I started out this morning excited to think about the mission trip I was going to be a part of.  Excited and anticipating what God would do and how I could be used on this trip.

I got up early this morning, got all my clothes washed, started packing, and then went to have lunch with friends.  It was a delicious lunch at Helen and Dennis Jackson's house and even included Helen's homemade brownies! 

I left to run a few last minute errands, then head home to finish up packing and then to rest and reflect and pray about the week. 

Only when I walked in my front door I saw some things lying on the couch and thought now how did those things get there? (Can a giant spider move a ceramic flower pot?)  Then I realized my DVD player was gone and my computer!  I ran upstairs and saw an open window in my bedroom, and all the closet doors and drawers in the bedrooms were opened.  Things were out and lying on my bed. 

I lost a watch, a special necklace, the DVD player (with my Jillian exercise DVD inside) and the computer Joshua had given to me for Christmas.

Well that certainly caused a change in my plan for today!  My world just went upside.  That boat that I felt was my safety zone just got rocked and very stormy!  I sat on my stairs today in tears, sitting with my friends, and asking if I should just give up!  When is enough, enough? 

If the devil was trying to stop me in my tracks or change my direction or break my faith, it didn't work!  When I talked to Joshua today he put it all in perspective..."Mom, you are safe, those are just things, you are going to Nicaragua, why would you not?"  He is right!

As my boat was rocking and I wondered if I should just jump ship I am thankful I had people around me who helped to steady me.  You need people like that!  To be there to lean on and pray with. 

2 Timothy 1:7

⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 

MISSIONARY GOING ON A MISSION TRIP!

Over the past few weeks God has been speaking to me and I have had so many things that I needed to process and pray about and journal about, and being so busy at school and with preparing for convention I wondered if it would ever happen....

I finally had some quiet time yesterday afternoon to sit and write and again when I got home from church last night.

So several weeks ago at church Joel announced that our church was going to be participating with the church from Tegucigalpa and the church from San Pedro Sula in a mission trip to Nicaragua.  I thought a little about the trip, but then put the idea away, I thought "what could I do?", and right now I am so busy with school and convention.

But since that time it seemed like there were so many things that kept coming up that made me think I should sign up for the trip.

When I first asked about the trip, I was thinking that if it was a work trip, I could go.  You don't need to speak Spanish to dig a hole or swing a hammer, but it isn't a work trip.  It is a mission trip to evangelize and do activities with some of the children.

Ok, step back, I don't speak Spanish so I don't know what I could do.  But still, it was on my mind.  Last week on Wednesday morning Annette shared about the story when Jesus was walking on the water and Peter called to him and said, Lord if it is you, call me out on the water.  Peter had to have faith in the boat because the waters were stormy, but still the boat was a comfortable place for him.  I think of it like my comfort zone.  To go out on the water he had to have a deeper faith.  He wanted a deeper faith, that is why he called to Jesus and asked him to call him out on the water.

To me, Honduras is my boat.  I have to have faith to be here, but yet it is in my comfort zone.  (Never thought I would be saying that!)  Although Honduras requires faith, to step out and go on this mission trip, where I don't know who is going, I might not know anyone other than Joel, and there might not be anyone bilingual, I have no idea what I would do - that requires a much deeper faith!

Sunday night at church during worship I was praying and first I had the enemy saying to me that the trip was just about me, that it was something I wanted to do, it wasn't something God was calling me to.  I had to make him shut up  Then what I heard was, and I heard it in a sweet, tender voice, it isn't about me, or about me wanting to go to Nicaragua, it is about me wanting to have a deeper faith.  It is me saying to God - I want to step out of the boat, if you will call me out of the boat, I will go. 

After worship and getting to hear that sweet voice of the Lord, Joel preached about us being sheep and we know the voice of the shepherd!  I love that story, and it is so true!

So, even though I don't know the plan, and I don't have any idea how I will be helpful or what purpose I will have on this trip, I am going.  I am stepping out of the boat and saying Lord if it is you, call me and I will come! 

The trip will be from March 27 to March 31.  Please pray for me as I really have no idea what I am doing in this situation and it is totally out of my comfort zone and a huge stretch for me!  But I am ready to be used and excited to see what God has planned!

READY FOR CONVENTION!

I am so excited about convention this year!  It has been a hard one to get ready for.  We started school a week later than usual, convention is a week earlier than usual, the kids have more events, and some of them are trying many new things.  I wish we had a few more weeks as I am consoling kids who feel they haven't practiced their song enough, or practiced their team sport enough, or are today trying to finish up a science experiment.

While everyone is feeling the pressure and we have all been a bit emotional today, I know that God has great things planned for these kids this week!

I am praying for there to be a revival - to breathe life into something that is dead - we don't want a dead convention - we want it to be alive with a fresh breath from God!

I am so excited about tomorrow I can hardly stand it!  Last year I missed being with the kids because I had a blood clot in my leg.  

I am so thankful for this opportunity to be with them again!  I know that when I get home I will be posting a lot of photos!

Today I snuck into music practice as one of the female trios was practicing their song- The More I Seek You by Kari Jobe...they know that is one of my very favorite songs!  It is a song that has gotten me through a lot of hard times here in Honduras.  They sounded so beautiful in practice today!  They are very excited for me to hear them perform the song at convention, and so am I!

I love these kids so much!  I am ready for a great and exciting week with them!