Beginnings

And so begins the start of another journey. This journey starts not only with a new year but with a new ministry, a new village, new co-workers (I'm sure I will be calling them family before too long), new friendships. 
All of this "new" also bring along a lot of unknown. I'm excited for the "new" and at the same time a little nervous/anxious for the "unknown." 

My prayer (and this is what I ask you to pray for me) is not for safety, not that I will be comfortable. My prayer is that I use these three months wisely and make the most of the time God is giving me in Haiti (this time around :). My prayer is that I will be acutely aware of the people and needs around me, not missing any opportunities. My prayer is for boldness. My prayer is that the people I am living with/among will see Jesus in/through me despite a language barrier. My prayer is for spiritual protection in a land where spiritual battle rages and is palpable. My prayer, above all else, is that God will be glorified in and through me.
Please be praying these things along with me. After this summer I so realize the importance of prayer support   and covet each of your prayers. It is so encouraging to know people are praying, to receive the simple words, "we prayed for you today," or "I'm praying." 
I don't know what the internet situation is but, I promise to do my best to update this blog, maybe post a picture to facebook here and there, and whatever else I can do to keep in touch. I also want to know what's going on back here in the States! So, please, feel free to leave comments on the blog, send an email, post on facebook, etc.

Here's to a New Year, a new journey, and God being glorified in it all.

And I'm Off

It’s official! It has been for a while but it feels more “real” now that flights have been booked!

I leave KC December 31 (a tad sooner than originally thought), flying into Haiti January 1.

I was able to coordinate flights with a friend who is flying back so we’ll get to spend New Years together in Miami (airport) enjoying a nearly 12 hour (for me) layover. Yippee!

God definitely worked the details out as my other options had not been working out. It was also a bit of a confirmation as all this came about yesterday evening (see previous post written Dec. 10).

I leave Haiti April 1, arriving in KC the following day.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers which I covet greatly. 

It's a Wonderful Life

(written Dec. 10)
My morning started with finding out I have Friday off (yay!) followed by finding out the family I work for will be moving to North Carolina. Translation: I may not have a job when I return, and if I do it won’t be for long.

This brought mixed emotions of excitement for the possibilities the next few months may bring, and anticipation of seeing God’s plans unfold. And on the other hand there was worry and doubt. What if I come back to no job and no prospects? And questioning; was this the right decision? Maybe people were right and what I thought to be God’s direction wasn’t.

Man does Satan just step right in at the slightest hiccup and bombard us with his fiery darts. God quickly stepped up and quenched those darts as I read the following things, and remembered what I had just heard at church yesterday.

“… Meanwhile, Jesus commands us to go. He has created each of us to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, and I propose that anything less than radical devotion to this purpose is unbiblical Christianity.”

“Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell. We owe Christ to the world – to the least person and to the greatest person, to the richest person and to the poorest person, to the best person and to the worst person. We are in debt to the nations.”

“But what if we don’t need to sit back and wait for a call to foreign missions? What if the very reason we have breath is because we have been saved for a global mission? And what if anything less than passionate involvement in global mission is actually selling God short by frustrating the very purpose for which he created us?” (all quotes from Radical by David Platt)

“I [Jesus] have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Sunday’s message was from Luke 1:26-37; 46-55, titled “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

After the visit from Gabriel announcing that Mary would give birth to God’s Son Mary’s life became abnormal, her life was turned upside down, her life was re-scripted. Yet in all of that she praised God, she responded, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Mary was favored by God. She was chosen by God to bring His Son into the world. But being a Christian, being favored by God does not mean we will have an easy life free of worries, trials and tribulations. It means we WILL have trials and tribulations, we will be persecuted, and we will be tested.

I want to be like Mary. I want to embrace the blessing and not the burden.

God sees the big picture and what He sees is beautiful. I’m just along for the ride :)