"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." (Psalm 61:1-3, ESV)
This post is going to be filled with a lot of bragging. Bragging on God. The way He has been at work has completely blown my mind, and I wasn't planning to post again so soon, but what He has done can't be ignored!
This whole process of preparing to leave and the idea of stepping out and moving to Nepal for a year has been very daunting. And honestly, absolutely terrifying. But every step of the way, God has met my fear with His sufficiency, and with His divine provision. When I was afraid to leave my family for a year, God gave me the Garrison's. Joel and Sue, and their sons Isaac and Elliot will provide a "family" for me while I'm away from home. Seeing their loving spirits, and their humble characters, has already begun to ease the ache in my heart.
When I was scared to live on my own...for the first time...half-way across the world...He gave me Stephanie. And not only did He give me a roommate, but God blessed me and my mom with the opportunity to meet her and her mom last Friday while she was home in southern Washington on leave. She has been there two and a half years, and she knows her way around town. Literally. Having her friendship and companionship will make this transition easier. And I'm looking forward to having my first roommate!
The idea of raising over $21,000 in just 5 months was incredibly intimidating. And to be honest, I doubted, quite frequently, that God would provide all of the funds for me to go. I kept saying things like "it's too much," "there's no way." I put God in the box of "not big enough to handle my problems." And I was completely humbled today when I was told that not only had all of the funds been raised, but also an extra $3,500. Wow. It hasn't sunk in yet. I'm not sure when it will, but I can already tell that it will be one of those moments that I will never forget.
I want to leave with two quotes that have been an encouragement to me. Of all places, I found them on Pinterest, so while I can't tell you who said them, I can tell you that I'm thankful for the person who did.
"Let your faith be bigger than your fear."
"The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot protect you."
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
My Adventure
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8 ESV)
My goal is to be like Isaiah, to follow wherever God leads me, and to go willingly and excitedly. And this next year is going to be a time for me to put that into practice! I'm leaving this October to move to the country of Nepal for a year, and serve God alongside missionaries who show God's unconditional love to the lost people of this Hindu nation.
This blog will be a place for me to write about God's victories, my struggles, and the experiences that I will have while I'm gone. My hope and prayer is that through this blog you will get a glimpse into the work that God is doing in the lives of people half-way around the world who speak a different language, worship different gods, and may have never heard the name Jesus Christ. Above all else, my goal is that God would be glorified.
As I prepare over these next few months (58 days until I go!) I would ask that you partner with me in prayer. Here are a few things that I would covet your prayers for:
-finances; I am just over $6,000 short of my goal of $21,640.
-peace; as I prepare and the time gets closer, anxieties and fears creep up, the devils way of trying to get me to believe that God isn't big enough to take care of me.
-the Nepali people; that God would do an amazing work in these people before I get there, while I'm in country, and long after I leave.
If you would like to help support me financially, you can give in two ways; the first is a one time gift given to Canyon Hills Community Church, either through our online giving on our website or in the mail. Or, you can send monthly support while I'm gone, and give the same way, but in smaller amounts each of the 12 months I'm away. If you feel led to support me, the most important thing to remember is that my name cannot be on a check anywhere, in the subject line please put "mid-term Nepal".
Thank you for your support, prayerfully and/or financially. It truly means the world to me. I'm excited for this adventure with God, and I hope that you'll follow along with me as I go!
My goal is to be like Isaiah, to follow wherever God leads me, and to go willingly and excitedly. And this next year is going to be a time for me to put that into practice! I'm leaving this October to move to the country of Nepal for a year, and serve God alongside missionaries who show God's unconditional love to the lost people of this Hindu nation.
This blog will be a place for me to write about God's victories, my struggles, and the experiences that I will have while I'm gone. My hope and prayer is that through this blog you will get a glimpse into the work that God is doing in the lives of people half-way around the world who speak a different language, worship different gods, and may have never heard the name Jesus Christ. Above all else, my goal is that God would be glorified.
As I prepare over these next few months (58 days until I go!) I would ask that you partner with me in prayer. Here are a few things that I would covet your prayers for:
-finances; I am just over $6,000 short of my goal of $21,640.
-peace; as I prepare and the time gets closer, anxieties and fears creep up, the devils way of trying to get me to believe that God isn't big enough to take care of me.
-the Nepali people; that God would do an amazing work in these people before I get there, while I'm in country, and long after I leave.
If you would like to help support me financially, you can give in two ways; the first is a one time gift given to Canyon Hills Community Church, either through our online giving on our website or in the mail. Or, you can send monthly support while I'm gone, and give the same way, but in smaller amounts each of the 12 months I'm away. If you feel led to support me, the most important thing to remember is that my name cannot be on a check anywhere, in the subject line please put "mid-term Nepal".
Thank you for your support, prayerfully and/or financially. It truly means the world to me. I'm excited for this adventure with God, and I hope that you'll follow along with me as I go!
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