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Generation Y or 42?

What generation am I?

Each generation will reap what the former generation has sown.
— Proverb

I was born in 1991. Officially I am part of generation Y, colloquially known as the “Millennials”. I used to joke that the favorite question of my generation is “why?”

Why is the sky blue?
Why does bullying exist?
Why should I go to college?
Why can’t we live on the moon?
Why can’t books become reality?
Why did God create the platypus?
Why is there pain and suffering in the world?

When I was four, maybe seven, I became a part of a different generation — though it would be years before I was see it that way.

Generation 42.

Jesus was the 42 generation according to Matthew 1. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are adopted into the family of God and are co-heirs with Christ. He becomes our Brother and we are grafted into the 42nd generation. A generation born not of years, but of love.

How did I learn of this generational connection?

Generation42 Leadership Academy, also known as G42, is a 9 month program based in Spain that I will be attending this coming March.

This training program is designed to transform, and equip, leaders to Establish the Kingdom of God around the world. I will learn to cultivate an ongoing, abiding relationship with Christ. I will experience and be equipped to plant authentic and impactful missional community. And I will leave with a clear identity and mission to reverse oppression and make disciples who live and love like Christ on the planet. (I got that paragraph ^ from their website)

I’m excited to grow more in both my generations. Continuing to ask the question “why” and building on the foundation of sacrificial love and spirit of adoption.

What are the strengths of the generations you are a part of? Why do you love your generation? What are some things you are wanting to change?

To find out more about G42 visit the website: https://www.generation42.org/the-school

To support me going to G42 scroll down to the March 2020 Intern class and click on my name for a tax deductible donation https://www.generation42.org/donations

Or donate via venmo @sarah-ann-1687 or paypal sarah.ann.1687@gmail.com for travel health insurance, flights and other personal expenses.

Finding the Words

I’ve been trying to find the words for all that has happened in the last month.

Numbers in no particular order:
7 full weeks of lockdown
8 grocery runs (4 to secretly meet a friend)
17 teachers/speakers on Google Meet for classes
40 house meals at the dinner table together
20 early morning Bible study sessions
4 “mirror moments” with an audience
5 personal meltdowns
10 glasses shattered against the outside wall to relieve stress
7 hours of freedom to go outside each day as the quarantine has begun to lift
3 weeks till I head to Indianapolis, IN for my 3 month practicum

The days, while scheduled for the most part, have blurred together. So many times I go to message someone and realize it’s been a week since we last talked (I’m sorry if that’s one of you).
The days have been full. Full of learning, resting, connecting, laughing and more.

The best way to understand what I’ve been learning is actually a moment I witnessed back in El Salvador.
I was at a park having a break from the orphanage and there was a paved track that went all around it, probably equaled about a mile and some change if you walked the whole thing, and there were lots of roller skate rental booths. That was something the majority of people enjoyed doing.
I was sitting, drinking coffee and conversing with the Lord when I saw a dad holding his daughter’s hand while teaching her to roller skate. He didn’t have skates on so each time she fell they stopped until she got her feet up under her again and then they would go soothly for a little. But he would have to jog a little to keep up with the stride.
Then a mother and her daughter came past. They were both in roller skates but the daughter was also new at it, but when she fell she still glided with the mom. She was held up and still moving forward as she regained her footing.
The same thing happened with both daughters. They were both learning. They both fell, but because their hands were being held neither ever touched the ground. They both got their balance back and continued skating.
But one had to stop and had the limitation of only going as fast as the dad could run. The other never lost momentum and wasn’t limited by the speed of her parent.

We could stay in that revelation for a moment and what it’s like to try to teach when you don’t have it yourself, you only have knowledge of it versus teaching while also having and using it. (As that was the word the Lord spoke to me that day.)
But that’s what it’s been like here at G42. I’m learning so much and I know I’ve fallen on some of it, and I don’t think I’ve grasped all of the mechanics of it. But I’m surrounded by people who are full of Holy Spirit, who have been skating with Him for a long time. They are holding my hand so when I fall (and I have) there is still momentum. I have regained my balance and I’m beginning to understand the freedom and joy in skating (really abiding with God and not just knowing I am born to be loved but experiencing more of what that entails).
It’s exhilarating and exhausting and beautiful and scary and so very hard to put into words.

The Quarantine

This is the end of week 3 for us in the Spanish Quarantine. 14 of us living in one house the only time we are allowed to leave is grocery store or pharmacy runs. Needless to say there are some that are a little restless. I am in a good place, at peace with the situation. I’ve created a schedule for myself, found ways to be productive and spent time processing my emotions and thoughts with the Lord.

We miss getting to connect with our other classmates who live in different houses but we are so blessed to be here with the people, space, and WiFi strength!

Spain just announced today that they are extending quarantine again. Instead of us getting some freedom back in April 12, we are now looking at April 26th.

I know quarantining is a little newer in the states and so I’ll pass along some of the wisdom our leadership gave us.

There are 3 mindsets of a POW and two of them are deadly.

1. Believing it will never end and giving up hope of rescue. This hopelessness typically leads to death.

2. Setting all hope of rescue by a certain date. Most times the date comes and goes with no change. The first time the date changes it may seem okay but by the second or third change, Hope tends to disappear and once again, hopelessness leads to death.

3. Believing that the rescue will come but until then making the most out of the time. This is never giving up hope and realizing that things might be bad but they will come to an end. These were the most likely to survive.

I also have been using this time to reach out to others. Because I realize I have it really great here in Spain living in a house with 13 other people, continuing classes via google hangout in the living room.

The things I take for granted are things that other people are praying for. Things I’m struggling with are things other people are wanting. We have 3 very diverse houses.

MiShack has 6 people, mediocre WiFi and their back door leads to the mountain trails (which they can’t necessarily go out willy nilly but it’s still nature and freedom).

MiCasa has 9 people, terrible WiFi and a rooftop in the middle of town (they have been choosing into each other and bonding so much).

MiJouse has 14 people, great WiFi, and lots of space (so we’ve been able to find space to be alone and ways to connect with people across the globe all at the same time).

We all have beautiful things coming out of this season as well as difficult struggles.

I have a lot of hope for this season. I have a lot of hope for America. Maybe we can find rest as a country. Or intimacy. Or strengthen the family unit. Or kindness. Or self-reflection. Or true community. Maybe we can make new friends. Help our neighbors. Get to know ourselves. Realize that our value isn’t in what we do, it in who we are. Maybe we can find new ways to love people.

We here in Spain are staying in our homes to love the elderly population around us. Given our health, age, and the stats, COVID-19 will most likely be extremely mild for any of us. But it is likely to be deadly for the elderly around us. In this time the best way we can love those around us is to stay away.

How can you love those in your life? Is it by reaching out? Or by spreading hope and peace in this season of uncertainty and turmoil? Is it by respecting the measures put in place by governments to prevent the speed of contagion? By letting a friend who lives by themselves and now struggling with mental health move in? Or something else not listed?

Because after all love it the point.

Adoption isn’t adoption

Adoption in the US holds this dichotomy of being unwanted by someone but then being wanted by someone else. So many never grow past that in their life. Sometimes there is no choice if parents die, but maybe there is rejection by family members. Regardless there is a loss that is felt and retained in some form or fashion.

We carry that over into the church. We take the verses that we are “adopted” into the family as we were birthed in sin and our “father” is Satan. Or we are gentiles who have been “adopted” into the family of God. It leaves us with this inherent belief we were unwanted, that we were left orphans.

But here is a truth I recently learned at G42. When we accept Jesus as our Savior we are BORN AGAIN. Right? Everyone who’s heard a church service might have heard that. But do you hear that? We are BORN into God’s family.

He ALWAYS wanted us. From the very beginning of time He WANTED us. We were never for one second of our lives unwanted. I pray your spirit feels this. YOU WERE, ARE and WILL ALWAYS BE WANTED BY GOD.

Seriously take a minute and let that settle. Say “I was, am and always will be wanted and desires by God.” SELAH

So why does the Bible say we are adopted?

Because we are.

But Sarah Ann, you just told me we are born into God’s family and that even before that we were always wanted by God. So in what universe does this make sense?

Our definition of “adoption” is not the same cultural definition as the “adoption” in the Bible.

You see in modern adoption, there is a legal process where when the birth parents either give up their rights to the child, get their parental rights taken away, or die, then another family can choose and sign papers (after a process) and take legal responsibility for the child. In some cases these processes can be overturned and kids be returned to their kids (it’s rare but it happens).

If we apply this filter to our spirituality it means that we were born to Satan and then whenever we chose to believe in Jesus as our Savior his legal rights to us were taken away and now we are legally God’s. But this means that, in rare cases, Satan can get his legal rights back to us. Or that we have his characteristics. But let me tell you something. We ARE NOT and WERE NEVER sons of Satan. We are sons and daughters of Adam, who yes failed, but he is not Satan. Adam’s sin was doubting the goodness of God and rejecting His God-giving identity and that is what we are born into naturally, but we can change that for our children. That’s a post for another day though as I’m getting a little off track.

Refocusing: the tradition of adoption in the time when scriptures were written is a ceremony where the son receives his inheritance, but he was always a son.

It’s a specific ceremony when a son comes of age that the whole town gathers and the father declares the son that is getting the inheritance and places a signet ring on him. This ceremony gives the son permission to claim the inheritance and whatever decisions he makes for the property is legal and binding.

This ceremony is mirrored in the gospels and in Jesus’s story. Jesus was born the Son of God. But he waited in the carpentry shop until it was time. Then He gets baptized by John, the Holy Spirit descends as a Dove, and the voice of the Father says “this is my Son in whole I am well-please.” Then Jesus goes about His Father’s business and does what we call His ministry. This is the adoption ceremony!!

So what I’m learning is this: I have never been rejected by God. EVERYTHING God has ever done had the goal of getting me in relationship with Him. Restoring me to the original purpose which is to walk this earth with dominion and purpose to love God, love myself and love others while stewarding my life and this earth well. That the end goal of it all is to be God with skin on. But our adoption into the family of God means we have rights to our inheritance and that our actions reflect those of our Father.

What are your actions telling the world about your Father?

Are you stewarding your inheritance well?

Welcome to MiJouse

Last Saturday I touched down in Spain. I was placed in the largest of the three houses and call 14 other people my housemates, 3 of them are my roommates. There are 3 houses MiJouse (pronounced me house) with 15 people, MiCasa with 9, and MiShack with 6.

It is BEAUTIFUL here. My view is of the mountains and the ocean.

The people are INCREDIBLE! We spent this past week sharing life stories, eating meals together and learning what classes are going to look like.

My class has 19 people total and the senior class has 11 so there is a minimum of 30 people in the classes daily. I sat minimum because classes are open! We have visitors (you do have to pre-register) who can attend a week of classes. I just love the culture of inclusion G42 has.

After all this time preparing to leave, I can’t believe I’m finally here!

I feel like words fail me lately so enjoy the rest of the blog in photo form!

In the In Between

Airports

I’ve been at a lot of airports in the last year and a half. And it is extremely rare that I’ve experienced a delay or mishap.

Tonight was different.

My second flight was delayed. At first it was just by 45 minutes. Then an hour and a half, then the flight was supposed to leave at the time I was originally was supposed to land at my destination. Once again it was pushed back an hour further. Then 30 min more.

Every alert on my phone set me deeper into disappointment.

Normally it wouldn’t bother me. After all, on the race we had layovers of 11 or 9 hours regularly. But I had people and the equipment to nap and I expected to spend that time there. But this time I expected a 3 hour layover and was now looking at a 7 or 8 hour pushback. Which also wasn’t the problem.

The real reason it affected me so much is because I was tired. I didn’t want to make the most of the delay and find a new friend. The delay was costing me what I wanted most: sleep.

Everyone knows that airports are mostly “hurry up to wait” establishments. You get there a few hours early to allow time for security. You make sure any layover you have is at least 45 minutes long to allow for delays, gate changes and boarding. They are holding cells as we wait to get moving towards the place we want or need to be next. Prices are raised like our suspicions of the person next to us or the lone person-less bag.

Sometimes I feel like this season of life I’m currently in is like I’m stuck in the airport. I’m waiting for the next big thing (G42) but in the meantime I’m in a holding cell. Free in the sense I can do anything by as long as it’s within the confines of the time. It’s what I make of the wait.

Do I strike up a conversation with a fellow traveler? Intentionally interact with a janitor who’s cleaning up dog poop and overlooked by so many? Do I phone a friend? Stream a movie? Sit at my gate three hours early or walk up and down terminals in between flights? Do I find food or splurge on coffee? Do I use it as processing time or look for divine appointments?

The truth is even in the waiting, there is so much to do. And once I got my mind off of what I was being deprived of (sleep) I saw the possibilities.

Is there something you are feeling deprived of?

Have you experienced the disappointment of unmet expectations?

After an hour of thinking I wasn’t going to make it home at a decent hour, my phone dinged. Another delay alert. 2 hours shaved off the delay. It was back to leaving at the original arrival time. #thankyouJesus

There’s hope.

Even in the in between.

Who Am I

A question as old as time, partial answer given here.

Hey! I’m Sarah Ann. A pretty normal person with a pretty wild dream. Well, I guess it depends on your definition of wild. In my book it means “living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated.”

And what is my natural environment?

Living life encountering God on the daily
Loving people and connecting on a deep level

There’s a lot of identity statements I can make that are true: I’m a daughter, a sister, a friend, an artist, a graduate, a godmother, an administrator, a missionary, etc. But the most important one?

I’m loved. Totally. Completely. Unconditionally.

Reasons why I’m blogging:

To spread joy and laughter
To walk others through my thought process in hopes it will help
To bring others into my experiences of the world around us
To show love in everyday life

So join me as I process my year as a missionary, say hello and goodbye to friends around the US, fly to Generation 42 — a leadership academy based in Spain, and to every adventure beyond.