After one month and one year of living with my family in Nevis, MN, I moved back to the Alexandria area! Alexandria, MN, is home for so many reasons. It’s where I got my first job out of college when I was twenty years old. It’s where I stopped feeling so shy and made good friends at church, at CRU Bible study, and at young adult gatherings. It’s where I had the experience of living and working through Covid in the healthcare field–which was an adventure in itself. It’s where I got to live with two of my best friends and some of the best roommates a girl could ask for–Auddy and Islande, who originally came from Haiti. They cooked delicious, Haitan food; and what’s better, they shared it with me! Alexandria is where I first fell in love and over the years learned some very hard lessons and hopefully new wisdom about dating relationships. Now here I am, I’m back. I’m living in Glenwood, MN, just fifteen miles south of Alexandria.
I truly enjoyed my time living with family in Nevis. During that year, God gifted me with time to improve my health, to grow emotionally and spiritually through some tough decisions, and to develop deeper friendships with my five younger siblings and parents. I learned so much during my time in Nevis. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. To all my friends and family there, I love and miss you!
I do believe God has given me new opportunities to learn and grow here in Glenwood. God opened the door for employment at Glacial Ridge Hospital. I am now working as a full-time physical therapist assistant again, and I am asking questions and learning new things daily. I’m so thankful I have a wonderful, highly-intelligent team of coworkers to learn from!
The second door God opened for me in Glenwood was affordable housing. Apartments are tough to find these days, and they are usually not cheap. Somehow, I got my name first on the list for a beautiful, affordable two bedroom unit within walking distance of Lake Minnewaska. The apartment is pet friendly, so I’ve been able to adopt my first ever pet as an adult woman: a soft, cuddly kitty named Daisy. 🥰
I am also connecting with fellow believers in Jesus who haven’t been afraid to share their faith with me–and I’m grateful for that! Finding a church home and a young adult Christian community here are my two big prayers right now. I have a wonderful church family at Alexandria’s Grace Baptist Church, but I am prayerful about joining a church right in Glenwood to make friends in my local community.
There are so many big, new blessings in my life right now. I truly want to live in thankfulness to God everyday! In my life (as in all our lives), I have had seasons of plenty with heaps of blessing, and seasons of loss where many things were taken away. I am grateful for a season of new beginnings, and I am honored that God has entrusted me with many new responsibilities.
A Bible verse that spoke to me as I was praying about all these big decisions and new changes is 1 Chronicles 16:11: “Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.” In whatever challenges you and I are facing, I pray we can look to God’s awesome strength today and trust Him.
Write What You Live 