Currently, as I type the words to this blog one tap at a time on my iPad using the notes app, according to the powers vested in my two pointer fingers, I am soaring a mile high in the sky over the Australian outback! Or…the ocean…it's dark. Rofl. And as I looked out the inconveniently undersized window below I noticed a single solitary light just glimmering all by I itself in the midst of total darkness. First, I assumed it was a person lost in the outback (or at sea), and began to wonder if we were the only hope separating that dude from life or death. Then I realized that we are probably on an auto pilot highway, and assured myself that many planes fly this route and that it was probably just Crocadile Dundee. (or a bouy, again…not sure where I am.)
There's actually a really busy airplane trail that cuts through the sky out at Lutherhill, the incredible camp I worked at full time last year. I know that because I spent so many nights on the Chapel deck out there staring at the sky, and taking in our awesome God. Once I got accepted to go on the race all I could think about when I saw them drift across overhead was that one night I would be "leaving on a jet plane", and taking the biggest risk of my life thus far.
Now, I'm on that plane, and instead of looking up and ahead I am looking below and behind. One month down. Malaysia is in the books. (Literally…I just completed out teams budget spreadsheet.)
The streets in Malaysia are unbelievably crowded, and full of crazy motorists with an extreme lack of patience…bad combo. It also never gets quiet. Ever.
And it wasn't what I expected. Of course, it was a stinkin blast and I got to try a lot of great of food (satay=Gods goodness in creation), meet a lot of great people, have the great experience of playing mud soccer in gigantic puddles during a downpour, experience a new culture, and just have a great time. It was a month anyone would be envious of, and I LOVED it!
I guess I just expected more from myself.
I wanted to come in and change people's lives through the gospel, I wanted sickness healed, I wanted even more deliverance from my own baggage, I wanted revelation. I hungered for God to show up like he does all over the book of Acts…and I still do. I want it even more. What I got was humbled. And I probably have an even bigger dose of it coming in Australia. Should've seen it coming.
This month for my ministry, 3 of my squadmates and I were located at the Adventist Hospital in Penang. In the mornings we would go and visit the patients with the Hospital Chaplains–most of the patients unable to speak english–and we would pray for them if they accepted the offer. Then, in the afternoon we would go around the hospital asking people if they would donate to the hospitals Heart Surgery Fund. For me, the mornings were tough. The afternoons were easy because I basically just got to play camp songs and "brown eyed girl" over and over again to people waiting for their prescriptions to be filled. It was such a gift from God. Thank you Lutherhill for preparing me for that!
But the mornings were kinda tough.
When I pray for people I love to encourage people with my words, and it brings me joy to know those words landed with felt impact. That's hard to do when no one can understand you. I had to rely on faith alone that the King of the Universe was listening and planting seeds, cause the words he gifted me with naturally could not. He took away my weapons to fight for His Kingdom! He took away self-gratification! My only hope of boasting would have to be in the Lords power cause I was powerless. Humbled.
The Hospital team in our sweet vests. We just finished a glorious hokie pokie session…it was life altering.
I learned a lot about compassion there as well. Some of the people I visited were in such despair, and it was like God was scratching at my heart, and showing me the compassion that makes Him move. I just wanted to try my best to love these people. It wasn't easy in such a dark place. Yet, even in the dark, he brought some light. I did get to encourage a few people who could understand me, and it was so motivating. And I know that God did something with my prayers, though I couldn't see. He's got better spiritual weapons than I could ever dream of, and this month I believe He took away my strength to re equip me with His.
Twin Skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur.
Overall, this month was perfectly designed for me in so many ways even beyond what I have room to mention, and God made His lessons so obvious. I'm reframing my mind. I'm lowering my own desires for the race more and more, and letting the one who knows my desires have control. Honestly, I just want more of Him. I want more truth. We've had so many people prophesy over our team(by the way, that gift is real and alive), and one that stuck was a pastor that told us that God was going to give us a "belt of truth", and I realize that's what Im on a journey towards. I'm moving more towards the truth of who God really is, what He really thinks of me, and who that really makes me. I've been buying into lies my whole life because I really do have an enemy who will stop at nothing to make sure I never find out any of these things. But God is stronger. I'm already a testimony to that.
With all that being said…here we come Australia!!! Pray for me!
P.S. Here is a link to a youtube video, made by my teamate Kristen Currie, describing our first month on the race. Enjoy.
