This past summer has been a whirlwind of emotions, experiences, and intimate time with God. It has been an adventure listening and trying to follow God's will for my life. For people who know me well, they know that I am a planner. I love to plan. I get excited going shopping for a new planner (yeah, that's how bad it is). My whole life I have always made plans for how my life would pan out. My relationship with God was a huge part of my life, but I had never asked God what His will was or ask for His input. I was more concerned about making sure I was doing the things I wanted to be. I had this amazing plan - and it was going to be GREAT. That plan went to pieces the day God revealed something different for my life.
Since I started writing in a journal I've been able to record my thoughts and feelings while God has been preparing me for this adventure...
-Jan. 3rd: "I pray God will show me the path He wants me to take. I'm desperate for Him to talk to me, to show me. I pray He gives me the opportunity to be able to do His work that I'm so passionate about."
-Feb. 1st: "My heart is Yours to do with whatever Your will is. Where You lead me, I want to have the faith to follow knowing that You will provide for me...I know you have something unique planned for my life. God, I want You to prepare me and my heart for what You have in store for my future. I don't want to miss or take any opportunity for granted. I can't ignore You calling me any longer - You have called me to be different and show Your love for the world through me."
-March 15th: "Today Mary prayed for me, and after we had prayed she told me that she felt like God was preparing me to do something radical with my life. I got so excited, because I've felt it too. I want to make myself a vessel for God and be available to do whatever He asks and have the faith to do it without doubt or questions".
-June 27th: "Woah...Last night and this morning I keep hearing from God to leave school and follow Him wherever He calls. I'm grabbing a hold to this rope of faith.I don't know where it's going, but I know God will show me where I need to be."
All of this eventually to my realization that God is calling me into ministry. After telling my family and friends that I wouldn't be going back to school in the fall so that I could pursue ministry, all I could do was pray for clarity and direction. My mom sent me a website of an orphanage in Roatan, Honduras. It was by far, not the first place I wanted to go and spend my time serving. I casually sent an interest form to the orphanage, and didn't give it another thought. I had been really excited to look into mission work in Africa and that is where I spent most of my time looking into opportunities. After weeks of prayer asking God where I should be, He finally spoke to me clearly. I asked God that if this was from Him and this was where He wanted me to go, that He would tell people close to me the same thing. Without a doubt, God was faithful and had placed the same place on everyone's hearts: an orphanage in Honduras. This is was an amazing illustration that God does communicate clearly with us, and that He does move among us.
Throughout this whole process of figuring out that path that God has placed before me, He has continually blessed me and remained faithful to me. I had been praying that God would give me opportunities to interact with children in Honduras that had disabilities. To my surprise, the orphanage called me a week later to tell me they had just received a new girl at the orphanage named Sindy, and she had been diagnosed with Autism. The secretary of this ministry forwarded me several e-mails from the director of IHNFA (child services in Honduras) asking if I would be willing to extend therapy to several children she knew that had multiple forms of disabilities. This is just one of several examples of how God has kept reinforcing and affirming my decision. I am so excited to finally head down to Honduras and meet these children that God has placed in my life. I am even more eager to see how God wants to move and interact with these children and with the people in this community. I can't help but have the feeling that God really wants to pour out His Spirit on to these people and start a transformation. I still have two more weeks before I leave, but I can't wait to meet these children and share God's powerful love. Please continue to pray long with me that God will encounter this city and His people in a new way.
-Psalms 119: 30-32 "I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free."
This is a picture of Sindy, the girl with autism- I have already fallen in love with this girl.
