Hello all!
I hope you all are having a very merry Christmas season!
I wanted to write a blog post reflecting on this past year and how ready I am for 2021. Like most of you 2020 has looked very different from what I was expecting and it has been a unique experience in a lot of ways. If you would have told me that I was going to commit to a mission trip that was going to take me away from everything I know for 11 months, I would have laughed in your face. However, looking back on this year everything has pointed me towards this.
The year started as normal but, quickly everything changed. I did not get to work at the place I loved but, I fell even more in love with my creative outlet that I wanted to start a business around it. I was also so lucky to be able to go back to school to work towards a degree that will help me accomplish my career goals. Some of you may know that this year has also brought a lot of heartache and frustration. My family and I also had to watch my grandmother pass away and everything that goes along with that. This was not the year we thought it would be but, it still came along with so many blessings. I got to reconnect with people I hadn’t spoken to in years, I got to watch my nephew grow and become a hilarious little boy, and I was shown that I am capable of so much more than I thought I was.
If this year has shown me anything, it is that God will always have a plan for me and my life even if it is not clear to me what it is. This trip is a prime example of that. I never thought I would go on a mission strip let alone one that is a year long. When I was thinking and praying about committing to this trip my two main concerns were funding and how it would affect my future. I was so worried that after being older than your average college student, that putting off finishing my degree for another year would put a serious wrench in achieving my life goals. But, this was always apart of God’s plan for me and though I will be earning my degree way later than I originally planned, I know that this is going according to God’s plan for me and my life.
Overall, this year has looked very different from what I had anticipated but, in a way it is a good thing that it was different. This year has taught me so much and has showed me things about the world and myself that I want to change. What this year has really showed me is that I am looking forward to it being over! I am so looking to next year and all of the adventures I will experience in it.
I want to thank everyone who has helped make this year tolerable! I hope you all have a way better 2021 and I cannot wait to see how next is for everyone! So have a very merry Christmas and an even better New Year!
– Katie Abbott
