Well y’all were heading to South Africa, Jeffery’s bay to be exact and it couldn’t be with more anticipation in my heart. Costa Rica has become another home, and I know I will come back again someday to see my Carpio sisters. Goodbye are the hardest and this goodbye includes two of my new favorite people. As we leave central America Tenny and Taley (our team leaders) are heading back to the states to continue their journey. These girls have loved our squad so well and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Tal at training camp as she pushed me physically on that fitness hike and has continued to push me spiritually as we came to Costa together. with no doubt in my heart they are now my forever friends I will miss them dearly and probably cry for the next 3 weeks anytime I look for Taley and Tenny for a good giggle and hugs.
For two years before my race I had asked the Lord to give me visions and dreams of Him I didn’t have any until I left for Costa Rica. The night before we left Costa we had night of worship, as we were sing the Lord brought a vision of a sunflower to me. It was wilting and the petals were falling off one by one this vision continued with a couple more flowers going through the same process. I began to ask the Father what that could mean, because I know God doesn’t just take good beautiful things without restoring them. Eventually I forgot about the flowers and just kept worshipping.
There is one song I have sung at church since I was little and I have always loved it because of the line, “I give it all to you God trusting that you’ll make something beautiful out of me” I have always craved to have that beauty in Christ like glow and just be bold and sure of who I am in Him. As we continued to repeat that line the vision of the flowers came back, but this time after the flowers were picked and dropped to the ground, a field of many flowers bloomed in the most vivid vision I have ever had.
I have been telling the Lord I was giving up many things in order to know Him and to continue to grow closer to Him, but I never stepped up did what I said I would so now He has taken control. After years of not doing what I said I was going to do, the Lord took the things I thought I was good at and is showing me how I wasn’t right or the person to do them at this time. He is growing me to be a better servant of Him and His people. I am being disciplined by Him now and I wont lie it hurts, but I know from what He’s showed me that this is good. Through this the Lord reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare- and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”, but I had never read anymore. 12-14 then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore you.” So now I am on the journey of seeking so that I may be restored.
My soul is expectant on the Lord and what he has planned here in JBay for team sisters and I. South Africa is beautiful and already has a special place in my heart.
