With 5 months and 8 days (but who’s counting?) until I embark on the journey of a lifetime, I find myself getting more and more anxious to leave with each passing day. But I know that God has me where I am for a reason. I know that He is not done shaping, molding, and preparing me for everything that I will encounter over the course of the World Race. My heart will be broken many times by what we see and experience, and He is still equipping me to handle those situations. Please pray that God would grant me patience and willingness to learn and be changed in this season of my life.
Last week I was able to experience a taste of what life will be like starting in June. I traveled to the mountains of Jamaica with a friend, Amber, to work at the Hanbury Home for Children. Both of us have worked there several times since 2005 and have been blessed to have formed relationships with the children who live at the home. However, this trip was unlike any other. We had the opportunity to stay in a bedroom on the property which allowed us to spend more time with the kids than we have ever been able to on past trips. We usually started our day before the kids went to breakfast. After they were done eating, we would play games with them (they love to play jacks!) until it was time for lunch. In the afternoons we would play football (soccer), go on a walk to a local road-side candy stand, talk about what they want to do when the grow up, or help braid the girls’ hair (I quickly discovered that is not my calling in life). After dinner we would play more games and watch TV until it was time for them to go to bed around 10 PM.
It was such a blessing to be able to spend 10 days on a beautiful island with beautiful children who love to be loved. It was exciting to be able to preview how I will soon be spending 11 months of my life- sharing the Good News of Christ with those who feel alone and are hurting. Also, I know that this short trip was just a glimpse, a small snapshot, of what He has in store for the WR teams as we travel around the world. He has bigger plans for my team than any of us could ever imagine. We will see and experience stories of people that we would never be able to imagine; stories of hurt that will break our hearts for the nations and bring us to our knees. I praise God for the opportunities that we will be given to spread His love and comfort those who are in distress.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:1-3
