Before I dive in here, I should probably tell you all what the next year of my life will look like come September (well, really, it’s all starting now!). You may have already figured it out by clicking around or stalking my squadmates. Or, maybe you’re only reading this –again – because you already know! IF NOT – here are the countries I will be traveling to:
The Phillipines : Hello! (This seems weird – bare with me, you’ll get what I’m doing in a second! This just happens to be a really awkward way to start…)
Malaysia : Hello! (Still awkward…)
Thailand : Hello! (Starting to sweat..)
Cambodia : _____ (Google fail…)
Uganda : Wapendwa! (Finally!! See what I did there!?)
Rwanda : MooRahHoh! (My personal favorite.. if you say it just right it almost sounds like "tomorrow!" and before you know it you're singing the song and an image of a sweet little orphan girl with curly red hair and her shaggy dog pops into your head)
South Sudan : Hello! (I knew I should have gone with "how are you doing today?")
Ukraine : Прив�-т (Phonetically I can't figure it out)
Romania : Alo!
Nepal : Namaskaar!
India : Namaste!
Google translator don't fail me now! Anyway, I am so excited to be visiting these countries. I am especially excited to be traveling back to India – squatty potties, “Delhi Belly” and all! (If you don’t know what Delhi belly is…be okay with that.)
I suppose some of the countries on this list may have raised a little red flag in the back of your mind. I only know this because my parents were very quick to inform me that three (THREE!!) of these countries currently have travel advisories. My 18 year old brother also told me “2 girls against 10 men with guns…the odds aren’t in your favor.” (I had to clarify whether or not he has the gift of prophecy- TBD).
Fact is, I already knew that an adventure like this isn’t always safe. I learned it the hard way when my team in India was seconds away from being smushed in a Himalayan landslide. So I’m not saying that there will be no fear involved in my travels, but I’m not expecting to live in fear for the next year and a half of my life. I am, however, expecting for God to lead the way. I’m expecting for His will to be done. And I’m expecting to totally surrender myself to be a vessel for His kingdom. I know it won’t be easy, and I know it won’t always be fun. There will be bugs (Ice Cream. You will see this word inserted every time I have to use the word bugs (Ice cream), I'm trying to create a positive association here.) There will be really strange forms of transportation and zero traffic laws. There will be severe poverty that will break my heart. There will be little kids that I don’t want to leave. There will be places that I probably really do want to leave, but I’ll have to stay. It will be dirty. But it will be so worth it.
Although this specific missions trip will be overseas, I believe that where we are at any point in time on any given day is our mission field. Which makes people wonder: Well, then why are you going overseas? Why do you want to do international missions? Do you just want to travel? Really – why??
Often times I don’t know how to answer these questions. I don’t know why God has laid this on my heart, I just know that He has. And so I expect God to show me things. I expect God to challenge me with unexpected things. I expect my Heavenly Father to lead me as He wills and reveal to me more and more His unshakeable character. I expect Him to completely break me so that He can completely rebuild me. And then I expect that to happen over and over and over again. No more of my junk. Not my will, but Yours be done.
To close my blog, I want to leave you all with a video that a squadmate of mine recently shared with our team. It really moved me. It painted a beautiful picture in my mind of God's relentless love. It reminded me that I did nothing worthy of this love and I never will do anything worthy of this love; it is an uncomprehnsible gift, and Jesus paid the price. The video shows the heart behind the trip when I fail to have the right words. I pray that it helps make known the motivation of my journey 🙂
