“Ministry is Life, Life is Ministry”

In the weeks I have been home, I have had such a sweet opportunity to share what I have been upto with so many people. It has been great to plant seeds of God’s love and divine nature through sharing stories from my time in Fort Myers and my travels to and from Florida. Getting to reunite with so many loved ones has been filled with so much happiness and adventure. I love to call Western Maine my home!

As I have been transitioning home, I have been trying to live out the mantra we learned on The World Race, “Ministry is life, life is ministry”. It’s the idea that as we live in God’s love for us, we can share His love and goodness with others in everything we do. For me, this has looked like naturally sharing the updates of my life with those who ask or who are around me in conversation. It has also looked like sharing updates in churches. I’ve loved the opportunity to live organically and authentically in the places I want to be while proceeding ahead, intentionally considering the importance of God in my day to day. I’ve had the freedom to travel all over Maine to visit family and friends while exploring the beauty of Maine’s rivers, lakes and mountains.

Of course, this has been a transition season for me. Not returning to school this fall has allowed me to come face-to-face with my new reality: there is so much freedom in working remotely! The first few days were daunting as I tried to grasp what it would be like to create my own day to day normalcy and routines. I don’t know if I’ve figured out exactly how to create a daily routine for myself, but I have found peace in the lifestyle I’ve been able to create. Currently, I am working part-time for Adventures in Missions online to update our current ministry locations (WHICH WE HAVE 30 AND MORE ON THE WAY!!), share stories from the missions field (Like how neighbor is helping neighbor in FL following Hurricane Idalia), and connect people with ministry opportunities in a variety of locations (my current locations are: Romania, Columbia, Guatemala, Eswatini and Florida). I love getting to connect with a team of people intentionally seeking to invite others onto the mission field. We work with groups from all over the country to plan their mission experiences and help them become well-equipped to go onto the mission field. I have found so much joy, confirmation and excitement for the work I am doing for AIM.

In addition to the part-time role I currently have at AIM, I have been working part-time in my favorite place on Earth, the Kennebec River Valley of Maine. Here I have been guiding raft trips and serving in the restaurant at Northern Outdoors. This place is so meaningful to me because it is the place where my parents first met, worked, played and fell in love. As a kid, we visited on weekends and found our second home here. Now, I get to share my love for this place with the customers I have and the participants I take down the river! I have many friends here that I get to enjoy adventuring with in my free time as well. It’s so great that I have been able to be part of both of the worlds I love.

This October I have a lot I am looking forward to! First of all, my book, My Kingdom Journey, will be officially available for purchase before the end of the month!!! If you’d like to join my launch team, the first 100 people to be able to purchase and review my book, please let me know!! Secondly, I am helping to put on and lead a Women’s Wellness Conference, right here in Central Maine. It will take place on the evening of Friday, Oct. 13th and the day of Saturday, Oct. 14th. I will be one of the key speakers and will be sharing about how we can move from feeling wounded, to walking in wellness. Our hope is that women know that they are not alone in the struggled they face in their lives, that there is healing for their past pains and that there is hope through the love of God that they can walk in. I can’t wait to love on and encourage the women of my community alongside so many of my very good friends! Lastly, I am hoping to help put on Mario Park, as part of the Madison Trunk or Treat on Halloween night. We will be transforming the park into a Mario Party as kids leave the Trunk or Treat. Like a grand finale, they can run through the park to be greeted by Mario characters, music, candy and fun! I’m hoping to hand out candy atop the playground equipment as Princess Peach!

Needless to say, I’m grateful for my life, my family and the place I get to call HOME. The time for me to go on a mission will come again soon. For now, I’ll live like I’m on a mission right here where God has planted me. I hope this is an encouragement to you to do the same. We don’t have to go around the world to make a difference. We can make a difference right where we are today, just by choosing to love like Jesus, through the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I will be sure to update you as I walk through the excitements October is sure to bring!

Love and Peace to you always!

Savanna