Beyond Understanding

I don't even know where to begin. I am really, truly going to Nepal and India to share the Gospel. In one month, I will be training with my team and then getting on a plane to go to the other side of the world. I remember when I first brought up the idea of going on this mission trip. I eased into it with my sister first, and she thought it was a great idea, but was pretty certain that I wouldn't be going. Then I talked to my mom. Her response was that she would miss me and that I needed to talk to my father. So then I had to work up the courage to actually get the words out of my mouth so he could hear them and consider them. When I finally did, he laughed. The idea was that crazy.
But now, over $5,500 later and a thousand ways God has stretched not only my faith, but that of my parents, I am going. This is a huge step for us all. It isn't easy for my parents to let me go, and it won't be easy for me to be away from them for so long. But beyond the struggles of going, I am more exited at this moment than anything else. Again and again I try to wrap my mind around the fact that I am going but I am not sure it will fully hit me until I step on that plane on June 11th.
Because of the blessing that facebook is (even though half the time I truly dislike facebook), I have been able to get to know some of my team members and hear their stories of God's faithfulness, and the way God has brought them to where they are. My prayer is that none of us forget this time in our lives, that we would remember how God worked and how amazing it all was and is. Over 30 people have had to raise over $5,000 in funds to be able to go to Nepal and India, and many others are goingto other countries all over the world with the Gospel (like my friend Kara!).
Can you imagine what God has planed for us this summer? If He has just poured Himself out like this and given us everything we need to be able to get to TX for training, He must have huge plans for us.
I need prayer. If you think about it, could you offer up some words on my behalf to the Lord of this world, this universe?
Thanks friends. Remember, that God is faithful. We are unfaithful. God's plans are good. We don't always understand them.
Romans 11:33-36

Oh the depth of the riches, of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

How unsearchable, His judgments. How unknowable, His ways.

Who knows the mind of our God? And who can bring counsel to Him? Who has given to God, that God should repay? For from Him, to Him, through Him is everything. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

World Changers

My very dear friend Kara is traveling this summer with Global Expeditions to Peru. It is SUCH a blessing to have her traveling at the same time and to go through the fundraising process together! She is a great friend and she seeks to follow Jesus with her life!

When I found out she was going, I was SUPER excited and thrilled at the prospect of coming home and sharing out adventures with each other! While God has called her to a different place than He as me, He is going to do wonderful things through us both and through our whole teams!

I also know that I will have a LOT of friends at home this summer, sharing the Gospel. Many of them will be at camp spreading the Good News to campers and pouring their hearts into other staffers. How did I get to be so blessed to have such a huge amount of friends who know what it means to follow Jesus?

We aren't world changers because we're perfect or heroes. We are world changers because Christ has put the Hope in us and redeemed us so that we can change the world through Him.

Dependance

Depending on the Lord is really the best place to be. Today it is 144 days until I fly to Texas to join my team with Global Expeditions and begin training to fly halfway around the world and share the Gospel! When I first started this crazy journey, my parents made it clear that they do not have the money to send me. Thankfully, the Lord does and He uses His people to provide for me. Even though it had always been an option to wait until next summer to go or to go to just India or just Nepal this summer, I have always had my heart set on going to both this summer. I cannot explain why, but I always had it in my mind that I would go to Nepal and India in summer 2012, even when I had no money to put towards my trip.
So I had to depend on the Lord. In a month, I had nearly $1,000. That was crazy to me, to have so much so fast! Yet still I was discouraged, not knowing if I would ever make it. I was doubting the Lord's faithfulness and His ability and will to provide for me every last penny I needed. So at the beginning of December, I stepped out in faith. I asked God to provide half of the money I needed for my trip by the end of December. If I truly didn't have because I didn't ask, then I wanted to ask.
It felt wrong, asking. I am so unworthy I could barely handle asking our Almighty Father to do something for me. Sure, it would all go toward His glory and to further His Kingdom, but I had my qualms. I asked anyway. I didn't want to test the Lord, but I did want to step out and faith and trust that He really would do it. Funny thing is, God likes to show His children up, in a sense. I'm sure He just laughs at times because of how ridiculous I am! I was praying on the 3rd of December about getting half of the money (about $600 more) and low and behold, on the 5th I reached $2,500, halfway to my goal. I was simply astounded. God used His people who followed His voice to donate toward my trip and in so doing answered my prayers. It was crazy, still is crazy to me! When I got online to check my online Global Expeditions account and saw how much more I had, I started crying. What was I to say? The only thing to say was 'God is good' because no other thought would form in my mind.
I want to encourage you, in whatever way God is asking you to trust Him, do it. He always comes through and He is dependable.
I'll echo Paul's thoughts in Philippians 4:19-20
¹⁹ And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ²⁰ Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

53 Day Challenge

53 Day Challenge - This is a Fundraiser for my mission trip, similar to 100 Envelopes as others have done before me. =) $53 taken by my sister! Praise Jesus.

Blessed Beyond Words

When I began this journey towards $5,000+ for a two month mission trip, I knew the path would not be easy and it hasn't. In the last two months, however, I have been completely overwhelmed. I started out this journey, right at the beginning, needing $300 for my deposit in my mission trip account. The weekend I was accepted I raised $300 from a garage sale that we had. But even though God had provided that, I began to have a lot of doubts. I mean, $5,000 is a lot of money, or at least it seems such without God. I began to worry incessantly about where it would come from, what I would do if I couldn't go, if I really was supposed to go, etc. Then I read a verse in my quiet time from 2 Corinthians 5, which also holds other of my favorite verses. But this was verse 7, "For we will walk by faith, not by sight." That is exactly what I needed because I knew I wanted to be able to see, for sure and certain, that I would have everything all laid out for me to go on this mission trip. Following Christ doesn't mean that I will be able to see the ways He will provide for me before He does it, but rather stepping out in faith is doing something you know will not succeed unless God steps in and that seems to be exactly what I have done. I knew going into this that I would not automatically have all the money I needed but yet I still said 'Yes Lord, I believe that You will do this.' I have been stretched in my faith a lot in the last two months. Though it has been hard, God finally has me at a place where I am beginning to really know what trusting Him for my everything means. That doesn't mean I don't worry anymore, because of course I do but I can be comforted by the truth God has spoken to me. In these past two months God has provided $1,800 and I love talking about it because I know that there is no way I could have ever gotten it by myself. God has blessed my exceedingly and He continues to do so! I continue to press on planning, praying and trusting for the rest of the money. Be encouraged and know that God provides for all of our needs.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34