What’s next?
The infamous question that people ask as one big phase in your life ends and it’s time for a new one.
So how am I supposed to answer this? How do I try and explain what’s next? How do I convey things so my heart really is raw and exposed and transparent? Do I just start from the beginning or give a short synopsis as to how I got to the conclusion I am at?
The beginning of course…why would I even try to begin somewhere else?
I never wanted to be a missionary. I don’t even like that word. It has never been a desire of mine to spend my life in another country serving people. I always assumed I would get a normal American 8-5 job and that would be that. A full-time life as an overseas missionary was never something that appealed to me.
You would think leaving home for eleven months would mean people wouldn’t start asking the what’s next question until the end of your eleven month journey. However that’s not the case. I remember multiple times in month two when people asked what my plans were for after the race. I always had the same answer for them.
I don’t really know. I really enjoy being involved in church ministry and would love to continue doing that. The follow up question a lot of times would be something along the lines of would I ever consider living in another country to do ministry. Again I always had the same answer. It for sure wasn’t something I desired but if it was where God was leading me I would try to stay open to that.
With every month that passed the question of what’s next became more and more relevant. However I was one of the people who tried to think about it as little as possible. I wanted to just enjoy every day and assumed I could figure out the what’s next part of life when this eleven month journey was over. Month nine rolled around and God began heavily weighing it on my heart that I should work with teenagers and disciple them. However I had no clue what that looked like. I looked into so many different options both in Alabama and in other states. But nothing was standing out to me. I began looking into leading some different trips but wasn’t quite sold on the idea. All I was sure of was that I needed to be in more of a mentorship role for teenagers.
Then I showed up to the Philippines. Where God rocked my world and changed my life. From the very beginning I was in love. The people. The beauty of the land. The ministry. The culture. Truly it is all so wonderful. Quickly I knew my heart was in this country and I cared deeply for these people.
I had the opportunity almost daily to hang out with high school and college kids. I got to meet with them on their campus. I was able to actually play basketball with some of them. I met up with some of them to just hang out when they had free time and weren’t in class. I formed relationships with these young men and women. I knew that the direction God had been showing me for two months was being played out here in the Philippines. He was pushing me to disciple teenagers and here I was doing exactly that.
Early one morning I was sitting in the back of a multicab when God began to really lay it on my heart that I shouldn’t get comfortable with Tuscaloosa when I went back home. Just because I was headed back there soon didn’t mean that’s where he wanted me to stay.
Morning after morning of waking up and just being silent before Jesus he kept telling me that this is where he wants me. He wants me to wake up every morning and gaze at his beauty of the mountains surrounding me. He wants me to spend my time teaching these eager to learn girls more about basketball. He wants me to be on that college campus just to hear stories of brokenness and show them the one who can make all things whole again. He wants me to literally feed those two little boys who are banging make shift drums to draw attention from people passing by in hopes of making enough money to physically survive.
So with the yes in my spirit I have said
Ok God I will go!
What does that even mean?
In April I will be moving to the island of Mindanao to work with an amazing couple who are doing wonderful things in the Philippines. It is their vision to enable and empower the local Filipinos to pursue and follow through with their dreams. I will be there to come along side of them and do the same.
When I told God I would do this thing, that yes I would go back and live in the Philippines, there were no limitations to it. I didn’t say I would do it if he promised to give me a huge house to live in. I didn’t say yes under the stipulations that he would first have to make me a millionaire. I didn’t say let’s do this under the impression that I would have someone to hold my hand and do it with me.
But you see that’s where God is super cool and always plans things out way before I even think about them!
When I get ready to board that plane in April and take up residence in the Philippines I won’t be doing it alone. God is so wonderful that he has called me to this while putting someone right beside me to walk through this next part of life with. Someone whose heart matches mine. Someone who is passionate about serving the least. Someone who walks out what her words say. Someone who has more love to give than she can contain inside of her. Someone who is going to shape and change the world.
So tell the Philippines to watch out because in April Leah and Meagan will be there with hearts to love and hands to serve.
