I was caught staring blankly in the prayer circle. I forget who it was that gave me a look that said “are you sure?” but I remember shrugging my shoulders and feeling the adrenaline rush. I was wondering what I had just volunteered for. About three minutes prior, the question “Who wants to give the Christmas Sermon?” was asked. We prayed silently to ourselves and I guess the silence got to me. I said that I would give it.
For a week or so we had been going door to door asking people to our Christmas Service that was being held on Christmas Eve. We had a number of people say that they would join us and I remember being excited for our first outreach in Albania.
A week of preparation went by, I studied… and wrote… erased and wrote some more. By Christmas Eve, I had an awesome Christmas sermon. As people started to show up, Team Albania huddled to pray. I don’t know who prayed or what was prayed… I was too focused on remembering how to talk. 
I was nervous and excited… and I some how managed to make it through worship without throwing up. Before I knew it, my translator was on the stage and was saying something in Albanian… he gave me “the nod,” and I stepped onto the platform. I stated my name… and blanked.
I looked at my notes and knew that this wasn’t what I was supposed to say. I looked into the crowd and asked God to give me His words and the boldness to speak them. I opened my mouth to speak and my heart for missions was birthed during these sentences: God wants you to know that He loves you. He wants you to know that He loves you so much, He sent His son to die for you…. He loves you so much that he plucked me from my home, my comfort zone, to speak here, to you specifically . He wants you to know that there is a life greater than what you’re living… and He wants you to know you were called to a higher purpose… and He can show you the way.
