God’s sense of humor and timing are something else, aren’t they?
August route 3 originally was scheduled to spend 3 months in Africa, 4 months in Asia, and 4 months in Central America.
Cote d’Ivoire-Ghana-Burkina Faso-India-Nepal-Cambodia-Thailand-El Salvador-Honduras-Guatemala-Belize
Our original route did not include Myanmar or even a 5th country/month in Asia at all.
Then training camp came and we got a glimpse at how life on the race can change easily. We were told that we were not able to go to Burkina Faso anymore and that we would be either going to Myanmar or Laos instead.
I was disappointed at first. I had loved my previous time spent in Africa but now we were spending one less month there. I wasn’t sure to do. But I had to trust God that this was what he wanted.
Fast forward to about two weeks into Cambodia. We found out that our team was going to be going to Myanmar next month. We wouldn’t have a specific ministry or host that we would be working with. We were going to have an “ATL” or “Ask The Lord” month. Our ministry would be to wake up everyday and ask the Lord what he wanted us to do that day, where to go, and who to talk to. This would require having a lot of faith in God and solely walking by that faith. I was terrified to depend on that but super excited to actively practice listening to God every single day.
It was two days before our travel day to Myanmar when we found out again how fast things on the race can change. It turned out that we actually had a ministry host for the month and wouldn’t be doing ATL. Just like when we found out about our route change at training camp, I was disappointed. But I had to trust God that this was what he wanted.
After two long and miserable days of traveling, we arrived at our ministry site. I should have been happy and excited for a new month though, right? But that’s not how I felt. I felt like everything was up against me. I had just gotten out of the hospital and still wasn’t feeling 100% myself. I was still bummed about not being able to having an ATL month. I was really missing Cambodia’s ministry and all the students. I was really looking forward to Thailand, both the country and the opportunity to finally see my dad. There was already an Australian team at the compound and they already had great relationships with all the students and children. We were placed in the middle of nowhere. To be honest, I had no real desire to be where I was.
Compassion In Action, our ministry for the month, was a bible college and orphanage. Our main job was to work with the bible school students and help them learn and practice their English. On top of that, we were also asked to lead devotionals and preach sermons. So Monday through Friday, the mornings were spent leading the bible students in devotionals and the evenings were spent leading the orphans in devotionals. On Sundays, we preached at both the morning service and also the night service. This meant that we were speaking the word twice a day, six times a week. In order to do this, I really needed to spend time in the word myself.
I started to spend more time with Jesus than I had in a long time. Through constantly being in relation with him, whether it was by reading the word, worshipping him, or just talking and trying to be still so I could hear his voice, I started to feel a change within me. Not only was our relationship becoming more intimate, I started to feel like a new person.
If you know me, you know that public speaking freaks me out and I try to avoid it as much as possible. On my previous team, I was the only one not to step up and share something when we were asked to, whether it was a sermon or a testimony. I would always step back and allow someone else to volunteer.
Throughout my quiet time with Jesus though, he revealed to me that he has specifically chosen me to be where I am. I’m there for a reason and that’s no mistake.
I have been saying since it seems like forever that I want to step out and be bold. I don’t want to hide behind others. I want to be on the front line of battle. And this month, I did that.
This month, I stepped up to be the first to preach, something that I would have never done before. I put all fears to the side and put my trust in God, knowing that he would give me the right words to say and that he was going to be right there next to me. And you know what? It went better than I could have ever imagined. I have multiple people come up to me afterwards, just thanking me for the words I spoke over them. Several times, the thought that God says he will be by my side and that he put his words in my mouth. So why was I so afraid? Why haven’t I done this earlier? I don’t know the answers to those questions but I do know that I’m thankful that God reminded me of his truth and that he gave me a new boldness.
According to my plan, this wasn’t supposed to happen. I was never supposed to go to Myanmar. I would have never had the opportunity to grow the way I did. But thank God that his plan is so much greater than ours. He knew all along that I was going to do this ministry. He knew that I was going to grow an incredible amount, both as the daughter he created me to be and in my relationship with him. He knew the whole time.
Don’t worry, I ended up falling in love with the people of Myanmar. I sobbed like a baby when it was time to leave.
