At His feet. A place of surrender. Lack of control. Embracing the unknown. Yet, acknowledging that our Father knows. He is in control. He sustains, protects, provides, and paves the way. We board our second flight on the way to South Africa in a few hours. We will arrive by Wednesday.
Our hearts are full. We have had a few more days of role specific training here in Atlanta with our squad and teams. From treasurer, logistics, safety and risk management and refreshers in cultural contextualization and more team building, it has been a sweet time of connection, worship, and vision casting for the year ahead.
Austin was asked to be the treasurer for our team at training camp so he as has been preparing to steward that role well and has received hours of further training here in Atlanta. I (Ally) was asked to be our team leader here in Atlanta two days ago. I was very surprised and humbled, but I look forward to loving and serving our team in this way for the next few months. The role is humbling, but my prayer is that the Lord would make much of Himself through me as I steward and serve my team.
Our last month as been so full. We sold our stuff, moved out of Texas, spent time with both sides of our families, saw lots of friends, and had an awesome 10 day road trip with both sets of our parents. We traveled through 10 states and 6 national parks and hiked 60+ miles. Amazing memories. Treasured moments. Left awestruck by creation and our Creator. But, in all of that, I want to share with you what the Lord spoke to me our first full day here in Atlanta because I feel like it is so relevant for not just us in this time, but in any context you find yourself.
Despite all of that good, the busy, the beautiful, I arrived in Atlanta and felt like my mind and emotions were a bit behind me. I asked the Lord that morning as I prayed and worshiped to catch them up. I wanted to be present. All here. Ready to go, learn, listen to the Spirit’s voice, and be intentional. He said to me, Ally, how you feel right now, is easily how you could feel at the end of these 11 months on the field unless to find yourself at my feet every morning. You will have done a lot of amazing things, seen a lot of people, and encountered beautiful aspects of my creation, yet missed the depth of what I want to accomplish. You’ll feel scattered. Have missed My voice. Missed the growth I have planned for you. Missed people I wanted to highlight and minister too through you. I was undone by that. How often to do you pause long enough to ask Him what His agenda is? What He wants with your time, your day, your words? Obviously we have lives, jobs, families, but how much richer would our daily ministry be if we were always in that place. Surrendered at His feet. Daily. To abandon our plans and allow flexibility to produce Spirit lead encounters with people. As we have been taught in a variety of ways here with AIM, ministry is life, life is ministry. Every context is rich with opportunity and people to love. Many hungry for an encounter with their Father. For healing. Restoration. Hope. You are His vessel to do that! My prayer for all of you is that He would be speaking to you. Beckoning you. Leading you to a deeper understanding of His love for the nations, for your city, for each individual person. And that you would take the time to sit at His feet. As much as we will have stories to share when we return, we want to hear all that He has done this year through you while we are away!
We love you all and will write next in South Africa!
Love,
Austin and Ally
