When I think back on our mission trip to North Macedonia, it is hard to put everything into words. I came home carrying so much in my heart: true joy, a deep love for the people, awe at how God led us, and a renewed passion for missions.

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Before we even left, God was already taking care of details at home. He gave the boys a new job that kept them busy and gave them purpose while we were gone. He also gave them meaningful time with my parents. They were able to spend time together, help them get out and enjoy some things, and be a blessing to them while we were away.

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That meant so much to me, because it reminded me that God does not just take care of the mission field. He takes care of home too. The things we are tempted to worry about, He already sees. The people we leave behind, He is still caring for.

Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us not to be anxious about anything, but to bring everything to God in prayer. And His peace, which is greater than we can understand, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That is exactly what He did. He gave us peace and reminded us that we truly do not have to worry.

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This trip was different from other mission trips I have been on. It was not just about doing things or going places. It felt like God was inviting us to slow down, pray, listen, love, and be present with the people. Over and over again, He reminded us that missions is not just about a project. It is about relationship.

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One of the strongest things I felt while we were there was God’s love for the people of North Macedonia. At times it was almost overwhelming. As we walked through Skopje and prayed, I could sense His desire for them to truly know Him and follow Him. Not just religion. Not just tradition. But real relationship with Jesus.

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There was also such a deep sense of being at home with the people there. That surprised me in a beautiful way. Being surrounded by their culture, seeing how they live, hearing their language, watching their customs, and simply being among them stirred something deep in me.

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It reminded me of years ago when Ben and I worked with Albanians in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. God brought that part of our past back around again in such a meaningful way. Even though the people we met were a mixture of Macedonian and Albanian, it felt full circle. We also drove through the Albanian side of North Macedonia, where there was more Muslim influence, and that stirred my heart too.

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It reminded me that God wastes nothing. Things we thought were just part of our past can become preparation for what He may want to do later.

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Another powerful moment happened when we were in Ohrid. We took a boat ride to the island to see the old church at the monastery, and while I was sitting there beside Ben on the boat, we could see Albania.

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All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed with a feeling I honestly cannot fully explain. I just began to cry, and I cried the whole way to the island.

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It was not sadness, but it was deep. It was beautiful. It was overwhelming. It was one of those moments where you do not have all the words for what God is doing in your heart, but you know it is Him.

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Sitting there beside Ben, seeing Albania, remembering our past work with Albanians, and feeling that deep pull in my spirit was something I will never forget. It was like God was touching a place in my heart that He had planted years ago and reminding me again that He wastes nothing.

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Matthew 9:37-38 says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest.” That verse felt so real to me on this trip. There are people who need Jesus, and there is such a need for true relationship with Him.

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There were also so many moments of joy. Dancing with the people in their traditional dance was such a gift to me. Being in church with them and singing in English and Macedonian was powerful. Praying from the top of the tower at the fort, where we could see over the city, was something I will never forget.

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And then there were the relationships God built along the way. Getting to know Connie more, she is literally my neighbor back here at home, was such a gift. Meeting Blagica and her husband also felt like a divine appointment. It really felt like God put that connection together, and it was another reminder that He is always working ahead of us.

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I also want to be careful and humble in how I share this next part, because this was not something I had experienced in this way before. I have had little visions before, like ideas for a sign or something for an event, but never like this, where God seemed to confirm something so clearly. So when it happened, it left me in awe. Not because of me, but because of how personal and faithful God is.

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A few weeks before the trip, I had a vision come to me twice. In the vision, the six of us were sitting in the back few pews of what appeared to be an Orthodox-style church ( the church was not completely clear). We were sitting on the back right side. There was a small group of people on the left side. There was a lot of orange in the church. And we were praying for the people.

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Then, while we were in Vienna after missing our connecting flight, that exact thing happened.

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On the way back to the train station, Chris said, “let’s see if the door of this church is open”, and it was. So, we went in. We walked around a bit and then one by one we all sat down. It hit  me….. The six of us were sitting in the back right. There was a small group of people on the left side. The orange colors were there. And we were praying for the people.

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But what made it even more meaningful was Kitty’s prayer. She prayed out loud, and the exact things she prayed were the things from the vision that we were supposed to pray about. It was so amazing how God  used Kitty to complete that confirmation of us being in Vienna. I share it because it reminded me how personal and faithful God is, and how carefully He was leading all of us.

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Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” That became so clear to me. We may have thought we were delayed, but God had us exactly where we were supposed to be.

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Another moment happened near the end of the trip.

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Back in February, I had told Coria about what I thought was just a daydream. I saw Chris, Coria, Ben, and me walking around an area together. At the time, I did not think much of it, especially because we had six people on our team, not just four.

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But on the last day, Kitty and Connie decided to go back to the hotel and rest, and the four of us continued walking around the Old Bazaar.

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All of a sudden, it hit me.

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This was it, the shops, the cobblestone street, how we were walking, the lights, everything in that moment.

This was what I had seen back in February.

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I do not believe that was just a random daydream. It was another one of those moments where God gently reminded me that He had gone before us. He knew where we would be, who would be there, and what He was doing long before we ever stepped foot in North Macedonia.

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There are so many more things I could share that it could probably turn into a short book. But the thread through all of it was this: God was leading. God was confirming. God was loving the people. God was caring for home. And God was renewing something in us.

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By the time we left, I felt like God had renewed Ben and my passion for missions in such a strong way. He gave us joy there. He reminded us of things from our past. He opened our hearts even more for the nations. And for Ben and me, it stirred that question again of what God may have for us in missions in the future. We do not fully know what that looks like, and we want to hold it humbly and with open hands, but we do believe He was stirring something in our hearts.

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That is probably the biggest thing I want people to know from this trip: surrender everything to God.

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Even when you are tired, surrender.
Even when plans change, surrender.
Even when unexpected things happen, surrender.
Even when you do not understand why you are somewhere, trust Him.
Even when you are tempted to worry about what you left behind, trust Him.

Because He has us where we are supposed to be, when we are supposed to be there.

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God used this trip to remind us that He is still speaking, still leading, still confirming, and still providing. I do not fully know what all of this means for the future, but I know He did something in our hearts. I am thankful He allowed us to go,thankful for the people on our team,  thankful for the people He let us meet, and thankful for the way He reminded us once again that when we surrender to Him, He truly does guide every step.