Hello family, friends, and complete strangers!
So I can tell you right now that this has to be my least favorite part, Blogging. I'm not very good with just offering up thoughts, feelings, and struggles without being asked.
So these next few months/year could be an interesting one. As I was reading all the info they send you on blogging, and one of the things this guy said was “Blog like you would talk” which is something very dangerous to say to rambler. I will try to do my best not to ramble, or confuse you. Along with being poor at sharing personal things, I am poor at grammar. Another reason I’m not looking forward to this blogging thing. But I have decided to make the most of it. So here goes nothing…
So, why world race? How did I get to a place in my life where I would want to do something like this? Well, sit back and I well try to tell you. Without rambling, or confusing you.
Probably the first time I ever thought of doing missions would have to be in church. (shocker, I know) My Pastor at the time, was talking about how we are all called to be missionary, no matter where we are. At home, work, the store, to neighbors. Which I think confuses us sometimes, because when we think of missionaries are minds go to people overseas. But that’s not true, we all called to be on mission for Christ, and sharing with those around us.
He went on to talk about how one of us could be called to go overseas and be a missionary. I remember sitting there and being like haha not me! As God continued to work on my heart, it went from not me! To okay, but not Africa. I'm not really sure why I didn't want Africa. I just didn't. Well, as time passed and I continued in where God had me at that time, and nothing really came up really to go on mission trips. It had its rough moments, when I felt like God was calling me to missions, but nothing was happening. So I must be wrong. So I thought. As I look back, I know it was just God preparing me for what he had next.
So, the next thing I know my sister and her husband are going to be living overseas for about a year. So I start planning to go see her. We thought it was going to be in Germany. Which had me all excited because My grandmothers side of the family came from Germany and we have a family castle there (its double mooted) So of course I wanted to go see her there. Well, as it turns out they ended up going to Morocco. To be honest, at first I wasn't planning on going to see her there. I was like ugh, Morocco.
Well time went on, I changed my mind. I mean how often do you get the chance to go to another country and not have to worry about anything but the ticket to get there.
Well, leading up to the trip I kept feeling like something bigger was happening then the fact that I Amanda Hobbs, the shy, and quite one, was getting on a plane all by herself to fly all the way to Morocco. I didn't know what it was at the time, and it took a few months after I was home, that it all started to make sense. I will say, I loved every minute of it, and wish I had stayed longer.
Things start to make sense…
I went to morocco in March of 2012. About May of 2012, a local radio station starting talking about their mission trip to Ethiopia. I thought, well that's cool. My mind of course started thinking it through. I found out all the details about it, and just kept thinking about it. For some reason, I decided that I wasn't going to have the money for it, and maybe next year I could go if they did it again. So I went on with my life, not really thinking more about it. I believe it was about June, I can't remember for sure. I was with some friends at a movie. “What to expect when expecting” Well, short version of it. This couple ends up going to Ethiopia to adopt a baby. I remember thinking, ah! I could have been going to Ethiopia. I remember telling my friends, that I could have been going there. It really was bugging me, I knew the deadline to sign up to go had just passed. It was to late. Or so I thought. The next week I was listening to the radio station again, and the D.J announced they had decided to keep the trip open a little longer to see if more people would sign up. Well of course my mind started racing. How could I not sign up now. So I did! My first mission trip overseas! Oh also, once again I was going to Africa.
I fell in love with Ethiopia. The people, the country, and oh all those little kids. I'm so grateful God kept that door open for me.
So fast forward a couple of months. I starting to get restless. I wanted to go somewhere. Well, God gave me, Philippians 4:11-13 and verse 11 '11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:" just kept sticking out to me. That I needed to be content where ever God had me, and make the best out of it. Which I will say it took a little bit for me to be okay with him telling me to stay. And don't get me wrong, I love what I was doing for God. Where I was, being a Sunday School Teacher, Youth leader and VBS Leader. So God worked on getting me content where he had me, which I won't say was easy, but I finally was getting it.
I was taking to a friend, just pretty much about life and how I wanted to go back overseas He said, I know God told you to be content, but that doesn't mean you can't keep your eyes open for something. At that point I just shrugged it off. But a few weeks later, a friend who went to Ethiopia with me posted a picture of one his friends shirt, because she was raising money to go on this 11-11 mission trip. Which of course, made me curious. So I of course went and looked it up, I started reading about it, and thinking about how awesome it would be. A lot happened in the next few weeks as I wrestled with it and the idea of it. I wanted it to be what God wanted me to do. Not what I wanted. If he still wants me to be content, then I was going to be. But if he was going to give me the green light to go. Then I was going to go! No doubt about it in my head. So after, time of prayer and just searching and listening for the green light. I got my green light!
So that's how I got from there to here. I'm pretty excited about this opportunity God has given me. I can't wait too see where he leads me. But for now I'm going to be content in the right now.
Amanda
