HEY HEY HEY MY PEOPLE!!
so it turns out —-I MADE THE THIRD DEADLIIIIINE!!! even BEFORE Dec. 1st!!!!!!
praiiiiise praise praise Him!!
St. Peter's Church in Lake Mary Florida ended up donating enough to get me past the $11,000 mark!!!!
Wow. Wow. Wow.
my heart is seriously exploding.
PHILIPPINES HERE I COME!
Dec 1st will officially be my last day on this side of the world for a while.
i can never thank you ALL enough for your prayers and financial support throughout this journey of ours!!
i'm so incredibly grateful for yall's hearts and for the Lord's provision!! gah!
Back home, even though I didn’t even realize it, I was a coward for the Gospel.
I shut my mouth in times when I was being called to speak in faith and boldness. As if I was folding up the Gospel's banner and putting it in my pocket.
Even with my extroverted tendencies that happen to sometimes push me out into bravery, I hid in a tortoise shell of shame.
A thought that kept bubbling up to the surface since launching out of Chicago is “why don’t I act this boldly for the Lord back home?”
Back in the States, I helped with the local youth group, I was fairly bold when it came to debates with friends, I went to homeless outreaches often, I was in the Word and attending church every week… but there, even still, I was so… comfortable. I was in a little Christian bubble.
Since living here in Central America for the past three months, I would walk up to people on the street corners, in neighborhoods, on buses, to their homes, literally where ever they were—random, grungy people of all shapes ages and sizes—and ask them how their day was, talk to them about their lives and hear their stories, share mine, ask them if they knew Jesus or desired to know Him, prayed over people, shared laughter and tears—TOTAL. STRANGERS.
The Lord has STILL been faithful in breaking down my self-contained comfort bubble here in month 3.
He’s set the fire under my butt, fixing my eyes on Him instead of myself, and has been calling me out into acting upon His Word, His Will, His Call instead of my own—WHY? He's been opening my eyes more and more to His unchanging, unyielding, unconditional love.
I'm beginning to understand now that, that's the whole point. His love for me–for this world–that's the whole dang point of life–to live in it. To live in Him.
With THAT being said, He’s also been teaching me a lot about trust. The tried and true kind of trust. The kind where you hold a lamp in the dead of night and can only see the path that’s right under your feet, but you know the destination at the end of the path is worth it—even though you’ve never even seen it.
Ever since I read Matthew 6:25-34, whenever I see a bird, I think about how much the Lord really loves me and takes care of me–even if I can't see it in front of my own eyes.
It's a daily thing, but I’ve been giving a ton of things over to Him—trusting that He actually knows what’s best for my life and other's lives in the future, trusting that He’s designed my life better than I could ever try to, trusting that He’s ALWAYS got me, trusting that whatever happens He’s in control of it. Trusting in Him, through ALL things, because He's crazy in love with me and created me to know Him and love Him–and in that I get a hold of an eternal everlasting joy that will never burn away.
….Soooo that’s all just a teeny blip of what He’s doing in my life thus far.
I’ve got more blogs from Thanksgiving and stuff heading your way, so be on the look out.
Only 5 more days until I’m on the other side of the world!!
Thanks for your prayers,
Thanks for your gifts,
Thanks for your support.
I mean it.
I am more than blessed in Him who gave me this incredibly beautiful salvation, through Him who gave me this call overseas to be His hands and feet, through the One who promises that He will provide for me exactly what I need, right when He sees fit!
He’s so worth it ALL.
Every time.
