Daily Life in North Carolina

Note before reading: This blog gives an overall glimpse of my two weeks in North Carolina. Of course, each day was a bit different, but I wanted to provide a perspective on my daily life. Enjoy!

Each morning, I woke up in my tent, dreading leaving the warmth of my sleeping bag to change into cold clothes in the 40° weather. After gathering the courage to face the cold, I walked in the dark up the hill to the Center for breakfast at 6:30. We ate oatmeal each day, which wasn’t exciting, but we were grateful for the food. After eating, we left the Center by 7:30 to take turns washing our faces in the two sinks upstairs. Thankfully, there was warm water! Then, we waited till 8:40 to leave for ministry. I spent that hour with God in order to prepare for the day. (Some days I slept through breakfast to get extra rest).

8:40 would come and we would head to ministry! Right before we climbed and crammed into the vans, we learned where we were going and what we would be doing for the day. Each day was different. Most of the first week, I helped with housekeeping at a local conference center. The second week, I cleaned the floors of a thrift store, helped hand out food for a non-profit, transported boxes for some people moving, and completed yard work at a house.

Ministry ended at 4 each day, and we headed back to Excel College, where we were staying. At 4:30, everyone had team time. Team time changed each day, but, as the name implies, it was a time to hang out with my team. We spent it getting to know one another, growing closer to each other and God. I love my team and how we point each other back to God, supporting each other on the good days and on the hard days.

Lastly, we ate dinner around 6 and had free time afterwards. Often, I spent free time hanging out in whatever inside space was available before going to my tent for bed. Most frequently, I would sit in the gym, reading books or talking with friends.

Overall, North Carolina taught me to focus on the bigger picture. A lot of what we did was not exciting. Many hours were spent working alone or in silence. However, I loved the moments I talked with the people I served. I learned about their life stories, and they would share how much our help meant to them. It was in those small, brief moments that I caught a glimpse of what God sees. I saw how God knew why He placed us at the ministries we served even when I often didn’t. These two weeks gave me daily opportunities to trust in God’s greater picture over the momentary perspective I held.

Now, I am back in Georgia for a week of debrief before heading to Guatemala this weekend. I am very excited for what’s ahead and all God has planned. I’m sure I won’t understand a lot of it, but it will definitely continue the lesson God began in North Carolina of daily trust in Him.