It’s been about a week and a half since returning back to America. It’s quite an odd feeling being back. Part of me feels like I never left but at the same time another part of me feels like I’ve been gone for years. I’m trying to break habits that I’ve gained from living in different cultures around the world that are no longer necessary. I keep accidentally putting the toilet paper in the trash can. My little sister had to continually remind me to put on my seat belt every time I got in her car. I keep having to remind myself that it is now okay to use my left hand and that it’s no longer offensive. I keep gesturing “come here” with a downward hand instead of upward. The list goes on and on. My friends, culture shock is a real thing. When I dug all of my clothes out of my storage unit, I was honestly shocked at the amount of clothes that I had left behind that I “thought” I needed. After living out of a backpack for a year and seeing what poverty looks like, it sickened me. So, I might have went a little crazy and sent off the majority of my clothes to be donated. I looked at the amount of things I had that I was previously so hesitant to get rid of because I thought one day I might “need” them. I realized I don’t need any of those things. Honestly, all that I need is Jesus. That’s one of the biggest things this year has taught me. It was pretty freeing to be able to come back to America and no longer feel like I’m in bondage to material things, especially in such a “Give me! Give me!” culture.
All in all, being back in the states with my family is really nice. I’m enjoying the time that I’m getting to spend with them after being gone for a year. I’m soaking in the moments while I can, knowing I don’t have much time with them, which brings me to the entire reason for this blog: In just one short month, I AM MOVING TO GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA! I have been accepted into a discipleship program with a leadership focus. It’s a 5-month program called CGA (Center for Global Action) where I will continue learning and growing. Let me give you some context regarding this decision. Then, I’ll explain how it all connects.
- At the beginning of the World Race, God walked me through some major identity issues that I had. He removed awful lies that I had believed about myself and showed me my true identity, as His very own daughter. He replaced those lies with His truth. Through Him, I overcame those struggles and became more and more rooted in my true identity.
- Throughout my entire life, I have struggled with dealing with my emotions in a healthy way. Although I have grown leaps and bounds over the last year I’m handling those emotions in healthy ways, there is still a lot of room to grow in this. My teammates on the World Race had to help me in this area more times than I can count.
- Another thing i really struggled with on the World Race was learning how to communicate in healthy ways. I would say that I probably grew the most in this area. I learned what it looks like to have hard conversations. I learned that immediate reconciliation is always the healthy way to go. I had to remove all of the unhealthy habits I had used to communicate with people my entire life and ask God to replace those habits with new, healthy habits. I learned how to stick around and be transparent/clear instead of giving up and running away from conflict.
- Something that intimidated me on the World Race was leadership, the thought of me being a leader. Leadership had been spoken over me all year, and that scared me. I knew that God wanted to use me to be an influence to others in an incredible way but I didn’t have the confidence to step into that fully. I grew in boldness throughout the year by being obedient when God asked me to do things that entailed me being a leader. I learned to speak up and use the voice that God has given me, no matter how hard it might be at times.
God held my hand so tightly and walked me through fires of refinement this year while I was overseas. These lessons I mentioned were all a crucial part of my year. I’ve grown a lot in each of these areas but still have a lot more to overcome in all of these things. With jumping into this next season at CGA, the coolest part is that all of the struggles I listed above are the majority of the curriculum I will be digging into at CGA which was confirmation that this is where I’m supposed to be next year. Identity formation, emotional/physical/spiritual health, communication, and leadership are all things that I will be learning more about and digging EVEN DEEPER into while living in Gainesville this Spring! I am hungry to become more and more of the woman that God has called me to be. I am ready to grow in experience and confidence. I’m hungry for more of the Word of God. Ultimately, I’m hungry for more of Him. A lot of prayer was put into this next step and I firmly believe that God wouldn’t have opened this door if it wasn’t exactly where He wanted me in this next season. I am so thankful for another opportunity to further His Kingdom and become the leader He has asked me to be.
However, since nothing in this world comes without a cost, I will need to fundraise the money needed for the classes and housing at CGA. I have to raise $5,950 which will cover the entire semester. To be honest, this amount seems refreshing after having to raise $18,200 for the World Race this past year! I know that God has called me to CGA and that He won’t leave me out to dry. I have SEEN and experienced His faithfulness and His provision. I have no doubt that He will provide the full amount. With this being said, my FIRST deadline is January 17th, with an amount of $2,000. This is due before I can actually move in. If you feel God tugging on your heart to help support me, I’ve provided all the information on how you can donate below! Any and all donations are highly appreciated. Do you believe in me as a leader? Will you prayerfully consider helping me get there?
P.S. If y’all have any questions for me regarding the World Race, CGA, or fundraising I’d love to answer your questions. Just shoot me a message. I love each and every one of you! Can’t wait to share more with you guys!
Ways you can donate:
By scrolling to the very top of this blog and clicking the orange “donate” button in the top right corner.
Venmo: Katrina-Chaney-2
PayPal: PayPal.Me/KatrinaChaney
