What Home Means to Me

Home. Home is somewhere I feel known. Home is where my family is. Home is where I can be myself. Home is where my best friends are. So the question is, where is home? Ask me that one month ago and I would’ve said Marietta Georgia. That is where I was known, my family was there, I could be myself, and my friends were there. Sounds like home right? Two or so months in, I think home has changed a little bit. While Marietta will always be part of “home” I think home has grown. Ask me now, where is home? I can say home is here with my team. They are family. They know and can see who God is changing me into. I can be completely myself. They’re definitely my best-friends. So thanks God for these people and places I get the honor to call home.
I wrote this little poem type thing in my journal a month or so ago, but now coming home from New Orleans ,Louisiana it seems even more relevant. This past two weeks my team and I have been working with Samaritans Purse doing Hurricane relief. This was my squad’s first time leaving Gainesville, so we were all so pumped to get to start ministry. We all crowded into the sanctuary of Saints Community Church, because this would be home for the next two weeks. Our mornings started at the bright and early hour of 5am. We all ate breakfast together and made our sack lunches for the day, then headed off to the homes that were assigned to our teams.. These jobs could range from removing mold out of walls, from the floods of hurricane Ida to hammering down tarps on roofs. This was all so amazing to do, but I would say the most incredible part was being able to meet and form relationships with the owners of the homes we went to. They all were so hopeful and strong, even through this devastation they were going through. I walked into their home thinking how much of a light I was going to be for them, but honestly it seemed like it was the opposite. Seeing them gave me so much hope and joy. I could truly see that Jesus is moving all throughout Louisiana, and it was so sweet. When our day was over the squad met back up for dinner and shared all the things they saw God do throughout the day. There were always so many stories of God’s glory to listen to. I feel as though Louisiana was a great way to prepare for Costa Rica. I learned with such a busy ministry schedule it’s easy to forget to spend that needed time with Jesus. I am learning that to pour out ,we first need to be poured into. “Give us this day our daily bread” Mathew 6:11. He is teaching me this is an everyday request, and he will fill me up. Now, sitting here only five days away from being in Jaco I feel beyond excited to go. I am ready to see what the Lord has planned for me and my squad these next two months! Some prayer requests for my team would just be for all of us to stay healthy, unity for the squad, and for the hearts of the people we speak to in Costa Rica to be open and ready!

Thanks for Reading!
-Libby