Headed Towards Full Time Missions

 

MY LIFE’S COURSE ALTERED?

 

 

Last weekend was really memorable for two reasons. We got to feed and wash elephants is one! Which was super awesome! The second is that I got to spend an amazing night at a couple’s house (Zach and Sarah Lovings) that may have changed the course of my life. That night I ate pizza to my fill, played with their three young boys, was given a free haircut, and felt really at home with a fun and generous American family. Zach works with FBR as a pilot and also as a missionary pilot instructor for a missionary aviation school called Kingdom Air Corp. At the end of the night Sarah, asked who would be going to that school. My interest was piqued.

 

I still don’t know a lot. But the more I’ve thought and prayed about it over the last few days the more the idea of missionary aviation has appealed to me. I’ve wondered about being called to the missions field but haven’t committed to it because of three main reasons, being an introvert, not wanting to be away from family and home, and not knowing what specific skill I would bring to the mission field. But with missions aviation it feels different in my heart.

 

My Dad advised me to ask myself and the Lord some questions: “Where does the Lord wants me long term?”, “What are my heart’s desires?”, and “How would missions aviation fit these two things?”

 

 

MY HEART’S DESIRES

 

1. Experiencing and knowing God intimately and falling more in love with Him continually.

2. Specific and important purpose/mission to bring God glory.

3. Authentic fellowship especially with brothers in Christ around my age.

4. A home; a place to find rest, peace, and stability with people I love.

5. Financial stability; enough to support those whom I love.

6. Adventure and new experiences.

7. Peace and quiet; a space to process and be alone with God.

8. A family of my own.

 

 

THE RACE HAS MET MY HEART’S DESIRES

 

One main reason for going on the Race was to force myself to sacrifice comforts and things I love in order to force myself to grow. That has happened a lot. But even though I’ve sacrificed so much to be here on the Race God has ended up meeting my deepest desires and filling me up so much. Part of this is because as I’ve sought the Lord this year He has been conforming my desires to mirror His own. But the other part is because as we abandon ourselves to God He is glorified in that and wants to fill us up with Himself.

 

1. On the Race I have experienced God so much and grown in my intimacy with Him in crazy ways. I’ve grown in recognizing the voice of the Lord and willing myself to step out and follow it. I’ve grown to sit still in the Lord’s presence and to seek Him in His Word and to find satisfaction and wonder and purpose in Him.

2. Ministry each country of the Race has been very different. Some seeming more fruit than others. But I’m realizing that all ministries are important so long as they are for the purpose of leading people to Christ. I’ve been blessed in a couple of the months (Thailand parts 1 and 2) for the ministry to be specific and scheduled while in Guatemala and Myanmar it was not very specific or structured. Though this was hard for me I grew a lot and realized that the Lord will use anything; He will use me without specific skills and without specific plans.

3. It has been hard to be away from family for so long. But the Lord has blessed me with so many new brothers and sisters. The ways I’ve grown and been stretched through vulnerable and loving Jesus-passionate community cannot be overstated. These brothers that I’ve gone through thick and thin with have become family.

4. It is hard being away from home too, but to an extent each place I’ve stayed has become home to me. I think a big part of this is that home is wherever I find rest in God. And I have found rest in Him as I’ve sought Him. Maybe nothing will compare to my home at WFR but I will always find home as long as I’m seeking God.

5. The Race has not helped my financial stability. This desire though is something that I need to offer up to the Lord. It is a valid desire, but I must put my trust in the Lord. I never need to worry about it because God will provide for me as long as I seek Him.

6. The Race has provided me with abundant adventures and new experiences: climbing up the Nose, feeling like I was in Pirates of the Caribbean, and paragliding at Lake Atitlan; climbing up Acetenango; almost drowning at the beach; playing with elephants; simply seeing new places and cultures; living in very different situations; etc.

7. I really love my alone time with God and to my surprise I have had plenty of time for that on the Race. I’ve also had plenty of time to read, write, workout, play games, and other things I love doing for leisure.

8. I love my family so much and it’s created in me a desire to have my own family. Obviously this isn’t possible on the Race. But I have experienced deep fellowship with my teammates and they really are family.

 

 

MISSIONS AVIATION

 

Before the Race I was very unsure of the plans God had for my future. Another reason I went on the Race was to allow the Lord opportunity to reveal different paths He might have for my future. I am still unsure of those plans. But it’s cool to see how many different career paths the Lord has brought me to consider (pastor, missionary, writer, physical therapist or doctor) and also the different opportunities that the Lord has brought me to consider (alumni team leading, Bethany Global University, Corban University, and now Kingdom Air Corp. I talked with Zach about Kingdom Air Corp and missions aviation and it was cool to hear how missions aviation could line up with my desires.

 

1. As long as I’m seeking God I will grow in my intimacy with Him wherever that may be.

2. Being in missionary aviation I will have a very specific purpose. And it is an important one. It is a role that is very needed for many villages that can’t be reached any other way.

3. It always takes effort to create authentic fellowship. It’s not just going to happen. I know that wherever I go the Lord will be faithful to give me opportunities for fellowship. I will have to buy in to that though even if it’s with people I don’t naturally enjoy. I will also get to experience fellowship with people of different culture and be invited into how they worship and do community.

4. In regards to a home; I’d have to trust the Lord to provide me with a base that I could find peace and rest at. But I believe the more I fall in love with God the less I’ll need a home because I’ll experience true rest and peace in Him.

5. In regards to finances, missions won’t provide any surplus. Almost all missionary pilots have to fund raise all of their support. I would have to trust God with my finances. But He’s never let me done yet and He never will.

6. Adventures and new experiences would be abundant in missions aviation. I would get to fly and see different villages and experience different kinds of life in those communities. Though it may not be something new every day, stepping out in faith and trusting the Lord with my life will always be an adventure. I just need to seek His will.

7. There will always be chances to find alone time with God. But if nothing else I would have plenty of time to myself as I flew.

8. In regards to a family of my own, God has been my constant and intimate companion throughout life and I’m still growing so much in intimacy with Him. I want to go through more of life with just God and I before getting married. Life is so exciting right now and so much adventure and newness lies ahead. Marriage will come with it’s own joys and adventures, but it’s all in God’s timing and I am very content to wait.

 

 

HEADED TO SWAZI

 

All that to say I’m super excited for what the future may hold for me. Much nearer on the horizon, I’ll be headed to Swaziland in south Africa on March 5^th! I can hardly believe the Race is two thirds over! Love y’all. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. God bless you!