It starts with “it”
You find yourself in a new church, feeling somewhat alone among unfamiliar faces. As you look around, everyone seems genuinely happy. You think to yourself, “Wow, they must really have something special here.” So, you decide to come back—again, and again, and again—and eventually, it starts to feel like you are part of it. But what is “it”? You can’t quite describe it. Is it the happiness radiating from those around you? Is it a feeling of acceptance, value, recognition, community, or faith? Is it joy? What exactly is joy? Is it the ability to recognize the worship music that you can now sing along to? Is it overcoming your fear of praying out loud in front of others? Is that what you’ve found here?
If you were fortunate enough to grow up with two Christian parents who had a strong marriage and instilled their Christian values in you, just as they learned from their parents and grandparents—along with a true sense of love, family, belonging, and unwavering faith—consider yourself extremely blessed. That is one of the greatest gifts your parents could have given you. While your life may not have been or will never be perfect, cherish that gift they provided because many people don’t have the same starting point to look back on. Yet, if I hadn’t had the beginning I did, would I be where I am now? I don’t know. My life isn’t perfect, and I’ve made more mistakes than I can count—some of them significant. Some people might say to me, “Kristi, you haven’t seen the worst of it,” and they would be right. I feel that we sometimes envy the mundane, using it as an excuse for our constant longing for more. More what? I don’t know—answers, acceptance, validation, just… more.
In this blog, I promise to share the details of all my mission trips with you. However, I believe it wouldn’t do justice to my story if I didn’t first provide some background about myself, how I feel I got here, and how one week ultimately brought all my questions together into a final masterpiece. Just like an artist who steps back to admire a giant mural they have crafted piece by piece, my story makes sense now—and it is just beginning. I will keep adding to it. But let’s take a step back first, and trust me, we will get there together.
