The past three and a half weeks my team and I have been in modern day Ephesus where we’ve had the opportunity to pray over the city. The mornings typically consist of prayer walking and then coming back to the house or a coffee shop to have our daily checkins, feedback and team time. After, we head to our hosts shop where she has lunch prepared for us and then spend the rest of the day painting flower pots, getting groceries for dinner, and visiting with friends that stop by the shop. We’ve also had the opportunity of being a part of hosting friends over for meals, celebrating a birthday & we even got to go to an engagement party!
My time here in Ephesus has been rather hard honestly. We’ve gotten to pray and be prayed over and have seen some really amazing history here which has been really sweet, but my mental and emotional health has not been that great. Pre-story real quick; during our time in Armenia, I had a bad dream that really upset me which led me to call my mom. It just so happened that she was with a friend who was able to speak to me about a bible study she had just finished up. She shared with me that the words “take your thoughts captive” came to mind when she heard what I spoke about and then this month has been a time of really needing to guard my mind and taking my thoughts captive. So to say this month has been really sweet would be to skip over the reality that this has been the hardest month. I have found myself more still than ever before, so much so that it has driven me crazy and brought me to my breaking point. But it’s in these moments that I have been met with sweet grace and mercy. My friends have come around me and shown me God’s love in ways unlike ever before. They have loved and pursued me even in the hard times and have exemplified what it means to truly be the body of Christ. It’s in the stillness and hard moments that the Lord has opened my eyes to things that needed to be corrected in my life, things that didn’t align with Him. It’s revealed to me places where I’ve had head knowledge about Him and who He has made me to be but not the heart knowledge. Knowing that Jesus loves me, but not living a life that shows I truly believe this. Knowing I shouldn’t worry about anything, but having fear, anxiety, depression, comparison and more that have left me paralyzed in my dark moments. But it’s in these moments that I am learning more about the true freedom I have in Christ and that I am fully known, loved, and made free in Him.
In just a few days, our time here will come to an end and we will head off to our next country….Jordan! This upcoming month will be ATL (ask the Lord) and gender month (meaning all girl teams and all guy teams). Which also means, we’re about to have team changes again!!!
After Jordan, we just have two more countries before heading back to the states!! It’s crazy to think our time here on the WR is beginning to wrap up! It’s been one heck of a year full of many emotions, growth and newness!
With just a couple months left, I do still need to raise $2,395 before heading back home. You can donate by clicking the donate button at the top of this page or can Venmo me @kirstenmorath. Thank you all so much for your love and support!
