Life in Georgia

Hey everyone! It is hard to believe that I have been here in Georgia for 18 days! Life is sweet but challenging here, and so I thought l would tell y’all a bit about it!

Where I live! – I am currently living in a tent in a shady patch of woods. I love my tent and having my own little place to retreat to have quiet time with the Lord. Whenever heavy storms come in they have us move inside to our squad meeting point which is where I am writing this blog! 

Staying clean! – For the first two weeks they had us take bucket showers, which work by filling up a five gallon bucket, and using a large measuring cup to pour the water. While I did enjoy those, especially on the warmer days, I am very thankful for the new showers they have built for us. They worked throughout the summer and our first two weeks here to give us indoor showers. New clothe washing stations were also set up before our arrival. These stations have buckets and laundry detergent for us to wash and rinse by hand, and lines for us to hang our clothes on. This is similar to how we will be doing our clothes internationally.

Food- The food here is awesome! The kitchen staff prepare 3 meals a day for us which we eat at the pavilion. We get a little bit of everything here, from pasta, to tacos, to shawarma.  There is a vending machine where we can get snacks but you have to get there quick or else it is all gone. 

Sessions- Every day Monday-Friday after breakfast we go to session. Session is where is get classes on things like how to live in community and healthy spirituality. Session is one of my favorite parts of the day. Each one brings me a new perspective on my relationship with God or others. 

Staying healthy- For the first two weeks that we were here my squad (everyone I am traveling with) was broken up into two cohorts and we were not allowed to interact with the people in the other cohort. We became a united squad last Monday! Every morning we take a survey that asks us if we are having any symptoms and if we are then we have a call with a doctor who decides if we need to take a test. Due to God’s grace no one on campus has tested positive for covid! Even though all of the squads have surpassed the quarantine requirement we are still kept separated to abide by Georgia’s regulations. 

Exciting news: In October we will be going to Louisiana for a week to help with hurricane relief after hurricane Laura! This will be our first ministry opportunity and we are all so excited for it. While being in the states was not our first plan, it was God’s, and I am so looking forward to see what all he has in store for my squad.