Incase somehow among all my many posts and pictures on social media you missing the announcement, I now live in Missouri! It's crazy to think about, but I live in a totally different state 6 hours away from my family and friends.
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It took me till the next morning to finally begin to settle in a little bit, but after I woke up and got to the cafeteria, it started to feel easier to take in.
When I moved in I wasn't necessarily overwhelmed, I just felt overwhelmingly tired and events kept happening.
That evening we met in the lobby of our dorm to get to know our RA's and dorm mom (Mama Judy.) After an hour of chilling with everyone we split of into our life groups.
Life groups are basically a small group each student is placed into to spend the semester (or year, not sure) with and get to know on a deeper level and have fun with and check in with each other. We went to my life group leader's house and we enjoyed a fire with s'mores in Missouri's fine 90 degree weather!
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I've been here since August 18th and I really love it! I do miss all my friends back home, especially those I'm so used to seeing multiple times a week. I've even started a countdown till I can come back and see them all again!
I'm making some great friends, but I'm also still struggling to find those people I can go to to confide in (that will come with time.)
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So far my homework has been manageable and I have been able to stay on top of everything and be done in a good period of time. I am in 5 classes and I am also in choir.
This semester the choir will be performing in chapel a few times so we are working on different worship arrangements but not your typical worship music. One song we have so far is the old version of O Happy Day with all the fun harmonies! It's a small choir- maybe about 15-20 guys and gals, but so far we've been having some fun.
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Let me tell you, I don't need to exercise after climbing over 50 steps each day! Anytime I go down to the cafeteria or the gym/chapel I have to climb a fine amount of cement steps. If I come home and don't have super muscular legs than I did something wrong. They aren't as bad as I thought, and I enjoy pushing myself to run up them when I get the chance. . . Sometimes I skip the stairs and dart up the hill beside them for a better calf workout. Fun facts from Sarah.
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If I did pick anything to say that I have really enjoyed about communal bathrooms that I didn't expect to was: when you go in to take a shower and 2 people are already having a conversation about the weirdest things, they don't hear you walk in and get in the shower, and they continue to talk about really strange things while you're right beside them. It's no big deal. The best part is when you get out and they see you've been there the entire time and burst out laughing. I suppose college has given me ninja skills!
My bedroom also happens to be right across from the bathroom and the water fountain. While this is incredibly convenient, it is also entertaining for when the girls have funny conversations, water fights, and are on sugar highs at midnight. I don't need to leave my dorm to be in on the action- all I have to do is open my door and take out an earbud. BOOM. It's like I'm in there with them without leaving my bed.
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Yesterday afternoon a group of us were able to travel a few minutes out of downtown and go to a small waterfall and stream in the country. Everyone refers to it as the Falls. It was absolutely breathtaking and I can't wait to go back and go swimming! I'll post some picture in another blog post I have coming in the near future so stay tuned!
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As far as things I've learned in my spiritual life, God has spoken to me in so many ways I can hardly believe. It warms my heart when I'm at lunch or studying with a group of friends and they all have the same passion for Jesus that I do. When the chapel services include more genuine worship than many of the mega churches back home, my heart is happy.
There are certain areas of my life where I am praying for guidance in how to handle things, one area in particular, and as I've been praying and listening for what to do, the word patience keeps being brought to mind. . . The funny thing is, if there's one area of my life I struggle the most (besides knowing when to stop talking) it's patience.
It's not that I want everything right now, it's not knowing when I will find an answer or receive when I am waiting for. So in short, I struggle with the unknown that comes with patience. You know those days when God assures you that things will go a certain way, you just don't know when He will fulfill that plan? Yeah, that's how I feel right now. . . I've been waiting and praying faithfully for about 2 months now, and I know He's going to come thru for me, I just need to wait and trust Him for the timing.
In the meantime I'll focus on Him more than anything else, work on trusting Him when my flesh wants to take matters into my own hand and choose my own timing, and reflect on how my life as a follower of Jesus is being show in my day-to-day life.
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I guess you could say things have sort of clicked for me in college. I don't mind being in another state away from family, and I don't mind making all my own choices or relying on myself and God for most everything.
I spent the last year of my life seeking God beyond all else and learning to love Him when everything else is falling apart. I'm still waiting to write out my entire testimony (I'm thinking I'll wait till I have to write it out for a class so it's organized and I haven't forgotten anything) or possibly do it video style and post the link. I feel like my testimony has been such a powerful reminder to myself of how God works for the good of His children, those who seek His will and trust Him, and how He takes those who are at their worst and turns them from rocks into rubies.
After a year like I had, I'd come to realize God was preparing me for the life I would have here in Missouri. One of the girls on my floor and I have already had a heart-to-heart with part of our stories, and the empathy and closeness of understanding each other was beautiful. I knew my life the past few years was harder and more challenging than I ever wish upon anyone else, but I wouldn't change what I went through for anything. I am not the same young woman I was 4 years ago and I owe all that to God and His plan.
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To sum everything up that I just said before I end this post:
- I moved to Missouri for school
- My leg muscles are gonna be super awesome
- Communal bathrooms are entertaining and I enjoy them
- Waterfalls are so peaceful but also so powerful
- God has spoken to me in new, more powerful ways
- I am working on patience and waiting on God's timing
Just kidding. I forgot one- PSYCH!
- I went to a beginner's swing dance class tonight and I was oddly entertained at how awkward I can be with footwork, but I also laughed a lot at myself and discovered that swing dancing is super fun and I want to do it again.
Alright, thanks for sticking with me this long!
I miss ya'll (no, Missouri didn't make me say that, I did it before I moved haha) and I hope to hear from you soon as I continue on with blog posts!
Feel free to message me on Facebook comment below, or shoot me a text or phone call to chat!
"Where God Guides, He Provides."
Sarah
