Let me get you all updated on what has been happening around here. I am currently in Gainesville, Georgia. I traveled here on September 2nd and will be here until the end of the year with some breaks in between. I have been sleeping in a tent, my new home, since I have been here and will be until it starts to get cold. For the first two weeks we all had to take bucket showers while they were working on making new actual showers for us out of shipping containers. The bucket showers were refreshing but it is nice to now have hot running water where I can actually feel clean. We will be using porta potties and washing our clothes by hand for all of the 3 months of training. The food around here is really good. A lot better than I expected it to be. The people around here are amazing. My squad mates, leaders, those who do the teachings, and all the staff. They are all so uplifting, encouraging, and always there when you need something. We have a squad church every Sunday where one of the teams or the team leaders lead us. In addition to the hour of time we get for devotions with the Lord everyday, every Saturday and Sunday we have the opportunity to take the time to Sabbath. Spending quiet time with the Lord and taking the time to recharge for the next week to come.
There have been so many great sessions and teachings. A lot to take in and process. A few of my favorite sessions so far have been first law and grace. God is way bigger than our understanding. The law is here to define sin; it is our tutor that points us towards Jesus. (Galatians 3:24) We need to live from the approval of God not for it. The law is good. It points us towards Jesus, who is the Grace and truth. Another one that stuck out to me was the teaching on Forgiveness. The speaker said that there are a few things that God cannot do. One is that He cannot die and another is that He cannot remember. The blood of Jesus removes our sins so there is nothing there for Him to remember. For Him to remember our sins He would have to deny that Jesus died on the cross. (Isaiah 43:25)
I can do hard things! One of the hardest things that I have ever done was something I did within the first week of being here. It was the fitness hike. A 2.2 mile done in 38 minutes with my 40 pound pack on my back. Running down hill and on flat ground then walking up the large steep hills. I must admit that I did not make it the first time. So, I was asked to do it again the next week and I finished. I had some amazing Godly men and women by my side both times that made sure I completed it without giving up. The first time I stopped many times and wanted to give up so often but Jodi, my squad mentor, made sure I didn’t. I completed it so I knew that I could do it a second time. The second time I had some of my squadmates and Regan, one of my squad leaders, by my side holding my hand the whole time making sure I kept up a good pace and didnt stop. I changed my mind set, tried to stay positive, and put my trust in God and remembered that I could only do it with Him instead of thinking that I could do it on my own. I completed it in about 10 minutes less than I did the first time. I couldn’t have done it without putting all of my trust in the Lord and all the encouragement around me. Also another hard thing that I had to do was completely leaving everything back at home and living the minimalist life. Giving everything to God to go follow Him and do what His plan is for me.
We got notified the other day that we will be able to leave at the end of October for a week to work with Samaritan’s Purse to do some disaster relief from the storms that just came through. I will also be able to leave and come home for a week around Thanksgiving and then on December 15th until we launch overseas in January.
Adventures in Missions is training us very well for the mission field. I can’t wait to see what else the Lord has planned!
Please keep me in your prayers throughout the rest of my journey. I am still in need of raising about $4,500 in order to keep going and launch overseas in January. Please feel free to share my story with anyone and everyone you know. Any amount will help.
Stay tuned for my next post where you will meet my beautiful team.
God bless,
Megan
“In all the work you are given, do the best you can. Work as though you are working for the Lord, not any earthly master.”
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Colossians 3:23
