About a week ago I received the news that the route I signed up for with The World Race got dropped. Not enough people signed up for it and after many meetings and hours of prayer Adventures In Missions decided it’s best to launch with 3 squads in July.
Ok Norma, no biggie! All you have to do is pick a different route and serve at new countries with new people. It’s a new exciting opportunity! I love spontaneous plans!
I looked through the routes available and emailed back a list of preferred routes to switch to. Two weeks from training camp and things are getting REAL. You have to be flexible when it comes to serving. Things won’t always go as planned, and you’ll have to work with what you have. I have my entire gear ready, deadlines are being met, my plane ticket for training camp is bought, and I’m so ready to go! A few minutes after I sent my email I received a call from my mobilizer. Now, because I’m an international applicant traveling with a Mexican passport, a couple of the routes available in July were out of the question. This was to avoid any risks of me getting stuck at borders or being deported. A very wise decision made for my own safety. So I was left with two options: launch in July with the only other route I had available, or defer to September, which I also only have one route to choose from.
Hmm. Looks like I don’t have many choices. But defer to September? No way.
I had a little over 24 hours to make a decision and call them back. So I decided to fast and stay at home all day to pray and ask The Lord where He wants me to go. I prayed, I asked for guidance, I pleaded for a clear sign, I was doing the best I could to hear from The Lord, but I was getting nothing.
I really need you right now. I have no idea what to do. I don’t even know why this is happening. Jesus, where are you sending me?
I began to pray over each country in both routes, and it was at that moment I felt instantly drawn to the route in September. I didn’t know if it was because that route had 5 of the countries that were in my original route and I had my heart set on them. I didn’t know if it was because leaving in September would give me extra time to fundraise. I didn’t know if it was because it would save me money on shots I wouldn’t need since I wouldn’t visit Africa.
Ugh, I need to stop that. I’m looking at the pros and cons. I know on paper the September route sounds like the better choice. But I feel like that’s the easy way out. I can leave in July, I prepared for this and I’m doing it. I’m leaving in July.
I decided to counsel with my mom and my mentor. I told them I felt drawn to the route in September, but that I didn’t want to wait any longer to launch. If you guys didn’t know, I was accepted to join the World Race last summer and my initial launch was supposed to be in January 2015. I had some obstacles get in the way and I had to defer to a route in July, so having to go through that process again and leaving in September isn’t necessarily what I wanted. I began to pray hard about the route in July.
Ok, maybe if I pray hard enough and get myself excited about this route I’ll feel comfortable and just make the switch. Why not? I’ll be doing the same thing? It doesn’t matter where I serve, I’ll be doing The Lord’s work. I can make it happen.
I began my visa research for both routes, and I quickly found out that in order to leave in July I needed a special visa for the 1st country we visit. The process for me to get that visa is quite complicated since I’m a Mexican citizen. This became an obstacle that I couldn’t just hop over. I seriously had no idea how I could make this happen anymore.
OK. I’m not leaving in July. Father, you know I’m ready to serve and to experience everything you have for me. To meet all the people you have carefully chosen to cross my path, and to grow with the teammates you’ve chosen to live with me for 11 months. I’M READY. I know you know that.
I felt The Lord couldn’t be any clearer. I prayed some more and I finally talked to my friends and spiritual leaders. They said, “Norma this is all part of the plan. It’s been all along. Why are you trying to change it? Think of it as God allowing you to have more time to fundraise, to spend more time with your family and friends, to prepare you and be spiritually ready for what’s to come. You’re not being punished Norma your patience is being tested. You have to learn that God does everything in His timing. When He thinks you’re ready. Not whenever you feel like it.”
Ugh, tough love. Why did I think MY plan was better than God’s?
I did hear from The Lord. He placed a desire in my heart for the September route, He showed me why that route was better for me and how it would help me in many ways, He even had to place a roadblock to stop me from going because I wasn’t listening. We hear all the time how God’s plan for our lives is better than anything we could ever achieve on our own. And that’s true. I believe that with all my heart. Yet I continuously try to mold it, to play with it so I can get what I want. I want to speed up the process and see if I can get away with it.
I’m a sinner. I’m stubborn and hardheaded. I pray God continues to test and strengthen my faith. I want to trust Him so much I don’t ever feel the need to take over and manipulate my life so things unfold the way I believe they should.
I’m thankful for our Father’s faithfulness. He shuts a door and He doesn’t get mad at us or gives up on us if we try to sneak back in through a window. He’s so ridiculously patient with His children. I’m thankful for the people He has placed in my life to shepherd my soul, to help me grow, to tell me to take a deep breath, step back, and look at the big picture. My family and friends are my biggest supporters in this journey and I’m thankful for the patience and encouragement they provide for me daily! I see Jesus through ALL of you. I know I’m going on the World Race. Not necessarily when I wanted to, but when God believes I’m ready. It’s not about ME, it’s about JESUS.
Lesson #1: PATIENCE.
The way to peace and victory is to accept every circumstance and every trial as being straight from the hand of our loving Father.
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
ROMANS 8:24-28
Mom, Dura, Victoria, Kaitlin, Serena, Zach, Jake, Jared, Jacob, and Leroy.
Thank you.
