I have been wanting to blog for quite some time now but have been unsure what to choose to say! This past year I have become so much more aware of what the Lord has been doing and I am continually overwhelmed. But there are some pieces I need to share!
I am going to start with a bit of a summary for new readers and because it’s awesome to see a bigger picture!
When I was 12 I began to feel a call to full-time international missions. I have continually surrendered that always aiming for God’s discernment and because of fear that I was wrong and would be disappointed! I went on my first international mission trip at age 16, and that was a HUGE miracle! I went to college to study Social Work to learn skills that I was passionate about that I could use internationally. Through college I was continually led by the Lord to local, domestic and international missions. I always assumed I would live abroad after college, but did not know where or what I would do!
(In India 2007)
During a season of surrender and waiting the Lord very, very clearly called me to the World Race. The World Race was perfect for me to learn more about international missions, to experience more of God’s heart and to hopefully discern God’s next steps. I had always assumed I would return to one of the 11 place I would visit on the World Race. I realize now how crazy and limited that sounds, but I really felt that way. And I also realize that we can trust the Lord’s voice even if it really seems crazy!
China was my favorite country on the World Race. When I was there I was praying God would speak prophetically that I was going to return! He did not speak the way I had hoped. I realize now, I was yearning for that prophetic word for confirmation to the call I was experiencing. I have been learning, just because God does not confirm it, does not mean it is not true!
(My team in China in 2013)
Upon returning to the USA, I was filled by night dreams and deep longings to go to Thailand. I had never been to Thailand before and knew this longing was from the Lord, but I did not understand. In the meantime I continued to recognize my desire for China. I did NOTHING to pursue Thailand. My current season in Boone was ending, I did not have a plan, but I knew God had one. I knew He would tell me when I needed to know. 9 months after this dream of Thailand was conceived I was again miraculously called and led to lead a girl’s trip to Thailand for three months!
I had no idea what God had planned after Thailand. I was about six weeks from returning home and had not even really thought about it. I knew God had a plan and He would tell me when I needed to know. Suddenly, one day the Lord made it very clear again I was to return to China. I prayed through this to make sure I heard right; that He was speaking of a specific city and of a specific school. I finally emailed the school and, of course, they were desperately praying for a part-time teach to come fill a position the very week after my time in Thailand! Wow, God is so good! So back to China I go!
(Thailand 2014)
So when I went to China the first time we met and spent a lot of time with families from the west. But one afternoon, we met this one specific family and in those moments with them I recognized this desire/call/connection to them. I had a longing to do ministry with them and even live with them in exchange for helping with their five children. So when I went back to China the second time, I expected this short-term door to lead to something long-term. I had hoped it would be with this family. I return to China and this family leaves for Thailand the next day! Needless to say I was a bit sad and a bit confused.
Regardless, my time in China was PHENOMONAL! While I was in China I again had no idea what I would do after returning home. Before going to Thailand I had looked into getting my Master’s. God had reshaped what degree specifically to pursue and I felt God calling me for the next season to obtain my Master’s and spend time with my family. So I moved back home and have been with my family sense! (I turned in my last assignment for my Master’s today! Hooray!)
This has been a long season with a lot of good stuff and a lot of hard stuff! I have spent a lot of time in prayer trying to be fully surrendered to God’s plans and discerning this place of China that continued to be in my heart. The Lord continued to reassure me that my dreams were there to be fulfilled and that He had a plan. In the midst of my anxious thoughts about the future, he would remind me that He is in control. We are not called to worry, but to trust Jesus.
The last two months God has begun revealing pieces about the next season. The next few steps are extraordinary and a bit long! It ended up that God led me to discover that the family I mentioned I felt a call/desire/connect to in China was looking for someone to come and live with them to help with the kids schooling! That was my very dream I had kept in my heart for the past year and a half! I knew this was the plan God had! So next month I am moving back to China! This will be great for me to have the community of the family and a specific role to fill. I will additionally be working on learning Chinese and doing ministry as I am able!!
There are many neat connected pieces, but one is especially worth mentioning! They are praying about spending half of the year in China (due to location factors) and the other half the year in Thailand! Those are the two places the Lord has really highlighted in my own life!
CONNECT
I have for many years been praying and researching mission organizations to join. These are vital for health, for community, for training and for support. I have yet to come across one that I believed to be the right fit. However, over the years I have heard of this organization, Asia Connect. Whenever I heard of them, I had this feeling of “I would like to join them”, but never acted on it. It turns out the family I will be living with is newly with this organization (name change to Connect). I was invited to their annual conference last month in Thailand and am planning to join this summer!
I am completely overwhelmed by God’s faithfulness. He always has a plan that He desires to fulfill in our lives. We must trust Him, wait on Him, desire His plans and continually seek His face. And we are free to seek Him alone, not His plans, because He will reveal those when He wants to, in the meantime, we are free to purely seek Him, our Love!
Logistics!
As I moving abroad as a full-time missionary, I am in need of financial support. I ask that you please pray and ask God if He would have you support me in any way. I am raising monthly support, but also have some one-time expenses as well. I will share the webpage to donate when it is set-up through Connect! In the meantime, please email me or call me if you believe God would have you partner with what He is doing in me and in China!
