I don’t know how else to start this blog out other than,
I’M MOVING TO THAILAND! (Lord willing)
Most of you have seen my Instagram post and as promised, I have more details about this next chapter of my life.
I have committed to something sort of big.
To make a long story short, I was offered a position in Thailand working for Adventures in Missions as a long term missionary for at least two years. If all goes as planned, I will be starting up an anti trafficking department for AIM.
Wow. It came out of left field. This wasn’t anything I honestly ever expected and Thailand wasn’t exactly on my radar.
I went into an office with Madagascar on my heart. As many of you who have followed my blogs and my journey may already know that I have a dream and vision for Madagascar and want to make it happen. My dream is to start up and anti trafficking/rescue mission for women and children in prostitution there. I want so desperately to get there and start loving on people and forming relationships with those women. I guess people would call me an eager beaver at this point. Call me crazy but I do believe I can make a difference there all with the help and strength of the Lord.
But ya know, when we have a dream and a vision of getting somewhere, we envision ourselves simply going and arriving at that place. And I mean this literally and metaphorically. There are places I want to be, physically, mentally, spiritually.
We never actually take into account reality. We never plan for reroutes and detours.
But God has such a different route for us. It’s usually never straight. It has curves and turns and bends and forks. And of course there are many stops along the way.
So I came out of that office with Thailand on my mind. I came out of that meeting with a huge decision to make, an opportunity I’d be crazy to turn down.
This is it. This is basically the first step into what I feel the Lord has for me. This is when “following Jesus” actually gets real.
We can say the World Race was following Jesus and it was. But 11 months has nothing on two years. And honestly, two years is nothing either when we put things into Kingdom perspective.
But This is a new level.
Two years. That’s two years of missing Addie’s soccer games(let’s hope soccer), her dance recitals, her mature conversations, her spend the night parties with us, her quality time with her favorite aunt. The previous moments I’d have with her. If I were there.
That’s two years of Anderson’s life. These years are crucial. More than likely he will not know me when I come home. I’ll miss the diaper changes(Praise the Lord), the first words and first steps, the birthday parties and they rapid growing he’ll do without me (dangit)!
I’ll miss my family and all that happens with them. Ill miss them potentially having (more) children, getting engaged, finding someone, getting promoted, trying something new.
Shoot, I’ll even miss the two years I thought I would find someone. 25-27 was the time I thought I would be meeting someone, someone I’d be spending the rest of my life with. (Ha! I used to think I’d find that person in college and well, that didn’t happen). By the time I’m back and 27/28 years old, most all of my friends(and more) will be married. I’ll be more than likely be living with my parents with no college degree and no job. And how in the world do I try to explain my life to someone?
That’s hard. But that’s okay.
But following Jesus was never guaranteed a luxurious life. It’s a sacrifice. It’s a sacrifice to make sure you have your heart aligned with His.
Seriously y’all, I got a little upset when I remembered this was the time that in my mind, I was supposed to find a spouse. But The Lord wasn’t having it and shut my brattiness down real quick.
**”Are you saying that finding a guy is worth more than stepping into what I have for you? Worth more than leading women into freedom? Worth more than your crazy dream of making a difference in the sex industry? Are you saying you aren’t willing to risk two years for the women you’ve been dying to meet and build relationships with? I’ve already promised you a man in the future. So obey me in the meantime and worry about that later.”**
**summation of what I felt the Lord saying to me.**
Alright case closed. Moving on.
However, two years is honestly not that long In the grand scheme of things. It’s like a half a page in this novel that the Lord is writing. There is so much more ahead if I keep pursuing Him and being obedient.
But this is it y’all! This is the first big step into what the Lord has for me. I have no idea what the exact plans for my life looks like, but I know faith and obedience are major parts of it. I know that I would be crazy not to take this opportunity. And I have to be honest: I AM SO EXCITED!!
The only thing is that there are some missing pieces that we all need to be praying for. If all goes as planned, an anti trafficking organization will be working alongside of me, helping me develop this department for Adventures. But as of now we don’t have any contacts or organizations who can help me. Once we have an organization on board I can start the process of moving forward and fundraising.
I do still have to go through an interview process and I have to fundraise quite a bit more Than what I had to for the race. I’m looking for monthly donors. That is going to be key for fundraising success.
As much as I had to swallow my pride the first time asking for donors, I have to realllyyyy swallow my pride this time around and trust that The Lord will provide. I know that this amount is seriously NO MATCH for God, as daunting as it may be.
I’ll give more details once I set my goal. But I must be fully funded before I launch.
So please be praying that the Lord will provide not only financially but resourcefully as well.
I won’t do this unless I have all the resources I need. And I fully trust in the Lord’s provision. But I need some help and lots of prayer.
This is my dream, to develop an anti trafficking rescue mission for women bound by prostitution and slavery. My heart to to bring women into freedom and this is a chance to do it. Somehow someway.
The reason I’m posting this is that I need prayers for the contacts who can help me. Prayers in general. Prayers that all goes as planned and the processes I have to go through are smooth. And I know a lot of you are prayer warriors!
Once I have contacts in Chiang Mai who I can work with to develop this department for AIM, I can move forward. So please be praying for contacts and for people who would love to help me during this process and journey. Please email me if you are interested in praying for/supporting me. Any bit helps.
You guys rock! More to come.
-Ali
