This journey has given me peace. I feel like a came in as a tornado: stressed, a little unfocused, a little lost, and not I feel peace. Peace in the sense that everything is going to be okay and that God is with me. I think this occurred through Judy encouraging us to take moments of pause and especially to feel the breeze. I came to know the breeze as God giving me a hug. I remember feeling so hot and tired numerous times throughout the trip and then a big breeze would come and I would feel peace as if God was telling me, “I’m here and everything is going to be okay.” Because of this, I felt so close to God on this trip, as if by being in Italy, the gap between us was lessened and even so much that I could feel his touch.

Text by Paige Lesslauer, photo by TRACE