A couple things have happened recently, and over time I have tried to piece things together. One of the things I have been struggling with on this trip is being insecure. Which is odd because I’ve never really struggled with insecurities, and that is a huge blessing. That’s why I took notice of it as it’s been happening here. Through a very fruitful conversation, I realized that I haven’t been finding my identity in Christ. I have been insecure because I’m not secure in Him. I hated coming to that revelation, because that is another lesson that I have been taught my whole life, but haven’t truly understood. 

I still don’t understand what it means. I was talking with one of my friends and I said, “When someone asks who someone is, and they say, ‘a daughter of the King,’ I have no idea what that even means.” Which is completely true, I hate to admit it but I don’t know what it means. But that IS my identity, and I am a daughter of the King. So I want to begin to understand it, I want to be a daughter, and I want to live that out. I asked one of my leaders that question in hopes to get some clarity. She told me that she wanted me to ask the Lord, that she could tell me but it would be more impactful if I asked the Lord myself. And so I did, I asked the Lord what it meant to be a daughter of the King. 

He said, “Let me show you.” And I kept getting pointed back to the picture of me laying in His arms. The picture of me resting in Him, fully letting Him take care of me and me simply laying there and trusting Him. So that is where it begins, just laying in His arms and letting Him show me. Regardless of whether I believe it or not, the truth is, that is the safest place to be. That gives me hope that I will be okay.

As with almost everything in my life, a few days go by, and I forgot all about it. I’ve done that a lot on this trip. The Lord begins to teach me something, everything begins to click, I write it down and focus on it for a couple days, and then I forget about it. Re-reading my notes help and talking about what I am learning helps, and the Lord is gracious and patient with me. He always reminds me, and I am always pointed back to His endless love. 

For Christmas, one of the girls prayed and asked the Lord for a word for each of us. To encourage us, to teach us something, or in my case, to remind me. The word the Lord gave her was, “royalty.” Of course it was, because that’s how He works. He’s sharing new aspects of His character with me, and He is showing up over and over again. I am a daughter of the King, meaning I am royalty. 

Today is New Year’s eve, and I was wanting to pray and ask the Lord what goals He has for me for this next year. For the month of December, I’ve read a proverb a day. Today, of course, was Proverbs 31. Proverbs 31 describes a woman who fears the Lord. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and my goal is to act with wisdom in everything I’m doing. It was so clear what God wants for me in this next year. 

To be a woman who fears the Lord. To be a woman who seeks an intimate relationship with the Father. To be a woman who works with willing hands and a servant heart. To be a woman who praises the Father always; through pain, suffering, waiting, and joy. To walk with wisdom and discernment in everything I do. 

I am excited for 2026, for what God has planned, for where He takes me, and for the growth I will experience. We head to Mexico soon, and the spring semester begins. Beginning the new year with a restoration of our team, a new country, new ministry, and a heart of praise. I cannot wait!