My new goal for myself is to write stuff down. I have always carried this cute little pad of paper in my purse and it has a bunch of random notes from sermons, addresses, phone numbers, and it even has a song in Swahili translated to English, but I think it's time that it becomes my little prayer pad. From now on I can sit down at night or in the morning and flip through my prayer pad and remember to lift up the prayer requests I'm given. I'm excited to see how God moves in each situation... because now I'll remember what I've been praying for. It's so simple... and I'm just now getting on top of it. Oh my! I hope this helps you guys to remember to pray too. :)
Something else that I wanted to share with you guys...
For the past 6 months since I've been home I've been trying to figure out what's next. Where I need to go and what I need to do. God quickly confirmed and reconfirmed that I'm to be going back to Uganda. But somehow I was looking for a different kind of answer. NOT a different answer, a different kind of answer. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to head back to Africa, that's not the issue. What I was hoping for was more of a confirmation on what my life is about. Like what is the purpose of my ministry. I feel like that's a heavy question. I also know that I don't really need to know the answer, but it would be nice, right?
Well I've written on here in the past about being called to love on people, which I totally am called to do. More specifically though I believe that the Lord is calling me to be a support system. What does that even mean? Hard to say, but I'm understanding more and more everyday. Right now it means that God has given me a ministry with the youth at Wheatland Salem. I'm not the "director of student ministries" and I'm not the "youth pastor", but I have the job of bringing Jesus to them anyway... of loving them and being there to help out those who are in charge. As I understand the call on my life more and more I can see how Jesus ordained my past to bring to this place.
Maybe it started with my parents moving to AZ when I was 16. It was then that I began to learn how to be VERY independent. I learned to rely on the entire body of Christ to be my family when mine lived 1,800 miles away. I learned that dependence on God must be first because when your family's gone and you're a "guest" somewhere it can get real lonely.
Then college at IWU... Going in, I was determined to come out a music theory teacher/choir director. Heading out with a degree in Communications I had effectively learned how to relate to people and communicate with them on deeper levels than I would have been able to. I learned what it means to be a mentor, to counsel, to lead, and to speak well. How does one who used to fear public speaking grow to love it? Major in Communications in college! Bring on the big crowds!
After college I found myself still living in Marion, not sure where I was supposed to be next. So I was a substitute teacher for almost 2 years before moving back to IL and taking the youth pastor job. My time in the schools showed me my love for teaching (on some level) and definitely confirmed my love of youth. So when God asked me to be a youth pastor I not only had experience in teaching, but I had the skills necessary to communicate with the kids. Even beyond that I had the experience of being a leader in my youth group growing up, having been on worship team and such.
As the youth pastor at Plano UMC, God used the skills and talents He had given me to shepherd an awesome group of kids that I still talk to today. It was so cool to see them come to know Jesus!! Then, rather abruptly God called me to Africa. Of course I was super reluctant because I felt like I was FINALLY getting somewhere with the youth group and kids were accepting Jesus and how could I leave when things were moving in such powerful ways? But in His strong, silent way, on a beach in Florida at sunset, the Lord asked me to trust Him in all things, to remain in Him, and to go.
So I moved to Uganda for a year, taught, mentored, counseled, and led. Every part of my life, leading up to that point was God molding me, specifically for that. I went when He could use me and my abilities in such a way that would lead others into His presence and bring Him glory. Sweet!
Now I've been home for 6 months and I'm getting ready to go back for who knows how long, but I'm going back knowing that I'm being molded even now to do the work God has set before me. That work is being done in Illinois and Indiana right now, it will be done in Uganda and Kenya soon, and beyond that it will be done around the world, where ever that may be. As someone called to be a support system for others, my ministry is not limited to one specific area. It's kinda cool knowing that I get to go where ever.
That idea carries over into my relationships. I've been blessed with the ability to go where I'm needed for my friends. That means going to Florida, driving to southern IL for a day trip, going to Michigan, helping friends in TN, visiting friends in Alabama, hanging out in Indiana, going to AZ to help my brother. It's been amazing to be in a position where I can do those things... just another way that Jesus uses me as support. Someday when I get married I get to be someone's support system every single day. HIStory in the making. Clever, right??
I love my friends and family so much. I'm so thankful though, that from the time I was 16, God was preparing me to be able to go and do. It doesn't make leaving a ton easier, but I know I can do it when I remain in Him.
Darn... I feel like there was something else I wanted to say. Well, it's gone. I just looked out the window and got distracted by the copious amount of snow and thoughts of sledding later. Enjoy it if you've got it!
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