The Hyde Adventure Is Continuing on…

I’m going to be honest with you… this week’s blog post is going to lean as a tad selfish of me, but I have some pretty big news to announce & some pretty big needs for your prayer.

If you follow me on social media, you already know what’s coming & have already heard the exciting news that the Hyde adventure is now continuing on from the sunny island of Guam to the also sunny state of Florida.

This has been a longtime dream of ours that has always seemed just out of reach, always on the horizon. A dream that seemed to get further away the closer we got to it.

We have been praying for our whole marriage about where God wants us at any given time & we have striven to be faithful in where those prayers lead us... even if not everyone understood or agreed with those decisions… & no matter how much that may have hurt to hear.

Where Our Adventure Began…

After getting married in May, 2012, we left the only place I remember living–in Northern Virginia, where I had lived since I was 5 years old… where I met Jesus, in fact.

I had a hunger for a small taste of adventure, for seeing other places… anywhere other than Northern VA, the only place I really remembered…. Little did I know that that little adventure to Guam for “2” years would turn into 14 years being international.

It’s been quite the adventure we have had.

Guam Was Not a Happy Memory for Me Back Then…

Most know by now that my first stint on Guam was not filled with many happy memories. I was very much alone, struggled to make friends, struggled to find a job, to be allowed to serve in ministry because I was not staff, struggled to find my place anywhere, with a husband who was always at work, trying to provide & support us. I was very much alone despite grasping efforts to create community. No smart phone either, by the way. Limited international calling plan was it.

I was hurt very much during my time here all those years ago. I felt so isolated.

But I did make a couple wonderful friends near the end who went leaps beyond to pull me in & include me & I love them for it.

And the island was (is) one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. Literally living on a tropical island. Beauty unmatched.

Hokkaido Felt Even More Isolating…

When job potential dried up on Guam & hit a dead end, we moved to Hokkaido, Japan, the northernmost island of Japan, where little to no English is found, seen, spoken, or heard.

The isolation understandably intensified more than I ever could have predicted & it was so scary feeling so alone. I didn’t handle it well. I began to crumble to the point that I didn’t even recognize myself anymore.

I described it as having a “rage monster” trapped in my head. I was “at capacity” at all times. I was deteriorating from the mental strain required in having even the most simple, straightforward situations be a translating game where people panicked & ran the other way when they saw a foreigner & they were too intimidated to try to help me. I relied on bare basics of most things just to not face those situations when it wasn’t necessary.

But again, I had some really dear friends who cared about me & helped pull me in when life was so hard & I will forever love them for it.

And the beauty of Hokkaido is a whole different kind of beauty. The untouched mountain backdrops, the blue lake, the flower fields that rolled & rolled as far as the eyes could see. Like getting to get away from the city & step inside a postcard. Just gorgeous.

I Needed Help & I Admitted it & Then We Moved Again… to Misawa, Japan…

But that place broke me in ways I didn’t know I could be broken.

I admittedly told my husband that I either needed professional help to help me navigate & manage the mental strain of living in a foreign country area where I can’t read or listen to or talk to hardly anyone…. or we needed to leave. The mental strain was really really hard & I needed help setting mental boundaries & navigating tips & tricks on how to manage that strain on my brain’s processing of information it hardly ever could make any sense of.

My husband chose to pray over a move. And then we were on to Misawa, Japan, near a base with English. Near a church in English. Near shopping in English. Near friends in English.

There wasn’t much to Misawa & as far as sights go, it was pretty meh, to be honest, compared to the beauty of Guam & Hokkaido, but that mattered not a single ounce to me, because I found family there in our church.

A church where we did everything as a church. We served together for the good of the church & the community, we hosted meals together, we went sight-seeing together, had game nights, cookouts, Bible studies, & the ladies would get together & we would update & share & be vulnerable together & just be real & raw & not ashamed of our weaknesses or our struggles… & we would pray together for each other. We were family to each other. I treasure them so much. I will never forget them. They healed me in so many ways they never knew because they turned to God with me & for me.

And Then Back Again… to Guam… AGAIN…

And the talks of Florida became more consistent. “2 more years, then Florida, then we’re done with the international.”

But a few months later, our path turned back to where it all began… to Guam.

It felt like an unraveling of all the progress. It felt like I had just spent a frustrating amount of time trying to beat an excruciatingly difficult level in a video game, finally nailing it… only to have the game shut off & upon rebooting, made you start right back at the beginning. (That’s the kind of thing that can tempt you to throw your controller across the room.)

I was not a willing participant in that move. I fought it so hard. I BEGGED God not to make me come back here. I BEGGED. But I also obeyed & didn’t fight my husband on it. I saw God opening the doors I didn’t want opened. And so obeyed even though I hated the very thought of what was to come.

And What Have I Learned in All of My Adventures… in the Hard & the Good?

And you know what I have learned in these now 14 years? To include now 4 years being back on Guam after all this time?

It’s worth it to follow God.

Even when it hurts. Even when you don’t get it. Even when it’s really, really hard. Even when it breaks you down. Even when you feel alone. Even when you beg God for a different outcome & He doesn’t provide it & you don’t know why.

It’s worth it to follow God.

The perspective He has given me. The gracious kindness He has shown me when I have VERY clearly least deserved it… when I gave up hope in Him even. The lessons I have learned. The compassion it has taught me. The bubbles of untruths it has burst. The understanding it has granted me. Even the wisdom to see His hand in all of it, big & small, happy & hard… all of it.

It’s worth it to follow God.

That He shows up. He provides. He makes a way where there is no way. He is working when I cannot see it. He knows what I need better than I do. He sees what I cannot see. He is always doing everything He does with me in mind… my good AND His glory… EVERY step of it. He comforts me. He IS the strength when I have none. He IS the sustainer when I bring nothing of worth to the table. HE provides. HE sustains. HE comforts. He knows what He is doing. ALWAYS. Every time. Every season. Every doubt. ALL OF IT.

He is worth it. Every time. Even when I don’t get it & even when it feels harder than I could ever hope to handle. He is still worth it. He is still in control.

I MUST obey Him. I MUST follow Him. I MUST. Because it’s the best option… the only real, true option of any real, true lasting value.

Our Adventure Continues… Stateside This Time… to Florida…

And it’s time to move again & now I actually love Guam. I am going to miss my friends here so much. I am going to miss my home, & as silly as it may seem to you, it is also where we found my little kitty Cisco when he was just a little baby kitty back in 2013, who has come on all of these adventures with us… it’s where he came up to us begging for help & it is where he has died. It’s like a full circle forever goodbye to him, too.

It’s going to be really hard to say goodbye this time. I’m really grateful for that… but it also really feels awful at the same time, ya know?

I don’t like starting over. All the unknowns. All the displacement of not having a home for however long that lasts. Making new friends while fighting severe imposter syndrome. Struggling to find where I fit in the new place. Not having a church home or family yet to lean on.

Not to mention that we’ve never owned a home so now we have to work the steps of prepping ours to sell & then selling it. The stress & unknowns that come with that as first-timers.

No set timeline yet, so it’s hard to know how to plan even or when.

So much up in the air.

But God has done some pretty unbelievable crazy stuff to get us each step of this plan of His so far. And I know He will not abandon us now.

It’s Worth It to Follow Him…

I don’t know His plans… which I don’t enjoy… but I know He knows them. He’s already there. He already sees how it all pans out. He has a purpose in it that I don’t see… just as He always had every step of this long 14-year international adventure.

The good. The bad. The ugly. God worked in it all… & He will continue to do so.

So, the selfish part of this week’s post, you ask? Well, aside from letting me dump on & reminisce to you as the reader, I ask you to pray for us. This is not going to be easy. It’s going to be really hard, actually… & we will need God’s help through your prayers every step of it.

My 14-Year Adventure Abroad… & My Selfish Request… We Need Your Prayers…

Please pray for us, for all of it… because God is that great… we ought to rely on Him & turn to Him & trust Him in all decisions & details big & small:

THANK YOU if you choose to pray for us in ANY of this at ANY time. We need it. So much change… so much new… but God is still working & God will make a way & God has a plan. Come what may, at least I know that.

Shine HOPE by trusting that it is worth it obeying & following where God leads you, even into the great unknown of your next big adventure… & by turning to Him in prayer every little ounce of it, every little step of the way.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

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Coming Next Week

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As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Blue Sage Jewelry Set–Handcrafted in & Providing Jobs for Women in India!

This jewelry set includes 3 handmade bracelets and a pair of earrings that are handcrafted in a workshop in India that’s committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. The Blue Sage Bracelet Stack is crafted using up-cycled bone to create a beautiful look, perfect for daily wear or gifting. Each bracelet is accented with one gold-tone bead and the set features a blue, green, and tan bracelet. The ethically made, gorgeous Blue Sage Earrings features layered shapes crafted out of up-cycled bone. Each earring has a tan circle stud connecting to an olive green rounded bar and a powder blue open arch pendant suspended below.

***SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!