it's worth it.

well friends, 
i made it to jinotega.


saying goodbye to los cedros was difficult. i felt like i was just getting comfortable with everyone and with the living situation. i had started to form relationships with the cooks and the tias. i was getting used to the bugs and the heat.


but when i was back in the states, the Lord called me to Jinotega.
so here i am.
starting new. by myself. and struggling.


things are very much different here in jinotega. the facility is all in one place as compared to the different buildings in los cedros. there's not much privacy and it's quite loud. 


but that's okay. because serving Christ isn't comfortable. serving and living for Christ is messy and not always what we want it to be. it's hard and it's work and it's a commitment. it's crying in the bathroom and feeling exhausted and making the best of things. it's reading your Bible and trusting that He has a plan. it's being learning to be satisfied in His love and His love alone. it's feeling lonely and being different, but rejoicing in Him nonetheless. it's getting out of your comfort zone. it's going through hard times to further the kingdom. it's putting yourself aside, so that you can put others first.

it's hard guys.
but it's worth it.

do you think the disciples would have kept preaching the Gospel if it wasn't? do you think they would be willing to be put to death if the outcome wasn't going to be freaking awesome and worth it? do you think God would let his Son DIE ON A CROSS if it wasn't going to be worth it?


suffering sucks.
but the love of Christ and the hope of Heaven doesn't.
it's everything.
it's what gets me through each day.
it's what pushes me to love those around me. it helps me to eat more rice and beans and to study more spanish. it helps me to put aside the feeling of loneliness. it helps me to not dwell on being homesick and missing my loved one. 


guys.
living for Christ is worth it.

it's worth it in Owasso, Oklahoma.
it's worth it in Columbia, Missouri.
it's worth it in Alaska and India and Florida and Bixby and STL and Nicaragua.
it's worth it in the desert and in the rain.
it's worth it when it's hard and it's worth it when it's good.


so. i keep going. i keep going for Christ and I dwell in His goodness and in His steadfastness and in His love and His fountain of life. 
because living for Him is worth it wherever I am and wherever you are.

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