. Fix it, Jesus. Someone lay hands on me…or something. 🤦♀️ Anyways…May.
May is up next. If you have no idea why it’s taken me so long to write about May 2019, you should click here. Long story, short: I have an ongoing battle with an infection that wants to kill me. Turns out, that’ll slow a girl down! All my carefully crafted plans have gone up in the dumpster fire that is currently my life. Instead, I actually get to lean into God. Trust Him. Trust His timing. Trust His promises. I would never wish this on anyone…but what a gift it’s turned out to be. 🙌
May. Back to May. May 1st found us in a tiny town in Idaho. ❤️ We’ll resume our story here. (Reminder: Posts in italics = our words)
We really had no idea what to expect when we arrived in Idaho. Potatoes? Lots of potatoes? 🥔 😉 I mean…there were potatoes. But little did we know the faith-stretching that was about to take place in this desert…
”Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” – Psalms 33:12
One of the most interesting things we’ve been able to observe is how different churches operate across the United States. It’s fascinating. Beautiful. We now have a much better, more complete understanding of how the Church operates as a body. Each part really, truly does bring something unique & special to the table. ❤️
Today is our country’s #NationalDayOfPrayer. We make it a priority to be present in any community we stay in. And the community we’re in now values prayer! It’s inspiring. They believe in the power of prayer. For this community, it’s not just a one-day emphasis.
🙏🏻 The Saturday before National Day of Prayer, the community gathers for a Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. All are welcome. The mayor issues a proclamation, and the community prays for our nation’s leaders.
🙏🏻 Every 1st Thursday of the month, they gather at the City Council Chambers. They pray for their community leaders. Their state leaders. Our nation’s leaders. And our first responders & military. They do this every month. Once again, all members of the community are invited & encouraged to attend. Everyone’s welcome. 💗
In addition to all this, the church we’re staying with also sets aside two days a week for prayer – separate & apart from their worship services! They gather Monday mornings to pray for the prayer requests the church receives on Sundays. Thursday evenings are devoted to praying for the members of the congregation.
We’ve been blessed to witness such devotion to prayer. We, too, believe that prayer is powerful, and that prayer is effective. But, to be honest, we can’t say we’ve been as devoted as the people in this small Idaho community. Our faith has been stretched, once again.
Why are we sharing this? So you’ll be encouraged. So you’ll be inspired. So you’ll remember what His word says – if we humble ourselves, and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways…He will hear. He will forgive. And He will heal our land. From sea to shining sea. Hallelujah! 🙌🏻
(Idaho)
Huh. We weren’t expecting that. We were missionaries! Five months in meant we had a pretty good handle on the “good Christian” thing. We were so amazing. Our faith was so inspiring! Everyone said so. But this tiny little town of Filer, Idaho brought us to our knees – and we’re so thankful. 🙏 Settled into our new home, we got back to work…but not before sharing a little Star Wars humor. #MayTheFourthBeWithYou
“These are not the droids you are looking for. You will let us pass.” 💖
Sometimes I share stuff that has nothing to do with our ministry…because I also want to share our lives. This is a throwback to 2017. Check out Brian‘s short hair & smooth face! 😳 What a difference a few years make! Alyssa was right, though. Kylo did let us pass. 😏 Happy #StarWarsDay, everyone!
In the meantime, we reached a milestone by topping 200 Facebook followers. We like to celebrate the small victories around here! 🥳🙌
Facebook tells us we’ve topped 200 likes! 😄🎉🙌🏼 Thank you so much!!! You’ve all been incredible. We appreciate your support, your prayers…your sticking with us as we bumble through life, trying to figure out what we’re doing…😏
We really do appreciate all of you. Thank you. ❤️
(USA)
We’d spent a bit of time introducing ourselves on the blog in April. May meant it was time to start recapping old posts. I thought it would be easy; that I’d be done in a few days. I thought wrong.
Well. I think you’ve heard enough about us for a bit. Check out the blog to read a recap of some of 2018’s most inspiring testimonies!
Alrighty. We’ve given proper introductions, and we’ve shared 2018’s inspirational posts. But, sometimes, life is…not great. Can anyone relate? 🙋♀️ Check out today’s blog post to see how we handle the not-so-great testimonies & moments in life.
Anyone need a good laugh? Be sure to check out today’s blog post! We recapped all the posts from 2018 that made us chuckle. Teaser: the first post is still one of our favorites of all time! 😂
We did it!!! 🙌🏼 2018’s posts have all been summarized & shared. Be sure to check out our blog for the recap posts. Today’s topic: hodgepodge. These the posts we couldn’t quite define. 😏
Did you know parts of Idaho are desert? They’re also excellent farmland, because the land is irrigated. Local people called it Magic Valley. Because, when you bring water to it, magic happens. 🥰 Still, it’s a desert. Hardly any rain falls. At least, that’s what the locals told us. 😏 We were fortunate enough to witness three of the most beautiful rainbows I’ve ever seen in my life. 🌈😍 #MayShowers
Locals: “You know, this is actually a desert. This is what happens when you irrigate a desert. We get less rain than Phoenix!”
God: 🌦🌈🌦🌈 (On two separate days.)
Us: 😍😍😍😍😍
Locals: 😳😍😳😍😳 “This is very rare! It doesn’t usually rain this time of year.”
Thanks, God. 😁
(Idaho)
I’m going to share this again. Because we’re on Day 3, now. 😍🌈😍🌈😍🌈
Keep in mind, I hadn’t tried to die (the second time) yet. And my kids were starting to voice their own ambitions. I try to be a good mom. To not squash their little spirits. So…this happened:
Okay. Deep breath. This is a big step for me. My children are getting their own Instagram accounts. 😳 It’s a good thing. Really. They need a place to document their own perspectives on this journey. They’re mature. They’re responsible. I trust them. Still, I struggle with the urge to keep them close & smother…er…protect them as long as possible. I struggle against the urge to respond to their budding independence like this: 😱😩😭😱
So. Prayers are greatly appreciated! This is such a small step – but it feels huge. We’re setting up an account for each child. The goal is to start off posting once a week. Caleb’s up first. You can find him on Instagram at @calebyoung.adventures. Feel free to follow him & give him a like for support!
Many of you seem interested in the kids’ perspectives. Here’s your chance to hear from them first-hand!
Aaaannnndddd, Tristan’s on Instagram. Oy. I’m not ready for this. But, you can find him @tristanyoung.adventures.
He’s a great kid. You should go check him out! He’ll make you laugh. 😄
Last, but not least…Miss Alyssa made it on Instagram. 😱😉 In the interest of being totally transparent, you’re not supposed to have an Instagram account until you’re at least 13. Alyssa’s 11. Which means that every single Insta interaction she has will take place with either the Young Mom or the Young Dad by her side. 😄 Still, it’s a good way to give her her own voice.
This girl, y’all. 💖 She’s a firecracker. And she’s so stinking cute. A few months ago, a nice lady in Arizona gifted Alyssa with a rock painted like a hedgehog. Hedgehog has now made it into every photo of a “big” landmark. Alyssa has decided that she will share Hedgehog with the world, via #hedgehogsofinstagram posts. 😍🦔 Oh, boy.
So. Hop on over to Instagram & check her out – @alyssayoung.adventures
You can find her brothers at @calebyoung.adventures & @tristanyoung.adventures. These kids…they’re going to wear me out! But, you’ll probably enjoy them. 😏
The kids still have their Instagram accounts. We have not kept up with consistent posts. (Shocker!) But they have managed to post occasionally. We don’t manage to get much done when I’m in infection-battling mode. 🤷♀️ But we do have goals for 2020. We’ll see how it goes. At any rate, I picked back up with my blog recaps.
A new blog post is up!!! 🙌🏼 This one recaps all of our January posts. Now. You may be thinking: “I already read all their January posts. I don’t need to take the time to read this blog post.” And, that’s where you’re wrong, my friends! Yes, this is a recap. But. I’ve included many details that may be of interest to you.
📆 If time matters to you, this post may be of interest. I organized our journey in an order that actually makes sense, as opposed to the random hodgepodge way originally shared on social media.
📍 I included specific locations. Remember all those glorious sunrise photos of the east coast? 😍🌅 I shared the specific locations, with links so you, too, can enjoy such spectacular sights! 😏
💗 You know, most of you just don’t see every post I make here. Facebook won’t allow it. So, if you read the blog post, it’ll be a massive dose of encouragement & inspiration. God is up to great things in Florida! Check it out.
Then, I hit the wall. Exhaustion set in. We moved on to Etna, Wyoming – which we loved! – but, honestly, I felt so bad. I felt like I rolled into town on fumes. We met so many kind, gracious, loving people…and I couldn’t even enjoy them. It was a pretty tough time for me, and I’m praying God leads us back there someday so I can devote more time & energy to these wonderful people! But, by the end of May, I was pretty worn out.
Hey, everyone. How’s your Thursday going? I’ll be honest: mine didn’t start out great. Today has been a day where all my faults are glaringly obvious. I can’t do anything right. Can’t do anything well. Or, at least not well ENOUGH. 😒 Can anyone relate? Anyone else feel like you have great intentions…but you can never actually carry out those intentions? It’s exhausting.
Today, I got up & reread a post I made a few weeks ago. We had just settled in Idaho, and I’d made a few goals. Let’s see how I measured up!
1️⃣ Get our newsletter set up: ❌
2️⃣ Get our first “treasure boxes” ready & shipped out: ❌
3️⃣ Start writing the blog posts that will feed the website: Ehh…sort of. 😕 I did manage to write a few blog posts. Ones that recapped what I’ve already posted on Facebook. I still haven’t managed to process the testimonies we’ve been gathering, though. We’re collecting them at a faster rate than I can get through them & churn them out in written form. Which is great! But it also has me feeling all 😩.
So. That pretty much sums up my life right now. 0/3. Praise God! 🙌🏼
But, seriously. Praise God. I may not have accomplished what I set out to accomplish. But, I feel incredibly blessed – despite all my “failings.” It started to sink in a week or so ago…
“I mean, think about how exhausting it is to move. Even just across town! You have to find a new grocery store, or even where everything IS in your new grocery store. You have to learn new routes to places you want to go. I mean, it takes you a solid month to find the good coffee! And you’re never in one place that long! You’re always moving! That’s got to be exhausting.”
(Idaho)
😳🤔😳
Huh. It IS exhausting. Honestly, I’d never really thought about it. But, my new friend was right. We’re constantly on the move. And we love it! But we never get to feel at home. We’re always on the lookout for the best grocery stores. The best local sites to see. The churches we want to worship with. We’re always forming new friendships. Any other introverts out there? 🙋♀️ Can you imagine what my life is like?! I love people. But, man…it’s exhausting.
So. Maybe I should cut myself a little slack. Maybe I should open my eyes, look around & see how God is using me. Maybe I should see how I measure up by His standards:
✅ We’ve continued to gather testimonies. In every community we’ve visited. God is at work, y’all. We’re not sure when or how He will make these stories known, but the time IS coming. #StayTuned
✅ We spent Mother’s Day having lunch with & gathering a testimony from a woman who had lost a child. Her son would have been around my age. 💔 Listening to the story of a woman who lost a child – on Mother’s Day – brings a bit of perspective. Thankfulness really does solve a lot of problems. And it was an honor to spend the day with that precious, beautiful lady.
✅ We’ve formed relationships with people, and tried our best to be an encouragement to the communities we’re fortunate enough to live in for a time.
✅ We’ve worked in these communities. We’ve done yard work. Helped the elderly. Built things. We’ve prayed for so many people. ❤️ It’s such a blessing & honor.
✅ I’ve spent quality time with my children. Whenever possible, I take a daily walk. Sometimes these walks give me one-on-one time with each of my kids. Sometimes we go as a family. Either way, it’s time I cherish.
✅ I’ve invested in my kids’ education. When we started traveling in January, we quickly fell behind in our schoolwork. Over the past few weeks, we’ve managed to almost catch up in most areas – and even work ahead in others. 🙌🏼
✅ I set all three of my kids up with Instagram accounts! This felt like such a terrifying step, but they’ve been asking for a while. If you don’t know this about me, I’m not particularly tech savvy. This process has been interesting, fun, exhausting, and frustrating. But worth it.
✅ We moved from Idaho to Wyoming. Only a few hours away – but the searches began again. Wyoming’s a bit…remote. And it’s still cold enough to snow out here. Quite an adjustment!
✅ We’ve prioritized people. I know I alluded to this before. But we really, truly do try our best to fully immerse ourselves in the communities we live in. We attend all church gatherings we possibly can. We meet all the people. Get to know them. Help where we can. Share meals. Pray. And allow ourselves to open our hearts wider than we ever thought possible. Knowing that, in a few short weeks, we’ll move again. And we’ll miss you.
Wow. When I look at my life that way, I don’t feel like such a failure. It’s funny how that works. 😏 Are you struggling today, friends? Do you need to adjust how you see yourself? We’re all just constantly moving through this life. Maybe today we can cut ourselves a little slack.
I’m not giving up on my goals. The newsletter will get done. The boxes will get sent out. The testimonies will get processed. But, not today. Today, I’m going to take a deep breath. Relax. Hand my burdens over to Jesus. And thank Him for this wonderful life I have. 💗 Feel free to give that a try with me.
I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but Brian and I both come from military families. Brian’s father was a Master Chief in the Navy. He served in Vietnam. He has several uncles who serve in the Air Force. My grandfather fought in World War II, and I also have several uncles who are veterans. We will always take time to thank those who protect our freedoms. ❤️🇺🇸
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”
(George S. Patton)
You know. I had big plans to make a great #MemorialDay post today. I was going to go through some of our testimonies. We’ve interviewed a few veterans. I had plans to find a few good quotes to share.
#ChangeOfPlans. Instead, I found myself spending time with my three children. We talked about all our relatives & ancestors who are veterans. We talked about all the places we’ve visited that honor veterans: Which ones were our favorites. Why we liked those places. How they changed our perspective on our soldiers & the price they were willing to pay.
How very thankful we are. ❤️🇺🇸
It was a day well spent. Happy Memorial Day, everyone. May we all thank God for the men & women who are willing to give their very lives for our freedoms.
By the end of May, we had our next orders: It was time to go back to Arkansas. Again. That was not our plan. But, by now, we’ve learned to quit arguing. When God says, “Go,”…we go. He always has a reason. We usually don’t know that reason. And this time was no exception. Before we left, though, we took a few days to check out Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. What a way to boost our weary spirits for the trip back to Arkansas! I can find God in nature. Every. Time. 💗🙌
Hi. We’re still here. We’ve just had some important decisions to make, so we took a couple of days to relax, enjoy our family, think, and pray. And pray. And pray some more. Did you know that God gave us a big, BEAUTIFUL country?! Perfect for seeking His face. He’s there. Just look for still waters, pastures, rocks, and the light. He’s in all of them. 💗
So. May ended with us making plans to return to Arkansas. For a “brief stay”…that wouldn’t be brief. We’re still in Arkansas. Not much was posted after this point, which means I’ll only need one more blog post to finish recapping all of 2019. 🙌🙌🙌 Stick with us, though. Even though it doesn’t seem like we’ve been doing much, God was very much at work in our lives. He’s always behind the scenes, using our moments of waiting to prepare us for what’s next. And I can’t wait to share what’s next.
Interested in sharing your story? Like what we’re doing, and want to help keep the campfires burning? Want to offer a word of encouragement? We’d love to hear from you!
