Destination: Unknown

Today officially marked my last day of classes for, hopefully, my university/college life. 

*Insert Reality check side note; I believe I ‘penned’ those words 5 years ago after I had finished walking across the stage to receive my B.A. from SBC…little did I know at the time that God had different plans for me down the road…” 

Although I should be studying for my Monday night exam, along with finishing up my last lesson plan for my Applied Linguistics 2 class (hey I am still technically a college student and we do love to procrastinate!  Cathy, if you are reading this, I PROMISE I will have it done and handed in by the time it is due!), there are moments when one just simply has to blog!  This is one of those moments.

What I see now, that I did not see 5 years ago, was just how perfect God’s timing truly is.  How He really looks after every single small detail of our lives and gives us what we desire deep down.  Since walking across that SBC stage grad weekend in April 2010, God has allowed me incredible adventures locally and around this world.  He continues to put (and He keeps) amazing people in my life to challenge, encourage and support me in whatever I do.

As I reflect back on this year (once again, thank you Cathy and Frieda for ‘drilling’ the importance of reflections into me this school year through TESOL assignments), I realize God’s intimate handiwork involved in every step of the way.  Coming off the Race; God knew schooling would be ‘too much’ and ‘too intensive’ for me during a month long TESOL course in the summer.  He even went as far as legitimately canceling summer TESOL (sorry to my TESOL classmates who signed up to take it this past summer! I am totally convinced it was God ‘canceling it’ because of me!).  He did this however, to allow me to simply rest in Him and His Goodness and to spend time reflecting and being ‘poured into’ in a way that I craved it. 

Coming to Providence, I will admit that I was terrified! Hopping on a plane with 45 strangers to travel the globe for missions for a year? Not a problem! Go to university an hour away from home??!?! Sheer PANIC!!! Write papers, essays, mid-terms, exams, assignments AND MEET NEW PEOPLE ONCE AGAIN!?!? HECK NO! 

(Have I ever mentioned that God loves to teach me about things; through His humour?!?! Cause He does!)

Needless to say, I arrived and have survived my time at Providence!! Not only have I survived and have made some pretty incredible friends once again, but I have really loved it and am going to miss it! Oh and yes, I have also learned more than I could have imagined with TESOL teaching (and English in general).  A HUGE thank you Cathy and Frieda for equipping me to become an ESL teacher and for teaching me basic English that my high school English teachers failed to do.

I am excited.  I am excited to get back on a plane that will take me back to a place that ‘stole’ my heart over 4 years ago.  I am excited that God has provided an education for me, to be able to go and teach English to those who need it.  My prayer is that that lives of those students that God will be (has already) placed in my path, will be blessed because of it.  That through simply learning a language, their lives will be changed.  Cycles of repeated abuse and poverty will be broken and chains will come undone. 

Indeed. Language IS powerful.

However, Greater (and more powerful) still, is ONE whose death and resurrection we celebrated this past Easter weekend.  It is He who has, and will continue to, lead.  It is His voice and His love that will direct my life and my heart.

The thing about international missions, is that no matter how many times one ‘goes out’, there are still questions, doubts and fears mixed in with excitement, anticipation and joy. 

Perhaps that is another blog, for another day.

Until then, SHINE.  Shine a light right where you are now.  Whether it’s at home, school, or work; God has called you to be where you are, for a reason.  Don’t wait to ‘go’ when He has already placed people right here, right now who need the love He offers.

Are you up to the call?

Village Kids
Zambia Africa 2011