I’m at the oceanfront now and its drizzling rain. The streets are packed with crowds from a variety of places, everyone trying desperately to get to the beach through the traffic. Everyone has a story, a family or friend that they’re visiting. I love that I can consider myself a local here now, my one year move-aversary just happened and I can hardly believe it! I can tell tourists where to park, where the local market is, what sites are a must-see. I can talk to people about the growing art movement in the Vibes District and how I have my first painting showing at the local’s night at the Modern Contemporary Art Museum. Most importantly I can always avoid the low hanging tree limbs that tourists never seem to see on 10th Street until they get smacked in the face. Seriously, I see it everyday and it still makes me laugh every time.
I’m a Virginia Beach local. Life is so good.
My Pastor at Liberty Baptist Church (shoutout to Greenbriar Campus, love you guys!) has been taking us through a series in the book of Esther for the last few weeks. In the last sermon we had he referenced another incredible missionary and evangelist, David Platt, by stating that, “cosmic coincidences one after another show us that God is in control.” For instance, in Esther it just so happens that Vashti, King Xerxes wife, gets dismissed and Esther, an orphaned Jewish girl, gets rounded up in the local beauty pageant to be the new queen. Then it just so happens that Esther was “favored by everyone who saw her” and chosen by the King. As the chapters unfold there are numerous occasions in which uncontrollable events lead Esther to step forward and plead with the King on behalf of the Jewish people because a proclamation had been given to annihilate all of the them. (This was instigated by Haman, an Aggagite, which is a long-standing enemy of the Jews)
God is never mentioned in the Book of Esther but his fingerprints are all over the story, it’s events, and the providence of the Jewish people.
Esther was made for “such a time as this,” just as we all are. We have all been placed exactly where God wants us to have an impact. As I reflect on my own life I can see God’s influence all over it.
I have lived in four states and in every one of them my family has been provided for in miraculous ways; the exact amount of money my family needed to make ends meet anonymously mailed to us, sicknesses healed, lifelong friendships sparked, spiritual revivals happening. I have been given opportunity after opportunity and ended up here: on the coast with some of the strongest relationships in my life, my wonderful family with me, a steady interesting job, and continuous funding for this this mission trip.
“I have been called to such a time as this,” and I can’t wait to see how that statement transforms as I take steps into my future!
In other news, fundraising is now at about $6,700 and I have my 65L hiking pack, my day pack, sleeping pad, air-porter, and tent for the World Race! If you would like to donate to my World Race fund, the donate button is at the top of my home page and if you’re interested in donating gear, click on the link below to get an idea of whats needed or shoot me an email! I have to have all my gear by next month for my training camp in Georgia and I could use all the help I can get! Thank you all so much, I’m so grateful for your support and excited for my Launch date September 8th or 9th of this year!
Gap Year 2018 Gear: https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2CRLQZZQ089R2/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2
