Leader Feature: Sydney Morales, University of Cincinnati

Summer looks different this year for a lot of reasons, but for Sydney Morales from the University of Cincinnati, she is extremely grateful to be back home for the summer. Back home for many can mean a different state or city, but for her it means a whole different country! Sydney is from Puerto Rico (how cool is that?) 

She traveled home back in March for spring break, and hasn’t left since. Although things have been really different and not expected, Sydney is so excited to be home and able to enjoy her time and community there. Normally, she is in the states working or involved in some sort of internship, but this summer she is spending time with her aunts, uncles and cousins- something she feels she missed out on over the years because of her schedule and going to college in the states. 

Sydney is learning more and more about herself and really feels like the Lord is helping her to understand her TRUE identity. Sydney said “Sometimes I really struggle going back to Puerto Rico, because I don’t feel like I am the same person here. I go back to old habits, and become someone I don’t really even know when I am in the states.” But she has been able to spend time with the Lord over the last few months with not many distractions, to really let Him speak to her about who He made her to be. 

I mean really, God is so cool, right? This pumps me up, hopefully it does you too!! 

Sydney is also spending LOTS of time with old friends. She has been able to go to the beach (so fun and something that would not be possible in Cincinnati), go on walks with them, and has even been able to share her faith with them through the quality time spent together. 

“I’ve really been able to open up to my friends here about my faith. It’s been such a blessing because they have been super respectful and willing to understand whenever I talk about my prayer life, Jesus, the Bible, and even the Holy Spirit. A lot of them are non-believers or they don’t really understand the relationship aspect of knowing the Lord so I’m really thankful that this is something that I have been able to talk to them about.” Sydney said. 

When I asked Sydney what she was getting into this summer, her first response was “I am actually going through the James Summer Series with some friends and it has been so great” I love that Sydney has taken this opportunity to really dive into community and scripture with people she normally wouldn’t! She has been having weekly facetimes with two girls, one in Puerto Rico as well, and the other in North Carolina. They have been talking through the series and talking through life and have all felt so encouraged by having this time together.

Sydney’s story challenges me to step more into community and excites me for all that God is doing through so many Delight women this summer.