Praising God for 2020!
Hello friends and family! I hope and pray everyone is doing well :)
As the new year begins, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the past year and all that God has done. I realize I haven't written in 2 years! It's been nice having a break and just focusing on living my life without having to share everything online. But a lot has happened in 2020 that I want to share!
First of all, looking all the way back to 2019, God provided for me in some pretty cool ways. One of my friends from school gave me his car, which was a huge blessing because as many of you know I was riding a bike to get around!! I also got a job in 2019. Almost before I even started looking for work, God immediately provided a job through a connection at church! I work part time as an office assistant for a local business called Victoria Norman Shutters and Blinds. This has been the perfect job while I'm in school, as it's close by, flexible with my schedule, and I have amazing employers! In November 2019, I moved into the Malcolm House. This is a girls house where several of my friends and classmates lived, and I had spent a lot of time hanging out there. Finally getting to live here has been such a blessing, I know God provided it at just the right time!
2020 has had it's challenges for sure! This year has been hard, but I've also experienced so much growth. It's been exciting to see how God worked through hardships and uncomfortable times.
When Covid first hit in spring, and everything shut down, my school switched to online classes and I lost my job for 3 months. I saw God provide for me through friends who helped me out financially when I lost my job. Losing on-campus classes was really difficult for me, because the reason I moved to California was to do school in person! It felt very lonely and I missed seeing my classmates, professors, and friends. But thankfully we were able to continue classes over zoom, and my roommate Amber and I often did homework together as we were in the same classes. Another praise is that when my old laptop was breaking down, my church community group gave me a new one! I was overwhelmed to see how God takes care of his children through community.
Living with 5 other girls has been so encouraging. God knew we would be a good group to be stuck together during Covid lockdowns! It's been challenging of course, but it allowed us to spend more time together and grow closer. We’ve had house dinners, prayer nights, played games, celebrated holidays and birthdays, and had so many deep and encouraging conversations. We’ve seen each other struggle and go through hard things, been there to support each other, and seen God work in each of our personal lives. I am so thankful for each of my housemates!
Some of my personal struggles from last year included loneliness, homesickness, and health issues. I've never lived away from family this long before, and it's been hard! I have amazing friends and community, but often I still feel lonely and miss having my family nearby. My parents were planning to visit last spring, but they had to postpone their trip due to Covid (they're coming to visit this March!). Thankfully my sister was able to come for a fun visit in September!!
Last year God began taking me on a journey of both physical and emotional healing. Since moving to California, I've struggled with ongoing digestive issues. This year I was able to find a doctor who is helping me heal through natural medicine and supplements. It's a long process, but I've seen and felt God's hand in it the whole way! God also began revealing areas where I needed emotional healing. There are many fears and insecurities from my past that I’m working through, things I didn’t realize were still affecting my life. God has been so gracious to give me time and resources to process these, especially as things slowed down last year. Through the often confusing emotions, God has shown me his character and faithfulness in such real ways as I’ve learned to rely on his promises and the truth of scripture.
School has continued to be a challenge and encouragement. This year I started taking New Testament classes after 2 years of studying the Old Testament, and let me tell you, I saw Jesus in a brand new way! It was like God opened my eyes and showed me who Jesus is and what the good news is for the first time. I learned about the kingdom of God that Jesus was proclaiming and how this theme of the kingdom is central to Jesus’ teachings and mission in the gospels. Another thing that has been super helpful in reading the Bible is seeing it as one overarching story with 6 "acts" - creation, rebellion, Israel, Jesus, the church, and new creation. This helps us see where we fit into the Biblical story! I also finished a 5-semester Foundations class last year! After two and a half years of studying church history, philosophy, culture, and missions, I'm finally done!
I am excited to share that last fall I started a part-time position as an intern at my church, Cornerstone Simi. The program is designed to focus on education and training to prepare interns for future ministry. That being said, they are paying for my tuition at Eternity Bible College and training me through practical ministry opportunities in the church, with the goal of sending me to Japan to join their team of missionaries in Osaka! This is such a huge blessing and answer to prayer, as most of you know that Japan was my reason for attending Bible college in the first place! I am SO thankful for Cornerstone, their willingness to invest time and resources to equip me, and the amazing people I get to work with. And I'm excited for the opportunity to grow as I put into practice what I'm learning! My role as an intern includes the global missions team, international student ministry at a local college, and being a student of the culture here in Simi Valley as we learn how to engage with our generation in the community.
2020 ended with a trip to Michigan and Christmas with my family! I came down with Covid-19 at the beginning of December, but thankfully I was fully recovered and able to fly home and be with family for the holidays!
Living in California for 3 years has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. But ever since moving here, God has provided for me over and over again in some pretty big ways. I am overwhelmed by his constant and continual faithfulness! It's clear to me that he wants me here and brought me here for a reason. So even when it's hard living away from family, I am choosing to continue walking in obedience and keep moving forward. And I'm excited for the path he's placed before me to eventually go back to Japan!
What's Ahead?
I am working on getting my bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies. It will take me 5 and a half years because I'm working my way through school in order to graduate debt-free. I hope to graduate in the spring of 2023. My goal after school is to move to Japan as a long-term missionary.
Along with school, I am working part-time and continuing the intern program at Cornerstone church. I am learning about discipleship and practicing mission here in Simi Valley to prepare for prayerfully joining my church's team in Osaka, Japan.
Partner with me through Prayer:
I would love prayer for
endurance and faithfulness to finish school.
faithfulness in my role as an intern at church. Ministry is difficult right now because of Covid restrictions and not being able to meet in person. I also want to grow in self-confidence, as I often feel insecure and unsure of my ability to participate in ministry. Pray that I would be confident in the tasks given to me and in knowing I belong as part of the team.
confidence in my decision to live in California even when I feel homesick. That I would rejoice in the community and friends God has given me here.
wisdom and healing for ongoing digestive and auto-immune issues.
a new housemate, as one our our housemates moved out and we are searching for someone to take her place.
rest in the midst of a busy schedule.
For protection against the enemy's lies, and that I would continue to persevere to where God's calling me even when it feels hard.
Thanks for reading :) If you'd like to stay in touch, feel free to email me at allanadrianis@gmail.com.
Blessings in Jesus' name,
Allana
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