Happy New Years!
Currently I am sitting under a mosquito net in a church in Kenya trying to verbalize my recent thought processes. We’ll see how it goes…
New Years was great. We traveled from Cambodia to Bangkok, followed by a 10 ½ hour flight to Nairobi, Kenya. We celebrated the first New Years right before boarding the plane by counting down and singing Shakira’s “This is Africa.” We celebrated the subsequent 4 New Years on the plane as we passed through time zones. I’m not sure what everyone else did to celebrate those, but the favor on the Lord was on me in the form of getting my own row, so I was sleeping almost the whole flight. We arrived in Kenya-which by the way- is beautiful and gets cold at night and in the morning! Coldest day so far on the race was our first day in Kenya-it was in the 50’s! Kenya is beautiful and I am SO excited to be in Africa. Also, Tiffany and Patrick went home-which means that Andrew and I are fully taking leadership of Q squad, affectionately known as “The Q.” Andrew will be going out into the country with Taylor’s team, while I’ll be staying back with Keri’s team in Nairobi. We’ll be working with a church that does ministry in the biggest slum in sub-Saharan Africa. I can’t wait to get to know these amazing girls, be with a team again, and to do ministry with these beautiful Kenyans.
So all of these changes and the holidays have made me rather contemplative. In the time that I wasn’t sleeping on the plane, I did sit back and think over the past year of my life and what I’m looking to in the next year. As I look back over 2010, I’m just thankful. God did some amazing things in my life and has probably grown me more in the last year than He ever has in my life. I’ve been able to experience some amazing things, meet some amazing people, and learn some amazing lessons. If there is one word that I can think of to describe this past year- it would be redemption.
Oh how good it is that God is in the incredible business of redemption.
Like redeeming my view of men and relationships by blessing me with an incredible, godly man who is constantly challenging me, supporting me, and helping me walk in freedom.
Like redeeming my view of leadership by giving me an amazing group to lead and by calling me into greatness even as I tried to hide and not step into what He had for me.
Like redeeming what it looks like to live a Spirit filled life by teaching me to hear from Him and walk in what He says.
Like redeeming my view of who I am by constantly reminding me that my identity is in Christ and that I am accepted and loved extravagantly by the Creator of the Universe.
Like redeeming me from unhealthy friendships by giving me a community of passionate people to do life with who have become not just friends but family.
There is so much more that I could talk about, but that is just a taste. So with the testimony of what 2010 brought, I look to 2011 with anticipation. I’ve seen God do amazing things in the past, and I know He is faithful to deliver again. I think that looks like me just going for whatever God brings and trusting Him to work out the details. If I have one desire for this coming year, it is that I will encounter Him more and more everyday and spur others on to encounter Him as well. And someday if I look back on 2011,
I’ll know that I didn’t miss out on anything-
that I experienced what God wanted me to experience
because when you let the God of the universe tailor your journey,
His best cannot be missed.
“Tell God you are ready to be offered and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be.”
-Oswald Chambers
