The Answer

These past few months have been defined by questions. There has been so much uncertainty and unknowns as I have sought God to understand what He would have for me to do. It is truly incredible to look back from where I am now and see how He has worked! I remember the absolute frustration and confusion as I said "no" to Thailand. God made it clear that this is not where I was to be but that decision rocked my world. Then there was deciding if Cambodia and another missions agency was the right option. My willingness to go anywhere began sacrificing the desires that were on my heart. At last, God brought me to WorldVenture and the incredible opportunity of Hope Alive. An opportunity that utilized my gifts as well as fulfilled the desires that God had put on my heart. It seemed too good to be true! As I have gone through the application process for WorldVenture, my excitement has grown. This week was my phone interview in which afterwards, they congratulated me and welcomed me to WorldVenture. God has guided me through all of the questions and confusion; a place where I could see nothing. He has brought me to a place that I could not have reached on my own. It is incredible! I am excited/anxious/nervous/almost every emotion to see what will happen next; to see what God does. He continues to show me again and again that this is HIS. It is not mine. 

So now I begin the process that I had avoided for years: support raising. See, this was my biggest negative towards working with a missions organization. Why raise support when I could do what I wanted with a non-profit or NGO? Why live a life full of uncertainty and dependence when there could be security in a paycheck? Ah, because God wants me to depend on Him. It's been the theme of the last 6 or so months of my life. I have a feeling that God's not done teaching me yet.

The Ignition That Never Let Go

Because of the ridiculous parking regulations that my place of employment has on its employees, going out to lunch is difficult. One day, my craving for Jersey Mike's was too much to handle. I'll openly admit my addiction to this place. The fresh bread, the freshly sliced meat and cheese, great ingredients...I can't resist! That one fateful day, I asked one of my favorite professors to see if I could borrow his car for my quick fix. He agreed and my co-worker joined me. We escaped our offices and headed to the famed sub location. I pull into the parking spot, put the car into park and turn off the vehicle. I attempt to pull the key out of the ignition. It wouldn't budge. I tried all of the tricks and it still wouldn't come out. In desperation, we call the professor. He offers some extra tricks and we tried them all. It didn't work. We call again and explain our situation. My stomach growled. He went to find a ride to try it out himself. I headed in to get my much desired sandwich. During this time, two professors arrive and the owner of the vehicle went to work. I shoved in half of my sandwich. When he was unable to get the key out, we all headed back toward campus. Nikki and I sat in the backseat and marveled at the hilarity of the situation. However, our adventure was by no means complete. The ride back was just beginning. I have a strong hypothesis that the smarter that an individual is, the more quirky they are with less common sense. Our short drive back to campus brought this to light. Being literally approximately a mile from campus, the driving professor asked for directions to get back to campus. Adding to that, his driving skills put my seatbelt into good use. 

The car ended up having to be towed and the ignition entirely replaced. I felt absolutely horrible even though the professor stated that this he has had problems with it before. I will unfortunately never live it down as it is brought up almost daily. I now apparently owe him my life. So, if you don't see me for awhile...

Wisdom...or lack thereof.

The day that I had dreaded for so long came to pass on Thursday morning. I had three wisdom teeth removed with the fourth awaiting removal this coming week. The past few days have revolved around when I take which medicine. I stay awake until 1:00am and wake up again at 5:00am for another dose, making sure that some form of soft food is around to eat prior to the meds entering my body. It's been exhausting. 

This next month seems like it's going to fly by faster than I want it to. I want to freeze time and enjoy every second. I want to spend quality time with those I love; basking in deep conversations laced with humor. I want to experience the freedom of summer before life change comes. My Lynchburg life is ending and I want to hold on it for as long as I can. However, I know that the end is coming closer and closer and the beginning of change is near. Ah, change. I've never been one that likes change and yet, my entire life is changing so soon. I can't even imagine it. It's this brink of excitement and scared out of my mind.

Well, my teeth are hurting and it's time for another med. This blog will be the beginning of a journey of change. Enjoy the ride. :)