The Gift of Beginnings
My name is Holly Christensen and I am a PackYourBags (from here on referred to as PYB) graduate and Trinity alumna. I currently serve as an intern co-leading the Asia Track. My heart for this program is deep and wide - because I, too, was a confused 18-year-old searching for something more. During my time as a student I was faced with challenges that grew me spiritually and emotionally. I graduated not only having traveled thousands of miles (with some of my very best friends), but my desire to serve the Lord and his people had grown tenfold. I knew that a life of ministry was not optional.
I am thankful to serve a God who knows my heart - He knows the difficulty of transition, but I have been blessed with the gift of new beginnings. I knew upon completing PYB that someday I wanted to return to the program, but I did not know in what capacity that meant. I wanted college students to feel the safety of the Lord in a world of uncertainty. I wanted them to experience life the way I had during my time as a student. So when the opportunity arose for me to serve in PYB— I was floored. I felt honored to be a part of something so noble and life changing, and I felt grateful to the Lord for presenting me my dream job. He hears our hearts cries, and He desires goodness for our lives. When our dreams line up with His plan we can rest assured in the work we are doing.
This year I was blessed to mentor three young women as we traveled the Philippines together. I was amazed by their love, generosity, and sheer willingness to serve however we needed them to. Each of them so different from the other, yet I knew the Lord placed them on our team because of this very fact! We were presented with the privilege to lead worship in young adult church services, teach Values Education in public classrooms, give care packages to the unreached, love on orphans that came from sexually exploited situations, and even preach in front of hundreds. Never have I had a job so fulfilling as the one I have now. As I watched these young adults grow over the course of 8 or so months, I was in awe of their courage. Here they serve willingly, and wholeheartedly, their Creator in ways that leave me speechless.
From island to island our team put themselves outside their comfort zone to learn about themselves and the Lord they were serving. As they met more new faces they better understood how vast the love of the Lord is— reaching and touching each new friendly face we met, whether they were a Muslim, or a missionary. Student or preacher. Teammate or orphan. His love is all consuming and doesn’t leave anyone behind, and this became the theme of our 6 week adventure. The Lord leaves the 99 for the 1, a concept that is not quite yet understood by our Western minds. He sees the lonely and sits with them. He seeks out the lost, intentionally. He leaves the crowd to find the one who never received an invite. And our team had the opportunity to witness this firsthand as we heard testimony after testimony of His faithfulness in the lives of individuals.
What a year I had, and what a privilege it was. I have learned the gift of new beginnings and how refreshing they can be for the soul. I am looking forward to another great year of servanthood, community, and relationship with the One I love. It is my prayer that each member of PYB (students & staff alike) experiences the fullness of His love in the mundane and the extravagant.