This has been a summer of surprises…some good, some not-so-good, but always, they have been covered in God’s magnificent fingerprints, and I have nothing but gratitude and awe as a result.
Towards the end of June, after a wonderful week with friends in Reno, I was supposed to board a plane that would take me home to New Mexico, Land of Enchantment, beautiful blue skies, and gorgeous, rugged mountains. Let’s just say that my Beijing-polluted lungs were starving for that fresh, clean air.
Two days before I was supposed to fly, though, I received a call from my Mom. ”Emily, we have to pray. There’s a forest fire near Los Alamos, and it looks like we might have to evacuate if it gets any closer.”
My memory flashed back to one month and eleven years ago, when I was three weeks away from my high school graduation. At that time, the mountains of Los Alamos had also been ablaze with an unprecedented fire that ultimately destroyed nearly 300 structures, including my grandparents’ home of 45 years. We had been evacuated for two weeks, and I remember the feelings of fear and uncertainty that defined those days of sitting in front of the TV and watching the news around the clock. Now, as I was days away from going home, the thought of once again facing the flames of uncertainty stirred anger, confusion, tears, and ultimately prayers in my heart. Would I have a home to return to? Only the Lord knew, but I had to trust and believe that He would protect our town from another devastating blow.
Meanwhile, another unexpected challenge was brewing. The day I was supposed to fly home, I woke up unable to move. I couldn’t turn over, much less sit up. My back had been sore for a few days, but I had figured a night of sleeping on the flat floor would help my spine settle back into place. Now, with only hours before my flight, I knew that if it had taken 30 minutes to crawl to my cell phone, which was only feet away, there was no way I could manage to sit up and fly on a plane for three hours.
I called home to tell my parents about my change of plans, only to find out that a mandatory evacuation had been issued and my parents were working hard to pack their cars with photos and irreplaceable keepsakes. The next week would be chaotic for them both, staying at relatives’ homes a couple of hours away and sharing living space with all of my other relatives who were also evacuated.
I realized that, even amidst the frustrations of dealing with back pain again and the uncertainty of whether I would have a home to go back to in Los Alamos, God had provided a blessing in disguise: I was safe and in a place where I had loving, gracious friends who were able to care for me until I was back on my feet. Had I been at home with debilitating back pain when the evacuation was instituted, I would have felt like an additional burden to my family, even though I know they would have done their best to care for me as we evacuated.
When I was finally able to fly home a week later, the evacuation had been lifted and my hometown was trying its best to return to life-as-usual, despite the flames and smoke that still remained on the mountain ridge.** In the days since, God has shown me how certain conversations that I had during my second week in Reno have been particularly significant in preparing for my journey on the World Race. Even amidst the flames and the back pain, I know and believe that God’s joyous blessings are still to be found.
Several other unexpected blessings have also come out of this summer…
My best friend’s baby, who wasn’t due until mid-July, arrived a month early, which meant I was able to meet him in person during my visit to their home in Sweden. What a joy to be able to meet Baby Samuel before my trip!
Another blessing: On my way to Sweden, I was able to enjoy a nine-hour layover in London, where I met up with one of my Squad Leaders, Sarah Schrack, and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon getting to know her better and spending some time in prayer for our upcoming journey.
Lastly, our World Race route recently changed, and I am really excited about some of the new opportunities that we’ll have. Although the route is still subject to change, and we won't know our exact ministry location until a few weeks before we head to the next country, this is what our journey path looks like right now:
August: Kenya (My team, BLAZE, will be serving in DC Siaya, in central west Kenya)
September: Uganda
October: Rwanda (instead of Tanzania)
November: Thailand
December: Cambodia
January: Malaysia
February: Philippines
March: China
April: Ukraine
May: Europe Ministry Month (This one is still a mystery to me, but I’m excited to see what that means!!!)
June: Romania
It’s hard to believe I will be on my way to Launch in 14 days, and yet I go knowing that God is so incredibly faithful. His ways are not our ways, and yet His ways often boggle my mind when He shows His unfailing grace in unexpected ways. I am sure this coming year will be full of the unexpected, but I can’t wait to see what blessings unfold as a result of keeping our eyes fixed on Him.
Thanks for Your blessings in the face of the unexpected, Daddy.
**Today, the Las Conchas fire is still only 68% contained after burning for nearly four weeks, and it has burned more than 156,000 acres. About 70 homes were destroyed, but by God’s grace and protection, no human lives have been lost in this fire. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes, but I pray for God’s healing touch, restoration, and peace to cover their lives. May God give beauty for ashes and comfort for those who mourn (Isaiah 61:3).
It was through the fires of eleven years ago that God began to mold and shape my faith in ways I had never experienced before. I believe that there are further fires, hopefully more figurative than physical, that will test my faith this coming year, but I walk into them knowing that my Lord has been so faithful before, and He will be faithful again. “When you walk through the fires, you will not be burned…” Isaiah 43:2.
