June: Halfway

It’s hard to believe we’re already six months into this journey. There’s still so much we want to do, and somehow time seems to be slipping through our fingers. More on that later.

We’re home for the month of June and thankful for a season of rest and preparation. I say "rest" loosely because, even after putting most of our careers on pause, life still feels incredibly busy. There are mission trips to plan, bills to pay, chores to finish, emails to answer, supporters to connect with, and countless other responsibilities. Brandon has joked more than once that he has no idea how we ever managed full-time jobs with everything else life demands.

As we’ve reflected on the past six months, one of the biggest differences we've noticed between life in the United States and the cultures we've experienced is the difference in pace and priorities.

We’ve been incredibly blessed to travel throughout our lives, both for mission work and for vacations. Many tourist destinations feel surprisingly familiar because they largely mirror Western culture—everyone is rushing, working long hours, chasing the next achievement, and constantly surrounded by consumerism.

But mission trips are different. They allow us to step into communities that live far removed from many of the conveniences and values we've grown accustomed to, and that perspective has been both humbling and refreshing.

Places like South Africa, Sri Lanka, Peru, Guatemala, and others move at a different pace. Life isn't built around squeezing as much as possible into a day. Instead, people slow down enough to notice each other. They linger in conversation. They gather together without looking at the clock. Children play outside for hours. Neighbors know one another. Families eat meals together without distractions. They don't seem to be constantly chasing what comes next because they're present in what is right in front of them.

One thing we've noticed almost everywhere we've traveled is that people rarely seem "too busy" for each other. We've been welcomed into homes with little notice, invited to share meals with families who had very little, and greeted with genuine joy by people we've never met. Time is given freely because people are often valued more than productivity.

At the same time, we've also seen tremendous hardship. Many of these communities face challenges that most of us in the United States can't fully comprehend—limited access to healthcare, clean water, reliable electricity, employment, education, or even basic necessities. We would never romanticize poverty or suggest that these hardships are something to aspire to. If given the opportunity, many would gladly accept the comforts and opportunities we often take for granted.

Yet despite having less, we've repeatedly encountered a depth of gratitude, generosity, and contentment that has challenged our own hearts. We've watched people who own very little insist on feeding us first. We've seen believers worship with incredible joy despite circumstances that would cause many of us to lose hope. Their happiness isn't rooted in comfort or possessions but in their relationships—with their families, their communities, and ultimately with Christ.

Coming back home always feels a little strange. Within a day or two, it's easy to fall right back into the pace we've always known. Calendars fill up. Notifications pile in. We hurry from one commitment to the next without stopping to ask whether all the busyness is actually producing a life that's honoring God.

The truth is, busyness isn't always faithfulness. Productivity isn't always fruitfulness. Somewhere along the way, our culture has convinced us that if we're not constantly doing, achieving, earning, or planning the next thing, we're somehow falling behind.

Jesus lived with purpose, but He was never hurried. Throughout the Gospels, we see Him stopping for people, making time for interruptions, sharing meals, walking from place to place, and investing deeply in individuals. He accomplished everything the Father gave Him to do, yet He never seemed rushed.

That's been one of the greatest lessons of this journey for us. We're learning that slowing down isn't laziness. Sometimes it's obedience. Sometimes it creates the space to notice the people God has placed right in front of us.

As we move into the second half of this year, that's one of the prayers on our hearts—that we wouldn't simply return home with stories from around the world, but that we'd allow those experiences to reshape the way we live. We don't want to admire these cultures from a distance while continuing to live exactly as we always have. We want to carry their lessons with us: to hold our possessions more loosely, to value people more deeply, to practice gratitude more intentionally, and to remember that the things of eternal value are rarely the things that keep us the busiest.

While we were home this month, we did have the privilege of serving at our home church, Church of the Highlands, during Summer Blast—and let me tell you, it truly was a blast! This was our first time serving in children's ministry together at our church, and it was amazing to see how God had been preparing us. Just weeks earlier, we had been ministering to children in Sri Lanka for VBS, never realizing He was using those experiences to equip us for this opportunity.

Even more special was this year's theme: Mission Possible, centered on the call to go and share the gospel. It felt like such a God wink, reminding us that the mission is the same whether we're serving across the world or right here at home.

We were also so blessed to bring three boys who are very dear to our hearts and watch them experience Summer Blast for the very first time. Seeing their excitement and joy throughout the week was such a gift, and we're grateful we got to share that experience with them.

Now, we are ready to gear up for Peru, so stayed tuned! We are praying for amazing things to come and both just so excited to see and serve alongside some familiar faces!