Currently in: Nkhotakota, Malawi
It’s taken a while for me to write this post because I’m really not sure what happened in Viet Nam that’s worth writing about. We prayed on the beach, met with several university students to practice English, and helped out with more English in the evenings. It was restful and exhausting at the same time.
It didn’t feel like we did much.
No manual labor. No preaching. Nothing that really saw tangible results. However, God reminded me of His power in 1 Corinthians 3:7 during that month.
“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God gave the growth.”
We can plant and water and do all of this work, but it’s ultimately Him who gives growth. I can be completely disappointed, wondering what I did that month, but it’s not about what I did. It’s about what He did. And He is ALWAYS moving. ALWAYS working. Whether we see it or not. However much or little we do—He can take that and use it to make an impact in His kingdom.
It’s been about half a year since I started this World Race journey at training camp. I’m still the same person but also completely different. Every day, I find myself standing deeper and deeper in the root of His love. But I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be working with different ministries every month and living in community that’s continuously calling me higher when I get back to America—that would be pretty hard to find.
In Viet Nam, we lived in this amazing building overlooking the ocean. We had wifi, beds, bathrooms, and air-conditioning. Yes…first month with AC and it was glorious! It was comfortable. I did yoga on the balcony. I read. I ran. I had a chance to sing and play guitar. I met up with students at coffee shops and talked. I also planned a ton for debrief the end of the month but that’s another story. Point of this is that I did a lot of things that I would normally do at home. I wondered why God would put me there. I signed up for the race not to feel like I was at home again.
I wanted to be challenged.
But He taught me about resting. And He taught me how I can take the current me back to America. The one who is the same yet different. He taught me that I can still do the things I love in my free time, not be completely consumed in organized ministry, and continue to be a strong warrior in His kingdom. And that it’s okay if He’s not calling me into a life dedicated to missions in one of these countries. And as strange as it’s going to be to go back to my lifestyle in America, I can still be the person I am now. I can still be the person who longs to disciple the people around me by offering words of encouragement. I can still look for ways to call people higher and be intentional in doing it. I can still stand by the amount of faith and trust I’ve learned to put in Him.
So yeah, I don’t think we did much in Viet Nam. But He did more than we can ever imagine.
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Internet is a like a box of chocolates here in Africa—never know what you’re going to get. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes not working, sometimes out of minutes and you might not know…makes it really hard to try to fundraise. Anyway, I’m still a little over $4000 away from being fully funded! Our final deadline is quickly approaching at the end of June, and I’d appreciate any prayers, shares, and financial support if it’s something He’s calling you to do. Thanks for being with me as I take this journey!
