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

God is GOOD (Overwhelmed and so much more)

If someone were to analyze my brain they would find the statement, ‘God is GOOD’ running on repeat number one.  God is Good!  We know that.  Those of us born in ‘Christian circles’ grow up hearing that all of our lives and, in many cases, we forget the Truth that that simple statement holds.  We (myself included) forget the power in which that statement holds.
 

Perhaps that is why I have been at loss for words lately in describing what God has been doing in my life.  Personally, for someone who spends their days in ESL related classes and textbooks being taught by professors with years of ESL teaching experience, all while coming up with lesson plans ranging from grammar to vocabulary, I find this fact ironically amusing.  One would think that my own English knowledge, and vocabulary, would have increased.  However, I am reminded that there truly are no words in our English language that describes who God is.  To me, being lost for words at how good God is, speaks to the character of who God is and His unexplainable love for you and I.  God made this especially clear to me a few nights ago as I felt tears of joy stream down my face.

I attended a night of praise and worship and testimony sharing from the Watoto African Children’s Choir.  This particular choir/group of kids was from Uganda, Africa yet their stories were stories that I have heard all too often while in Africa. Specifically in Zambia (in 2011/2012) and Swaziland in April 2014.  Stories of abuse, neglect and abandonment.  Stories of parents dying, whether in childbirth, malnutrition or because of the HIV running rampage through their bodies.  In the end, there is a generation of children who are growing up parentless.  However, like those kids/youth in Zambia, this group from Uganda reminded me of who our true Father is, regardless of if a person has parents here on earth.  They reminded me of our Father who never leaves us nor forsakes us.  A Father who says that His “eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16) and who “works for the good of all those who love Him” (Romans 8:28).  A Father who is Good, Pure and Holy.  Through listening to their songs, I was reminded of my own identity in Christ and the power I hold, simply because I believe in God and I have His Spirit within me. 

In less than 35 days, my feet will be back on the soil at Grace Academy in Northern Zambia.  The sheer thought of that alone, sends an unexplainable joy through me.  I cannot wait to get back there and pour into the people of Zambia.  I cannot wait to continue to live out James 1:27, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (NLT), in a very practical, ‘hands on’ sort of way.  

When I was first ‘presented’ with this opportunity to return to Grace to teach, I knew God had something greater in mind beyond the walls of teaching English in a classroom.  This past week, I began to gain a greater understanding as to the ‘why is He calling me back now?’ question.  Although I cannot go into much more detail, my heart has already been ‘broken’ and is once again, very heavy even before stepping foot on the soil.  So, I am asking for your continual prayers as this situation involves a young teenage girl in Zambia, who is VERY close to my heart.  Please join me in praying for a joint understanding and for healing to happen.  For a courage and a boldness to say what needs to be said.  That ultimately, it will be God’s Truth that will flow from my lips and God’s love, from my heart.  Thank you so much and join me in Praising God for the work He has already done, is still doing and will continue to do!

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**Since my last blog, I am beyond excited to say that I got my ‘birthday wish’ and I am FULLY FUNDED for Africa!! WOW.  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!  Thank you so much for all of your support!!!  Once again; GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!**