I have officially been home off the mission field for 10 days and have adjusted quite nicely back to life in Charlotte, NC. Daily amenities have been nice such as hot showers, air conditioning, a car of my own, having a cell phone with a working number, and spending hours with family and friends. The Lord has done nothing but bless my first week at home and continues to shower His love upon me. From the moment I stepped off the plane in NYC to yesterday when I sat in a coffee shop in Hickory, NC, awaiting a see a dear friend Kristen London, whom I worked with at Fort Caswell.
Landing in NYC was so surreal and hard to believe that 11 months have already passed so quickly. Upon landing I was spending the weekend with a good WR alumni friend in New Jersey before heading home to NC. She had sent a driver to pick us up from the airport and he was from Adana, Turkey. This is the city where I spent my month 11 doing ministry on the World Race in May. So I had the opportunity to tell him about our mission trip and how we were there telling people about Jesus. My mind was completely blown for the entire car ride, in owe of God and how He has brought this young man into my life to share about my trip to 11 counties in 11 months.
WR alumni friend Renee, squad mate Tayler, and myself with our graduation attire from the World Race and Q squad.
This weekend in NJ was absolutely perfect from spending a couple of days in NYC to time to chill/rest and having dinner with the director of the prayer house I will be working with in Nepal. He is home on fourlgh for one month and I had the chance to catch with him over dinner then we went to a prayer house in Jersey. Before I knew it, it was time to fly home to Charlotte last Tuesday where I was met by my parents and reunited for the first time in 11 months. Last week was full of seeing family and friends, driving for the first time in 11 months, shopping, resting, and hanging out with loved ones in my life. Thursday evening I attended my official welcome home party to see many friends whom I have missed dearly over the past 11 months. This was a time to share and talk about the past 11 months on the mission field in the nations. This past weekend was full of continued time with family and friends.
This past Sunday I attended FBCM, my church, for the first time in 11 months and what a huge blessing it was to be back with my body of believers in my church. There were many hugs and excitement in seeing me back home and at church. The highlight was during the sermon a gentleman was sharing about how we must show up when God chooses us. What a perfect word to hear my first Sunday at home and exactly what I am doing with my life right now, choosing to pursue what God has for me in Nepal. After years in the ministry in Charlotte, the Lord called him out of the position of where he was serving to begin his own ministry. Upon starting his own ministry the Lord opened an opportunity for him to be apart of ministry in South Africa. Here he has been apart of opening a community center in Mitchell’s Plain, which is exactly where I was in October for month 4 of the World Race. Hearing this I was so encouraged and excited to share with him that I had served in this same location for one month in the fall.
At the end of the service I went up to chat with him and share about how I had served in this same area of South Africa. It was great to share with him about the World Race, which he had heard of and was familiar with. I shared with him how I had worked at Camp Joy a Rehabilitation center for the month and he knew all about this ministry. He was very familiar with Camp Joy and the church that stands behind this ministry. I shared with him about how we stayed on a compound right next to Camp Joy for our time there and he had stayed in the very same compound. It was amazing to have been in the exact same place as my new brother. He asked what was next for me and I shared about my 10-month internship in Nepal.
My time at home has continued to be super blessed and I can see the Lord working all around me in various ways. The process of entering back into American society after being around the world for 11 months is called re-entry. Re-entry is a process of coming home to all things familiar but also leaving intense community I have lived for the past 11 months. Everyone experiences this process differently and handles being back home in numerous ways. For me this process has been very easy and I have settled back into having amenities and luxuries that I am not used to having for the past year of my life. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at home and how the Lord is using the summer to allow me to share about the World Race. But also share about what He did in my heart for the nation of Nepal and the heart He has given me to serve the nations.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers as the Lord has wrapped up the season of the World Race and getting me ready for this next season to serve in Nepal. I am forever grateful for the experience of the World Race and everyday of these 11 months. The Lord has completely changed me and given me a heart like His to serve the least of these in the nations. I have a few needs for this season and prayer requests:
– Fruitful summer at home
– Sharing at FBCM Wednesday June 11th, 6:30pm
– Sharing at Mt. Lebanon Church Sunday July 13th
– Support raising for Nepal: missionsalumni.com/michellemcpherson
– Travel insurance for Nepal: $600
– Purchasing gear for my return
– Prayers for all the Lord has for me in Nepal
– Project Searchlight June 24th-29th in Gainesville, GA(time for my squad to gather one last time)
Nepal blog: yestothecalling.wordpress.com
Yes to the Kingdom 