It’s true that you don’t think you have expectations – until they’re not met.
When our first route change occurred, I was stoked!
We eliminated Chile from the route, but it was replaced by Ecuador – a country I’ve always had a desire to see. (The Galapagos Islands are on my list of places to go before I die!)
They also moved Ecuador to be our first country on the route.
Yesterday, some of my squad mates started posting that they received their first ministry assignment for Ecuador! I was so confused. Where’s mine?! From a special needs orphanage to working with at risk teens, their non profits seemed AWESOME!
WHERE’S MY ASSIGNMENT?!
HELLO?! WHAT ABOUT ME?!
A few hours later, my team leader sent us an e-mail with the very little information he had.
Portoviejo, Ecuador
Working at a church
Garbage Dump Ministry
Cancer hospital ministry
uhhhhh……what?
Where’s the non profit?
Who are we partnering with?
What can I do at a garbage dump?
I’ve got to be honest here…
I was very disappointed.
I wanted to be posting about some cool non-profit that God’s been working through.
I wanted to research my non-profit online and see what I would be doing month one.
I wanted to know the plan and I wanted details, please.
See a pattern here?
Me me me.
And then I remembered….
This isn’t about me.
Not one bit.
I signed up for Gods plan, not my own.
And sometimes that means jumping into a mysterious adventure where the unknown is better than the known.
There are people that live in garbage dumps.
I’m praying that I’ll get to share the hope of Christ with people that have been surrounded by trash, dirt, and filth their entire life. The hope of Christ that tells them they are beautiful and treasured by a Father whose love for them surpasses their wildest dreams.
I’m praying that I’ll arrive at the cancer hospital full of joy knowing that I get to tell suffering people about Jesus – Jesus who suffered greatly so we could have an eternal life with Him. Jesus who is sitting right next to them holding their hand, feeling their pain, and weeping with them.
While my initial reaction was one of selfishness and discouragement, I’m replacing my attitude with an open heart and knowledge that God knows better than I do. I don’t have the details, and I don’t exactly know what I’ll be doing month one, and that’s okay. Because no matter where I’ll be – there are people that I can love and share the gospel with. That’s the only thing that matters.
So I don’t have some awesome non profit to tell you about,
but I do have an AWESOME God to brag about.
A God that loves me even when I think the world revolves around me.
A God that cherishes me even when I’m in denial of His plans.
A God that is calling me even as I run away.
& A God that knows me better than I know myself.
He’s got some really great plans for all of us, but sometimes we’re so focused on what WE want, we don’t let Him do His work.
Step back.
Take a breath.
Let go.
Let God.
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PRAYER REQUESTS-
– Life is getting stressful. So much preparation to be done, so little time. Please be praying that I get everything I need in time! (Medication/prescriptions have been complicated..)
-For the people of Portoviejo that I’ll be working with/sharing Jesus with! Prepared and open hearts!
-That I would cherish the short time I have left in California with friends & family
-FUNDRAISING! God has been SO good with His provision.. THANK Y’ALL SO MUCH for your generous donations! I am so close to being fully funded!
