Well, I'm still not totally packed yet, but just wanted to post once more before I go....
I have been overwhelmed today and yesterday with phone calls, texts and people asking me if I got my documents and telling me how excited they are for me and reminding me they're praying for me.
My church is having it's annual mission's conference weekend where a missionary couple comes and speaks through various events. Tonight was the "international dinner" and the couple spoke about their lives and how they were called to missions. It was soooooo encouraging! They had a great message too about not carrying my culture stuff into the culture I'm going into. He talked about being a "square" in a "circle" culture and how I need to "round off my corners" so I'm not as square because I won't be in a square culture. (Kind of one of those 'you had to be there' type analogies...) Anyhow, I'm probably going to be up way later than I wanted to because I waited so long to pack, but it was so worth it! Thank you Bonnie and Virgil Adams!!!
I'm getting anxious to see what the Lord has in store!!! I begin to wonder what this trip will lead to....
I'm not sure if I'll be able to update while I'm gone or not, but one way or another, you'll hear from me soon! :)
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Three days. Plenty of time for travel documents to arrive, right?!
Yep, still no travel documents.
I came home tonight and saw a package on the table that I thought was my travel documents. Nope. It was my shirt from the Walk for Alzheimer's I did last Saturday. I've never been so disappointed to get a free shirt.
I'm reminded today that I can't just trust God one day and then get discouraged and upset a few days later when life hasn't fallen back into place again. I need to remind myself that God is bigger than the mail system and however I think this all needs to happen and if He wants me to go to Gabon, it will arrive. It will.
I cannot tell you how many times I actually think about the fact that I'm supposed to leave in a few days and don't have my stuff and I feel like I'm going to vomit. And then I'm reminded that it's out of my control and whatever is meant to happen, will.
I think I'm just going to bed. I'm exhausted. Please pray.
I came home tonight and saw a package on the table that I thought was my travel documents. Nope. It was my shirt from the Walk for Alzheimer's I did last Saturday. I've never been so disappointed to get a free shirt.
I'm reminded today that I can't just trust God one day and then get discouraged and upset a few days later when life hasn't fallen back into place again. I need to remind myself that God is bigger than the mail system and however I think this all needs to happen and if He wants me to go to Gabon, it will arrive. It will.
I cannot tell you how many times I actually think about the fact that I'm supposed to leave in a few days and don't have my stuff and I feel like I'm going to vomit. And then I'm reminded that it's out of my control and whatever is meant to happen, will.
I think I'm just going to bed. I'm exhausted. Please pray.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
T minus five days...
Well, I'm not sure where the time has gone, but I leave this coming Saturday!!! Wait....what?!?!?!?!?
I still haven't received my visa and passport. I called TDS (travel document agency) Friday to see if I had to sign for the package when it came and the first guy I talked to gave me the "your name isn't in our system" line. Freaked out for a minute and then he talked to so-and-so who was taking it to the Embassy and told me it should be sent out that day and I could expect to receive it Monday or Tuesday.
I had a little road block with trying to get my insulin pump supplies, but I had this amazing woman (Tracie from Medtronic) who went above and beyond and figured everything out and said I should receive that stuff Monday as well. It will feel like Christmas this week with all these lovely packages arriving! :)
It still doesn't seem real that I'm going. I work all week and have to pack yet, which makes me want to vomit. This morning, my church had a special time of praying for me and Pastor Vaughn asked me what I was expecting God to do on this trip, or something along those lines. Good question....I'm not totally sure. I've learned so many things and been reminded of so many things through just preparing for this trip that I can't wait to see what else God has. I'm trying to be as open-minded as possible and not have too many expectations because I know that often things don't go how I planned or imagined....clearly!
I feel a bit basket-caseish and everyonce in awhile start to fret about all that needs to happen before I leave Saturday morning. But the biggest thing I've learned and been reminded of time and time again is that God is in control and He will take care of it. He doesn't need my help. He doesn't need me to go to Africa to work with these sick people. He doesn't need me to go tell these people that there is a God who created them and loves them and wants a personal relationship with them. He doesn't need me to do any of it. But I get to!!! I get to be a part of His plan for it all. And for that I am soooo blessed.
Please be praying that I take extra time this week to sit and be still before God. I've found in the last few weeks, I've neglected that a little bit. I've been so "busy trying to get everything ready." (Stupid excuse, I know...) I do that more than I would like to admit. I'm a doer and a server and justify it because 'I'm doing it for Jesus,' but sometimes I forget that it doesn't really matter what I do for Him if I'm not spending time with Him. So pray that I don't get so caught up in being His hands and feet that I miss time spent with Him.
Thank you so much for all your prayers, donations, support and encouragement. I cannot tell you how blessed I am by each of you. God blows me away with who I run into just when I need a little extra encouragement and He has affirmed this trip through so many of you as well. I cannot say thank you enough!
I hope you find Truth in this verse, it's one of my favorites: Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38 (NIV)
I still haven't received my visa and passport. I called TDS (travel document agency) Friday to see if I had to sign for the package when it came and the first guy I talked to gave me the "your name isn't in our system" line. Freaked out for a minute and then he talked to so-and-so who was taking it to the Embassy and told me it should be sent out that day and I could expect to receive it Monday or Tuesday.
I had a little road block with trying to get my insulin pump supplies, but I had this amazing woman (Tracie from Medtronic) who went above and beyond and figured everything out and said I should receive that stuff Monday as well. It will feel like Christmas this week with all these lovely packages arriving! :)
It still doesn't seem real that I'm going. I work all week and have to pack yet, which makes me want to vomit. This morning, my church had a special time of praying for me and Pastor Vaughn asked me what I was expecting God to do on this trip, or something along those lines. Good question....I'm not totally sure. I've learned so many things and been reminded of so many things through just preparing for this trip that I can't wait to see what else God has. I'm trying to be as open-minded as possible and not have too many expectations because I know that often things don't go how I planned or imagined....clearly!
I feel a bit basket-caseish and everyonce in awhile start to fret about all that needs to happen before I leave Saturday morning. But the biggest thing I've learned and been reminded of time and time again is that God is in control and He will take care of it. He doesn't need my help. He doesn't need me to go to Africa to work with these sick people. He doesn't need me to go tell these people that there is a God who created them and loves them and wants a personal relationship with them. He doesn't need me to do any of it. But I get to!!! I get to be a part of His plan for it all. And for that I am soooo blessed.
Please be praying that I take extra time this week to sit and be still before God. I've found in the last few weeks, I've neglected that a little bit. I've been so "busy trying to get everything ready." (Stupid excuse, I know...) I do that more than I would like to admit. I'm a doer and a server and justify it because 'I'm doing it for Jesus,' but sometimes I forget that it doesn't really matter what I do for Him if I'm not spending time with Him. So pray that I don't get so caught up in being His hands and feet that I miss time spent with Him.
Thank you so much for all your prayers, donations, support and encouragement. I cannot tell you how blessed I am by each of you. God blows me away with who I run into just when I need a little extra encouragement and He has affirmed this trip through so many of you as well. I cannot say thank you enough!
I hope you find Truth in this verse, it's one of my favorites: Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38 (NIV)
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