On the race, we do something called feedback. During this time, we are able to give feedback to our team regarding their character.

One of my teammates gave me feedback encouraging me to find the Lord in different ways. If you know me at all, you know that I have a huge heart for journaling. So I started thinking about the feedback, and the next Saturday, I decided to go hiking at a volcano called Pichincha. Because of the altitude, this hike was hard, but I spent the day with people who I haven’t spent a lot of time with, so it was a really sweet day.

As I was hiking, I started to pray, and I decided that I was going to spend the day with Jesus. I tend to hear the Lord’s voice more clearly when I’m in nature. The Lord spoke to me, and here is what he said.

This was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done. It was absolutely breathtaking, and the beauty of the Lord was evident, and I was so sweetly reminded of it. I began to have so many overwhelming feelings of thankfulness.

I was so thankful and reminded of the darkness that the Lord had brought me out of and the light that I was so graciously brought into. I was so thankful for the opportunity that the Lord has given me over these last nine months. I said over and over, “Wow! How is this my life? Thanks, Jesus.” I was forever thankful for the opportunities that have been placed in front of me, and I was in even more disbelief that this is actually my life.

The Lord brought me out of so much darkness and gave me a journey with him that is so uncomprehendingly beautiful.

One of the coolest things is that the Lord meets us where we are at. We can find him anywhere simply because he is everywhere. I’ve learned that we can find God in anything we do, and I pray that my eyes can be more opened to recognizing God in everything that I do.

As our day went on, it was so peaceful, and I was reminded that we have a God of peace. Towards the end of our hike, I was beyond ready for the day to be over, so I started to very recklessly run down the hills. And all of a sudden, it hit me. I felt so free and so much joy. I was reminded of the reckless love that is poured out over me, and I was also reminded that our God is a god of freedom.

This was a hard hike. It was rugged, many parts were ankle-breaking and much of it was “give everything you’ve got” hills.

The previous week was hard. So many times, I am so excited to share the good times on the race, but I’m often so reluctant to share the difficult times. It’s hard to share with the world that we struggle, but this was a week where I struggled.

Anything and everything was beating me up and down, and I couldn’t catch a break. I was in a place that wasn’t me, and I most definitely wasn’t myself. This week, for the first time, I was ready to come home. But as I was hiking, I was reminded that sometimes in our lives, things are hard. Sometimes, things are easy. Sometimes, we want to fall over, but sometimes, we have the strength to take one more step.

Last week, I wanted to fall over, but the Lord spoke so softly and said, “You want to fall over and quit, but I’m going to give you the strength to take one more step. You are struggling. That’s OK. I have declared that you will suffer and endure hardships. Not every season with me is beautiful.”

God said, “You are broken, but I will use you, and I will establish great things through you.”

Sometimes, life gets hard. Sometimes, life is beautiful. And sometimes, we just need some sweet reminders of the Father’s love, his beauty and his steadfast pursuit of us.

I found God in a new way, and he spoke so clearly because he is good.

Continue to keep me in your prayers as I return home in five short weeks.