Spain

I had a revelation the other day. I walked past the window in our living room and saw the sun shining on the Mediterranean Sea. It was cold outside but I couldn’t resist going out to the patio to stare. I stood there for several minutes and gazed out at the sea. God always brings me back to the sea.

I thought about the fact that I’ve dreamt of living in Spain since I was a child. I have bucket lists that I made in elementary school that have “live in Spain” always listed near the top. And here I am. It hasn’t hit me. Except for this moment. I said to myself over and over again “I live in Spain. I live in Spain. I live in Spain.” – in an attempt to believe it. I looked down at the cup of tea I had been holding. The mug I was using had “make dreams happen” painted on it in gold. I smiled. Flashes of dreams after dreams appeared in my mind. Dreams that had become my reality. Answered prayers. God is so good. So so good. And so surprising. And so BIG!

Back in October of 2016 I heard the name G42. I knew nothing about it except the name. It stuck with me for weeks. I finally googled it and still didn’t really get answers to what it meant – ha! But I found out it was some type of non-profit and leadership & discipleship school in Spain. Very long story short (I would love to ahre the crazy long version with you!) – the Lord has been pointing me to Spain, and G42 specifically, again and again and again ever since. It got to the point that my close friends were telling me it was “stupidly obvious” that it was where God wanted me next. But WHY? I couldn’t get over the why. It didn’t make sense career-wise. It didn’t make sense financially. I felt like I had an idea of the long-term plan God had for me and going to Spain just seemed to prolong that plan. That plus, I couldn’t shake Hawaii off of my heart.

I said no. I said no several times. And G42 kept getting thrown back in my face again and again. I even accepted a job in Hawaii, moved to Hawaii, and within 5 days, God said NOPE in a series of events with family, my own health, logistics, finances, etc etc etc. My mom sat me down and told me how full of joy she was to hear the stories I had told her from the World Race about the new, clearer ways I had been hearing from the Lord. And then she asked me why I wasn’t listening. Dang. She was right. And this was coming from a woman who didn’t really want me to go. But she knew God did.

So I said yes. I came to Spain. I committed to G42. I did it kicking and screaming. I did it purely out of obedience. I did it not knowing why the heck God wanted me to do it but with complete peace that it’s what He was asking me to do.  I didn’t really tell anyone except close family and my immediate circle of friends. Mostly because I didn’t know what to tell them. I knew they’d ask questions that I didn’t have answers to. Questions that I myself was asking.

For the first few days, my prayer was simply for joy. If this is where God wanted me then why wasn’t I excited about it? It took about a week but I got my joy back. Finally. I know it’s largely due to a continuous prayer for it and because of the community He’s already blessed me with here. I haven’t laughed so hard in months. In the short time that I’ve been here I’ve built relationships that I already know will be lasting ones.

So then my prayer became WHY? Why God do you want me here? I don’t need all of the answers but could you give me just a little piece? And little by little, He’s giving me glimpses of the plans He has for me.

Part of what I will be doing here is partnering with a G42 Alumni to open a business that will help the community of Mijas. I have the incredible opportunity to run the business side of starting a business from scratch with a mentor coaching me through it. It’s a big responsibility and I’m up for the challenge. I’ll write another post soon about the business, how you can get involved, and what my role is.

I didn’t know this was an option when I committed to G42. I kept seeing G42 as something that was prolonging the rest of my life – like a season of limbo, of waiting. But in just a few weeks God has shown me how He’s using this season to equip me for the things He has in store for me.

In addition to the work that I am doing, the classes I have been taking here are continuously blowing my mind. Just last week I had a few classes that completely changed my perspective on Christianity as a whole.

Our days are full and exhausting in the best way. I want to write more than I did on the race. Mostly because I think it’s so important to share about the things that are going on here and to give you all the opportunity to get involved where and when you can.

If you want to contribute to my work and studies at G42 specifically, you can do so at http://generation42.com/donations-interns

Scroll down until you see my name and picture. Donations are tax-deductible.

I know this post may seem a bit vague, but that’s because there isn’t a whole lot of clarity yet on my end. It’s coming though. I’d love to answer any specific questions that you may have. Also ---- COME VISIT ME!!! We love visitors. And I’d love to host you. You can even sit in on our classes which I think you all would find fascinating.

So here I am. Living in Mijas, Spain. I don’t know exactly how long I’ll be here or where I’m going next. But I’m confident that this is where He wants me right now, today. And I’m learning for that to be enough.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your continuous love and support. Keep the prayers coming.

Xo

Jess