These past two weeks have been absolutely amazing. They’ve been filled with endless laughter, ping pong matches (which I will eventually beat Ethan at), group hangouts, breathtaking sunsets and sunrises, deep conversations, and powerful worship nights.

The time I get to spend not only with my team and leaders but also with the kids and youth from Albania is something I will never get tired of. Whether we’re playing volleyball, soccer, or joining together in worship and service, every moment feels meaningful. There’s so much joy, connection, and love in being present with everyone here. I have built many relationships and continue to strengthen friendships everyday.

This past week we had a ministry session led by one of our mentors and leaders, Grace, who joined us for the week. She’s incredible, and the best part is that I’ll get to see her again in Mexico. Grace told us we were going to have ministry time outside. It sounded simple enough just a walk. But it ended up being so much deeper than that. Each of us was given a role to step into we were either Mary or Martha. This activity was based on the story from Luke 10:38–42, which talks about two sisters. When Jesus came through a village, a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. Martha’s sister, Mary, sat at Jesus’ feet, listening closely to His words. Meanwhile, Martha was distracted by all the work that needed to be done. Feeling frustrated, she asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41–42) That story came to life for us during the walk. It wasn’t just about pretending to be Mary or Martha it was about slowing down, reflecting, and asking myself, Am I too busy doing things for Jesus that I’m missing actually being with Him?

During that walk, I started off as Mary. When you’re Mary, your focus isn’t on what you need to do it’s about being still in God’s presence, listening for what He’s saying to you. It’s less about action and more about awareness. When you’re Martha, on the other hand, you’re asking God what you can do to serve others. As I walked as Mary, I got this image, a sort of metaphor that God placed on my heart. Earlier in the week, it had been freezing, like 40 degrees and everyone was bundled up. So when the sun finally came out, all of us were stretching out our arms, trying to soak in as much of that sunlight as possible. That moment came back to me in the image I saw, but there was a valley. The valley was dark and cold because no sunlight could reach it. But as you start to climb up from the valley, you begin to feel the warmth again. The higher you go, the more the light touches you. And in that moment, I realized I’m not in a valley right now. But I’m still hiding under a tree. I’m close enough to the sun to feel its warmth through the branches, but I’m still shaded from its full light. The sun is God. And I felt like He was showing me that I’ve been hiding from His glory from the uncomfortable parts of surrender. I’ve been staying where it’s safe and familiar, even though He’s calling me into something deeper. But now I see where I am in my journey. My next step is simple, but bold. I need to step out from under the tree and walk fully into the sun.