Hi Friends!
It’s been a while and I figured its time to update you on what’s been going on! I can hardly believe it but I’m already in Month 6 of 9 of this Gap Year! We’ve had an amazing six months serving in India, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and now Malawi!
The last three months in Africa have been full and good and oddly just like ordinary life. Sometimes I only want to tell the really cool stories or the ones that I think will make an impact, but even as a Squad leader life is full of lots of ordinary moments. But I’m learning something lately and its that God is present in the little moments of life just as much as he is in the big ones. And I’m beginning to see that sometimes he shapes us little by little in the everyday.
So I want to tell you about the little moments that have made up my life these last few months.
Most of my favorite moments have revolved around getting to disciple people on my squad. Whether its been writing people notes of encouragement, studying the Bible with teams, or getting to have one-on-one conversations, I’ve seen God work through the small things and I’ve been more intentional with them too.
At debrief one morning, I got to wake up earlier than normal, make french press coffee, and study the Bible with a girl on my squad who is learning to love the Bible. She asked me all kinds of questions about how I study the Bible and how I hear the Lord through it. It was so sweet to be able to sit with her, drinking coffee together, and discuss something I’ve become passionate about; I got to share how I ask the Holy Spirit to speak to me as I’m reading and how I slow down to see God’s character in every story and passage. It was a small moment but it was one that made me say “this is why I’m here, this is why I’m Squad Leading again.”
(Some of the women on the Squad I’ve gotten to spend the last three weeks with)
Another small, but significant moment has been teaching the Bible class at school with one of our ministry partners here in Malawi. At first, I wasn’t very excited to be teaching because about a month ago I decided that even though I have a teaching degree, at the moment I’m not going to pursue teaching as a career. I’m not saying never, but its not something I’m passionate about. I actually allowed myself to say this out loud and a few days later I ended up going to this team who’s main ministry is, you guessed it, teaching! As I’ve gotten to teach these last few weeks, I’ve taught about Moses almost every day. At first I was just telling the story and what happened and teaching it like a history lesson. But at some point, I realized that I could do more than that. I could actually talk about the Lord and teach about his character and how these stories show who God is. It was a small shift in perspective, but it allowed me to teach something more significant and to actually teach truth rather than just a story. It doesn’t matter that I don’t want to pursue teaching as a career, the opportunity to teach was right in front of me and I had to decide what I was going to do with it.
(Students in the Bible class I teach)
I’ve been thinking about perspective a lot lately and I realize I don’t always have the right perspective in things. Sometimes I wonder why I’m not leading people to the Lord everyday or why I haven’t seen healings in such a long time. But then God whispers in my ear that I’m right where he wants me. Why? because he’s a God of small things just as much as big things. He actually cares about the kids I’m teaching. And its important to him that the girl on my squad who doesn’t have the best perspective of reading the Bible gets the chance to grow a love for it.
More and more I see that God is concerned with the little stuff and the big stuff alike. He cares about his kids and he cares about what our perspective is as well. I’m learning to steward the little things and to steward what my perspective is in those little things. God’s in the ordinary details of life and he’s actually doing something really good in them and through them, if we’ll just pay attention.
What’s Ahead…
We’re in Malawi for three more weeks and then we head to our last country… Ecuador! Where we’ll be for the last three months.
I need your HELP!
I still have FOUR more months of Squad Leading and I need another $1,576 in order to be totally funded. Will you prayerfully consider donating towards my year of Squad Leading? Towards my year of serving God in the little things.
If so, click this link! https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=worldrace&desc=Hilary%20Hannigan&appeal_id=HANNIGANHILARY
I appreciate your willingness to read this update and to support me in making Squad Leading possible. There is absolutely no way I could be doing what I’m doing without your love, support, and prayers.
