You guys!!! It’s been nearly 6 months since I moved out here
to Kentucky for school, so it’s definitely time for an update. I hope this
update finds you well and is an encouragement to you wherever you are on your
journey! This is a lofty update, spanning the past 6 months, so bear with me,
but I hope it leaves your heart warmed and your eyes opened wider to see God at
work in your own lives – God is on the move! Though this is a longish update, I
have left a LOT out. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you want to discuss more –
and I would love to hear more about your life happenings as well!
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| Representing Asbury in the Grand Canyon |
I began my seminary classes at Asbury Theological seminary
in February, and words cannot describe how blessed I feel. It has been such an
enriching experience, diving into Truth with amazingly gifted professors
alongside other spiritually hungry students. Taking a class on Inductive Bible
Study (the best kind of IBS) of the book of Matthew was life-changing and has opened my eyes to
Scripture in a new way; plus, it has given me helpful background information
for the Bible study group I’ve been leading this summer over the book of
Matthew. Biblical Narrative was a great course as well – I learned a lot about
how the whole Bible fits together, I got practice in articulating the whole
Bible summarized as an 8-ish-minute story, and I discovered the gift of Lectio
Divina for meditating on Scripture (highly recommend!!! Google it). I utilized
Lectio Divina to lead Scripture meditation with the Loucon High School
Leadership Camp in the mornings (my first time as a dean – more details to
follow!), and it was so cool to see how God gave me that blessing this semester
to bless the campers this summer. I also took a class about the theology of
John Wesley, which was really enlightening to me. Even though I grew up in the
United Methodist Church (Methodism originated from John Wesley), I surprisingly
knew very little about the life and theology of John Welsey, so it was great to
learn about it. Learning more about sanctification and how we can enter into
entire sanctification during this life blew my mind and I was really encouraged
by that concept. I also enjoyed learning about how John Wesley’s Methodists
died in such a profoundly impactful manner, sometimes shouting for victory,
often with people singing hymns by their bedside. Strangers would come to watch
these Christians die, and many committed their lives to the Lord after
encountering the reality that we don’t need to fear death. I think death is
often not talked about in our culture. Though death is an ugly result of the
Fall, God can use it for good if we cooperate with His grace and allowed His
beautiful reality to shine through our suffering. I also took Missional
Formation this semester, which was indeed formational. It was valuable to gain
more insights about the World Christian Movement and how we can enter into
God’s work. Our role as believers is to be part of God’s restorative work in
the world to bring victory over death in all its forms, which brings purpose and
meaning to every aspect of our lives and relationships, including our
relationship with the Earth that we are entrusted to steward. I also made a
great friend in that class named Laurel, who continues to be an incredible
blessing to me. She’s a counseling student with listening ears, a discerning
Spirit, and a huge heart.
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| Missional Formation celebration at Dr.Okesson's house |
I feel God definitely at work in my life, calling me to use
this as a period of intense preparation. This preparation includes (amazing)
academics but also includes profound spiritual cultivation and discernment for
the road ahead. And Asbury Seminary is fertile soil for this journey! I am so
grateful for the Eucharist services, prayer groups, chapel, and mentorship. I
got to connect with one of our chapel speakers this semester, Keith Wasserman
(founder of Good Works in Athens, OH), who is a prophetic, faithful follower of
God. One thing that really stood out to me from my interactions with him and
learning about Good Works is their ethic of inefficiency. It struck me as odd
and countercultural, but the more I think about it, the more I’m drawn to the
concept. We often focus more on productivity than persons, on finances than on
faith, on schedules than on the Spirit. If we do EVERYTHING with God’s love
flowing through us, it might seem to take longer and not make sense in our
world, but it will be in God’s perfect timing and all the more meaningful.
Another person who has greatly impacted me here is Peg Hutchins, who is one of
my main human sources of spiritual direction. I am one of the reasons she needs
tissues in her office, because she has a way of drawing out the depths of my
heart in the form of tears. She has challenged me to listen more to the Spirit
as I pray, and I’ve been becoming a real-deal prayer warrior. (Please hit me up
with your prayer requests – I would LOVE to have the honor to pray for you!) My
new friend / prayer partner / mentor Robin Ferraro has been amazing too. I’m
learning a lot about vulnerability from her and what it means to be a committed
wife and mother while 100% on fire for the Lord. She takes great care of her
body too, so we often work out together then pray and chat afterwards.
My time in Wilmore hasn’t all been roses… there have been
some thorns also. The main thorns have been loneliness and anxiety. After
living alone for my last few months in Indiana, I was hoping to come to
seminary and have a roommate. However, I was unable to get a roommate until
May, so I had four months of just me and my Pomeranian, Rocko. With the
transition here, not knowing people, living alone, being very busy with
classes, and not yet feeling part of a church community, my loneliness and
anxiety levels were quite high my first couple months. However, God has been my
sustainer through it all. And I now have a roommate (well two, but one is
moving out because I was unaware of a seminary policy about pet housing…long
messy story). So praise God for that roommate provision, which is a help
financially and emotionally.
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This depiction of Jesus was on the wall all semester in Inductive Bible Study,
encouraging me and pacifying my anxious heart.
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God communicates and provides in unexpected ways. One of the
blessings God has used in my life here is soccer. I’m definitely not a World
Cup athlete, but I have loved soccer most of my life. Playing intramural soccer
this semester was such a God thing. Not only did it allow me to develop more of
a community here on campus, but it also taught me some great life lessons that
I’m still unpacking. For instance, how you do anything is how you do
everything. I was confronted with pieces of my heart that needed mending, fears
that needed to be demolished by love, and an opportunity to dive into my
identity. Yes, all of that can happen when you approach a soccer game with open
eyes, realizing that you are often afraid of the ball, don’t put forth your
best effort, and are overly concerned with what others think of you. So, thank
you, Team Sharks (and God), for that learning opportunity. I look forward to
getting back in the game soon, practicing life on the field. In the meantime,
I’m still learning about life in many other arenas.
I have felt called to missions for the past 6 years, ever
since my first international mission trip to the Dominican Republic, looking
out over the mission house balcony and feeling the Lord churning my heart for
the impoverished people who haven’t heard his name. In the past few months,
that calling has not only grown stronger but has also become morphed alongside
another new calling: a call to Christian unity.
I started exploring Catholicism at the tail end of 2017,
after briefly dating an incredibly devout Catholic man, a man much like how I
imagine Jesus to have been like. He had eyes of immense compassion towards
everyone he encountered, and his reverence for the Lord literally brought me to
tears. That said, my prideful walls that I had built up since my days at an
all-girl Catholic high school began to crumble. I found myself researching the
Roman Catholic faith and concluding that “maybe they aren’t crazy after all.”
Though we decided to just be friends for various reasons, I was profoundly
impacted by this man, and by this new way of experiencing Jesus – the way of
the Catholic faith. Since moving to Kentucky, I have been attending Catholic
mass as well as an inquiry group to learn more and ask my questions as I
prayerfully discern if God is calling me to join the Catholic Church. One thing
is for certain: God wants me to be an instrument of peace and unification –
bringing the world to Him, and particularly focusing on unifying his Body.
Jesus prayed that we may be perfectly one, as He is One with the Father. So, I
figure, anything I do towards that end will be in accord with God’s will.
During this journey with Catholicism, the divisions in the Body of Christ –
particularly between Catholics and Protestants, has deeply grieved me… and I
think it grieves God too. Regardless of what camp I end up resting in, I
definitely feel called to bring about unity across the dividing lines. I’m
excited to see what God does with my willing heart in this area, and I
sometimes get glimpses of how these callings can work together – that of
missions and church unification – as we can unite on bringing hope to the world
as Jesus commanded in the Great Commission:
“All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all I have commanded you. And lo, I am with
you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
This summer, I have been given several opportunities to
minister in unexpected ways, and I’m embracing it all.
I got to lead a discussion group at a TND retreat in May.
TND = Thursday Night Dinner à
it’s a group for post-college-age, non-married Christians in the Lexington
area. The retreat was right after finals week, and it was a great way to
decompress from the semester.
I’ve also been leading a Tuesday night Bible study out of my
apartment, going through the book of Matthew (previously alluded to). There are
about six of us women who have been coming, a good mix of Protestants and
Catholics. Words cannot express my gratitude for these ladies – they always
leave me feeling so encouraged after our insightful, honest, tea-laden discussions.
Camp Loucon has also resurfaced in my life this summer –
thanks be to God!! I used to go to their junior high soccer camp back in the
day, then I was on staff a couple summers in college, but I hadn’t been back in
a few years. I was able to counsel the 5th-6th Grade
Adventure Camp as well as dean the High School Leadership Camp in June. I have
been so blessed and stretched by Loucon over the years, and this summer has been
no exception. PRAISE GOD I was blessed to pray with a high school camper to
accept God’s love and surrender her life to Him for the first time (hopefully
she continues to do so every day, which is my prayer for all of us as well).
And I was encouraged to reconnect with a few of the girls I counseled as junior
highers and high schoolers who are now flourishing on staff (shoutout to
Sophia, Sylvia, and Caroline)! Sylvia is an Asbury University student, so we
plan to get together in Wilmore when she returns for fall classes – God is so
cool!
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| Jr. High Soccer Camp (2004?) |
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| These 3 men committed their lives to Christ @ Leadership Camp! |
I’ve picked up a waitress job at Los Dos Amigos in
Nicholasville this summer. It’s the best Mexican restaurant of my life, and I
tend to rate Mexican restaurants based on their chips and salsa, but there are
many reasons I have come to love Los Dos Amigos. These reasons have names. Rosa
has taught me about having peace and patience when multitasking under pressure.
Yilda has taught me about enduring hardship and having a humble attitude of a
learner. Lorenzo has taught me about joy and connection. Salvador has taught me
about friendship and putting love in action. Melvin has taught me to have the
attitude of a helper. Javier has taught me the artfulness of excellence. Rafael
has taught me about accountability and leadership. Jessica has taught me about
authenticity and openness. Carlos has taught me about the value of work. Anna
has taught me the importance of seeing and being seen, knowing and being known.
Daniel has taught me about teamwork. They’ve all taught me more Spanish too,
and I love them all.
My mom also blessed me with the opportunity to go out west
with her and Mike earlier this summer. That trip was so beautiful and continues
to be etched into my brain…the vastness and splendor of the Grand Canyon, the
giant crucifix overlooking the red earth formations of Sedona, discussing God’s
love on a mountain in Zion National Park, contemplating art in Phoenix, and
learning about life from my grandparents. I’m so grateful to add that sliver of
life to my repertoire thanks to God’s provision through generosity of my mom
and Mike.
I’ve also been blessed to do a bit of gardening this summer.
The seminary has a community garden, which has become a sanctuary for me. I
thought I loved plants before. But when you have your own 3’x10’ plot springing
up sunflowers and corn and zucchini and peas and kale… I LOVE PLANTS, YALL. It
has been good bonding for my neighbor Rachel and I too, since we share the plot
and celebrate the sprouts and harvests together. But a lot of days, after
tending to the garden, I stay up there and chill, just me and God and the
plants. God always reveals new things to me there. It’s a beautiful place to
listen – I recommend it. And sometimes other people are there. One time I met a
beautiful African woman there, walking between the plots with a baby tied to her
back, singing “thank you God” and I felt like we were Spirit sisters
immediately because that’s what my heart often sings up there too.
I was also blessed to be able to go to North Carolina for a weekend to celebrate my sweet niece Chloe turning the big ONE YEAR OLD. I love her so much and my heart is so full, so here's this:
It's a beautiful thing, how babies can bring people together. I feel closer as a family because of our little sprout Chloe!
I have a few upcoming events and
prayer requests to share too:
The last weekend of July, I will be attending the Defending
the Faith conference in Steubenville, OH. It is a Catholic apologetics
conference, and I’m hoping it provides more fuel for my discernment journey
with Catholicism. I will be attending with a friend who recently converted to
Catholicism from being atheist. Please pray for God to clarify Truth to me and
that my friend LeeAnn and I will be encouragements to each other.
For a couple weeks in August, I will be going to New York,
volunteering at the Woodstock Fruit Festival (vegan mecca) and visiting a
missionary friend in NYC. As a vegan, I feel like I have a unique opportunity
to connect to people at the fruit festival. The vegan culture has a lot of
people who are intentionally seeking spiritual depth, and I know that God wants
to use me there to reveal his love to them. Please be in prayer for me that God
will flow through me as I serve in the kitchen, attend sessions, and interact
with people.
Be on the lookout for me in your area! Lord willing, I will
to be in Columbus, IN to run the half marathon in September. And I plan to be
in Cedarville, OH for homecoming in October.
Thank you for your support on this journey with me – in prayers,
finances, and just sharing life together. It’s a beautiful thing. If you would
like to make a donation towards my seminary fund, you can use my link: https://www.givesendgo.com/JonnahOnAMission
OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS:
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My mentoring relationship with Sylvia this fall
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I’m trying to start a Students for Life group at
Asbury, but don’t have momentum yet
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That my fall classes bring additional
discernment (especially since I will be taking Church History from an
ex-Catholic, which is an interesting perspective)
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Being the hands and feed of Jesus @ Los Dos
Amigos
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Figuring out short-term trip details to serve
overseas – potentially this coming winter in India (if you know of any
opportunities, let me know – I’m hoping to do a trip focused on clean water)
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My friend Salem (amazingly spiritually gifted
man who is doing great things for the Lord… he prayed over a man and healed his stab wound the other day) needs $3000
for a car for his upcoming ministry in Florida -- https://www.gofundme.com/bssm3rdyeard
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| This is my friend Salem - he loves America. |
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