Today my Tandem Living book is two years old and my new cells are six! Can you believe it?! I hardly can!! This year the celebration involved time with my family that included yummy food and a trip to the movies to enjoy Aladdin. 

I also received a “re-birthday” greeting from my donor, which made me smile. To top it off I glanced back at the post I wrote last year, “A letter to my former self.” A lot has changed since last June!

This year, I am divided between many “homes.” I’m home for the summer, here in Indiana. I have some things in California where I recently finished my first year of seminary at Biola University (Talbot School of Theology). And then, my heart home is still in Vienna, Austria, a place I have the privilege of visiting this summer.

Since September, I have learned to tackle L.A. traffic, taken 18 hours toward my Master’s in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care, made Newport Beach my place of prayer, and Disneyland my place to de-stress.

I’m not the same person I was last June and I wouldn’t want to be. My tandem living journey continues to take me to new places, both physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. God is inviting me into a new season of relating to Him that is a bit of a mystery right now. Yet, there is still this sense of togetherness.

I am better together with Him than without Him. This is the way He created me to be.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4).

Other versions use the word remain, but I’m struck by the word abide because it remains me of the word abode. Here’s our invitation to always be home together with Him regardless of where we’re located.

Together in community

Even community has been different these past nine months. I began my journey to California traveling cross-country and visiting so many friends from different seasons of my life. My “worlds” and seasons collided as I shared these friends with my friend Kelsey (from Indiana) who adventured with me for a week before arriving in L.A.

Kelsey and I in Joplin, Mo. at Hope City Church

Then I stepped into a new community in California that I’m growing to love, both through church and school. I look forward to more time with them when I head back in the fall.

As I celebrate six years cancer-free (praise the LORD!!), I know I haven’t been on this journey alone. If you’ve joined me for any part, you probably know what Tandem Living is all about. It’s this daily lifestyle of being connected to our Creator God as He leads us toward His best all for His glory. I’m better with Jesus than without Him.

However, this “better togetherness” also signifies that I’m better surrounded by community than without it!

Another community that is dear to my heart, is my Greater Europe Mission family. I have the amazing opportunity to serve missionaries all over Europe multiple times each year whether through retreats, blessing the missionary women with American goodies, leading a small group on retreats, and serving on a prayer team for GEM’s annual conference.

In celebration of today and vision for what God will continue to do, I created a “Better together” T-shirt, which includes “Better Together” in 12 languages! The tandem bicycle design was created by Lynn Wohland, who was my book cover artist!! I’m excited for the journey ahead and the vision of serving the Greater Europe Mission missionary community through whatever opportunities God leads me to.
Currently, I’m preparing for an upcoming trip to Frankfurt, Germany to serve on the prayer team at Greater Europe Mission’s Annual Conference toward the end of July. This is my second year to serve on the prayer team. It is a privilege to pray on the streets in Europe, through the conference venue, for the concerns of each mission field, create a prayer room and space for prayer, and even be available to pray individually for the missionaries who serve in these places.

One of the highlights from my last prayer trip was spending my birthday praying through each individual hotel room before the teens of Greater Europe Mission arrived for their GEM-K conference.

Would you consider purchasing a shirt to help support me in this next adventure? A percentage of the funds from each shirt will go toward my GEM missions account. There are two versions of the shirt with various styles and sizes. Here are both links:

“Better Together” T-shirt – Black Print

“Better Together” T-shirt – White Print

If you prefer for 100% of your donation to go to GEM, then please click here! And type in my name or number #25425. Thank you! 

Regardless, I hope we can all be “better together” with God and with each other as we continue this Tandem Living journey!!

If you would like to pray for me while I’m gone, I will send out a personal email with dates and specific things you can pray for, so make sure you subscribe to my newsletter to get this prayer update. Type in your name and email address, in the box at the top right of the main page, where it says, “Want to ride along?” Then check your email to make sure you received the test message.

Thank you for celebrating with me and riding along! There is more to come this summer!