Lead me to the Rock

"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."