It's Time to Go

    It's truly hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I am currently writing from a YWAM base in the city of Arusha, located in Tanzania, Africa. My team and I officially departed from Kona, Hawaii, just a few nights ago. Crazy, isn't it? It feels like I just sent in my application for YWAM yesterday, how has time flown by so quickly? The past three months have been a blur, as if time were a paper airplane slipping too quickly from my hands, leaving me chasing after it, trying to catch the tail. Can I rewind please? Can we do it all again, just a little slower this time? It's bittersweet, closing one chapter while stepping into the next. As I prepare for this transition, I want to take a moment to reflect and share a few thoughts before I dive into this next adventure.

One final sunset in Kona, Hawaii

A much needed team nap in the Instabul, Turkey airport

    The past couple of mornings have been full of heartfelt goodbyes, as each team embarks on their journey to a different nation. Our school has teams heading out to Turkey, Nepal/India, Tanzania, Fiji, Guam/Saipan, Central Asia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Japan/Taiwan, Guinea Bissau, and Malawi. Although the goodbyes are so hard, my heart is overflowing with excitement for the lives that will be transformed in each of these nations through the work of these teams. I am so proud of my roommates and friends for their brave "yes" to this calling, and I'm praying for radical transformations - both through them and within them. It's such a beautiful thing to witness the sacrifices made by everyone here - whether it's their finances, jobs back home, or time - as they wholeheartedly surrender to the Lord's plans to reach the unreached. What an honour it has been to set aside this time to grow together, deepen relationships, and to create friendships that will last for eternity. What a joy it has been to press pause on my life back home, move to Hawaii, and dedicate this season to growing in faith and deepening my relationship with Jesus. I am so grateful that I was able to fully lean in to all this lecture phase had to offer.

Gonna miss these ones...

    Something I am looking forward to during this outreach phase is spending time with my team. This is such a unique and rare opportunity to truly know one another - the quirks, the tiny details that typical "small talk" often misses. This is a brief, yet precious sliver of time that is to be held dearly and cherished. Over the next three months, we will have the chance to go deep, sharing the passions that set our hearts on fire. My prayer is that we can meet each other in those personal moments of darkness, ready to help carry the weight - just as Christ would. When I picture our team, I think of a chain link - strong, unbreakable, and resilient when connected. Each link relies on the others, and together, we create a force far greater than if we were on our own. Our team already has qualities that resemble a mighty chain, ready to stand firm and bring light into the darkness. Praying for this continued strength and unity as we move into the Nation of Tanzania. 

The best team..

    One final thing I wanted to share is how I'm preparing my mind and heart for this season of life, as well as what I hope to receive from it. I experience emotions deeply, often carrying the hurt of others as if it were my own. While this is a beautiful gift, I'm also preparing my heart for the ways it may grow and magnify as I connect with the people of Tanzania. This blog feels like an essential space to capture not just the beauty, but the raw and even difficult moments of this mission. While Instagram remains a platform I use often, the pictures of breathtaking views or bright, radiant smiles may not always reflect the reality of what's truly happening. There's so much more beneath the surface - stories of resilience, pain, hope and transformation - and I hope to share those moments here, as vulnerably and authentically as I can. 

Where we do our laundry!

A moment in town..

    Just in the short few days we have been here, I have been exposed to so much unfamiliarity. Whether it's the culture, the language, the food or the people, I am feeling so eager to learn. Arrival day was slightly overwhelming, but I am just learning to take it day by day - one Swahili word at a time. It was such a blessing to spend Christmas in Africa, to learn their traditions and ways of celebration. "Pilau" is a traditional rice dish we ate with our translators on Christmas Day, and we learned that any time Pilau is served in Tanzania, the children know that it is Christmas! It was a sweet joy to spend this special day in a new place. Christmas in Tanzania was significantly different from Christmas Day in Canada, where the culture often emphasizes gift-giving. In Tanzania, the celebration revolves around food - especially meat - instead of presents. 

Tanzanian Pilau Rice - Christmas dish

    As my team and I wrap up orientation, we'll be heading out tomorrow on a six-hour bus ride to a city called "Singida," where we will be for the following two weeks. It is still up in the air what exactly we will be doing, but my team and I are just feeling so eager to dive into meaningful conversations, and to love on the people we encounter. We would so appreciate your prayers!

With love, Layla <3