It was an ordinary Sunday.
I had been home from the World Race for over a year and grown accustomed to being home…for a little while. I had been a paraprofessional for almost a year in Hall County, and a lead server making enough money to almost pay off my school debt. Then, on that ordinary Sunday, I walked into Victory World Church, expecting nothing out-of-the-ordinary.
I should have known better.
After the service, I headed to the door and pass Avery.
Avery and his wife Dede are wonderful, hilarious, wise, inspirational encouragers—a couple I’ve known from the beginning is in my life for a reason. This summer they lead a team to Nicaragua to work at an organization called LifeLink International (http://lifelinkint.org), headed by a man named Mike Turner and his wife Deborah.
This Mike guy knows what he’s doing. He and his wife have been in Nicaragua for about 10 years building a school literally from the ground up. They’ve walked through any scenario you could imagine with home, community and government to fight for the education, rights, and faith of women, children and the future of that country. It very much reminded me of the work I saw in Tanzania when working with Janada L. Bachelor Foundation for Children (http://www.jbfc-online.org/), where I first realized my dreams are actually possible because other people are doing it, too.
Like JBFC, LifeLink is a well-oiled machine. Having been there only a week, it’s easy to realize that their very model for schooling would serve the globe well if placed in other countries. I remember wondering if this was something I could really, really do. In Nicaragua…and elsewhere.
Before working with LifeLink, missionaries are required to go through a 6 week training in Mexico that teaches people how to live missions: how to build relationships in the nation, with the nation, how to adapt to a new place long term, how to fund raise, how to narrow down your vision and goals, etc, etc. I had a job at a school (benefits, hello?!), and a loan to pay off. Plus, I didn’t have time to fundraise the $2,800 training cost PLUS the $500-ish it would cost for a plane ticket to leave 2 months later. So the option was placed in the back of my mind.
I should have known better.
I see Avery moments before leaving the church and have a brief conversation that goes something like this: “Hey, just in case you’re wondering…Mike has had some people drop out of the training, spots are open, and he’s overwritten the deadline for anyone that’s interested…Just so ya know…*wink*wink*nudge*nudge…you know…if anyone you ‘know’ is interested…” He also casually mentions the possibility of the church sponsoring my plane ticket.
My response? “OENEPW—Is this really happening??–AINFEOINSIAKD—Oh, the possibilities—KAOIAPSM—How could this work?!?!–ASKJRPOE.” But I just say “Okay,” and leave on my merry little way.
I head to Starbucks, of course. My thoughts are racing. It is JUST like God to do something like this, and despite the doubt and through the excitement, every fiber of my being knows this is exactly what I’m supposed to do.
I message Avery, asking what to do next. He says “I just talked to Mike and he wants to talk to you.” I call him. We talk. I try to not to sound over-excited, but calm and collected. You know…mature. Or something.
By the end of our (maybe) ten minute conversation, he’s told me there’s a sponsor that’s interested in paying my way, and details about the location of our housing, including the lady down the street that does laundry for a small amount of pesos. I promise to fill out the application the next day, and he says he will have the conversations he needs to have to get me in.
My thoughts are already 10 years ahead of me, envisioning expanding LifeLink’s mission globally to countries no one thinks about.
But I calm down, and return back to the present…
I’m writing this on Thursday, September 4th, 2014. Two days ago, I received the official phone call from Mike accepting me into LifeLink’s Ministry Training in Mexico, with a full scholarship. And Avery was right. The church that loves, believes in and supports me did sponsor my plane ticket.
I leave in two weeks, on September 18, with a close friend of mine who is also attending the training. We’re leaving behind our jobs, our families, and comfort to open doors we don’t even know about right now.
I’ll be returning on November 1. I’ll still have 2 jobs, faithfully loving family and friends, and I won’t necessarily know the next step, but since God plans better than I do, I’ll simply let Him.
