So I was kind of waiting for something exciting to happen in my life before I posted again and that something happened last week!
But first lets rewind to the last month of being back in the country...
My life the last month has consisted of the following:
Working in Blends everyday (we're open in the mornings now)
Working for the campus pastor in the afternoons and sometimes in the mornings while I work Blends
Helping out with/playing on the worship team for Real Life in Cabot (the highschool ministry)
Watching 24 (Hannah and Kenzie got me addicted)
And that's about it!
The last month has had a lot of ups and downs for me as far as trying to figure out if I really am where I am supposed to be. I'll have days where it's all great and I'm enjoying where I am and then I'll have days where I start to think about all the things I want to do and remembering dreams I have for the future and I try to figure out why God has me here because it doesn't make any sense to me.
Then I realized something...
As a first year in 24/7 you are supposed to learn how to trust your leadership, God, your parents etc.
You have no calendar or schedule for your week other than a text message from your second year the night before, telling you what you will need for the next day. If you are told that you need to wear class dress then you know you'll probably have class, you won't know what classes you'll have though, so you have to have everything with you. You have to trust that your second year will tell you to bring everything you need and then you show up prepared for what they tell you with no questions asked.
The point is to teach you to 1. be prepared for anything. 2. trust and relinquish control.
I was not a very good first year student because I always tried to figure out what was going on. And I got really good at it. I would have a good and submissive attitude (most of the time) in front of leadership but I was really trying to figure everything out behind the scenes.
Then what I realized was that I have been doing that to God for the last 6 months. I will say that I trust Him and on the outside look like I've got this trust thing down.
But I've been trying to figure out what God is doing. I go thru all kinds of scenarios in my head of why He has me here and what doors He's going to open for me to jump right into my calling.
The thing is that God is a lot better at planning than I am at figuring things out.
Two Sundays ago I sat in service and they played a recap video of Pastor Rick's trip to Shri Lanka and the whole time I felt something stirring inside of me but couldn't explain it. I had this feeling that God was about to rock my world.
After service I had a conversation with a friend whose been a homesponsor for cadre since I was a first year. I told her about my heart for missions and we talked about New Life missions. She suggested that I talk to Dr Q (the missions pastor) about it and see if there's a way I can get involved with missions here. I thought it was a great idea.
Three days later,
Dr Q walks into Blends and orders coffee. The whole time I'm making his drink I am thinking I should talk to him.
I chickened out.
That night,
I get an e-mail from Dr Q to all pastors and staff asking if anyone is interested and able to lead the mission trip to Russia in August because the person who was going to lead it is no longer able to.
I quickly replied back saying I was interested.
The next day,
I met with Dr Q and the lady who is leading the same trip in June. We talked for about 20 minutes and then I was given the trip.
I'm now officially leading the New Life trip to Russia in August.
*insert excited freak out here*
So far none of the people signed up for this trip have ever been on missions before. So that means I get to train them and shape their missions experience.
I'm so excited.
I'll be updating again when I have more details on the trip!
As far as my job goes, I'll be moving back to part time and just working in Blends around the first of March-ish. I need a break from church admin plus I want to have more time to be able to invest in my Real Life small group girls.
So I'll be trying to pick up odd jobs here and there to make more money as well.
Oh! And I'm also doing a half ironman with Cadre on March 24th. (I mean, after 3 fulls...why not?)
Started running yesterday! I'll need prayer!
That's all folks.
But first lets rewind to the last month of being back in the country...
My life the last month has consisted of the following:
Working in Blends everyday (we're open in the mornings now)
Working for the campus pastor in the afternoons and sometimes in the mornings while I work Blends
Helping out with/playing on the worship team for Real Life in Cabot (the highschool ministry)
Watching 24 (Hannah and Kenzie got me addicted)
And that's about it!
The last month has had a lot of ups and downs for me as far as trying to figure out if I really am where I am supposed to be. I'll have days where it's all great and I'm enjoying where I am and then I'll have days where I start to think about all the things I want to do and remembering dreams I have for the future and I try to figure out why God has me here because it doesn't make any sense to me.
Then I realized something...
As a first year in 24/7 you are supposed to learn how to trust your leadership, God, your parents etc.
You have no calendar or schedule for your week other than a text message from your second year the night before, telling you what you will need for the next day. If you are told that you need to wear class dress then you know you'll probably have class, you won't know what classes you'll have though, so you have to have everything with you. You have to trust that your second year will tell you to bring everything you need and then you show up prepared for what they tell you with no questions asked.
The point is to teach you to 1. be prepared for anything. 2. trust and relinquish control.
I was not a very good first year student because I always tried to figure out what was going on. And I got really good at it. I would have a good and submissive attitude (most of the time) in front of leadership but I was really trying to figure everything out behind the scenes.
Then what I realized was that I have been doing that to God for the last 6 months. I will say that I trust Him and on the outside look like I've got this trust thing down.
But I've been trying to figure out what God is doing. I go thru all kinds of scenarios in my head of why He has me here and what doors He's going to open for me to jump right into my calling.
The thing is that God is a lot better at planning than I am at figuring things out.
Two Sundays ago I sat in service and they played a recap video of Pastor Rick's trip to Shri Lanka and the whole time I felt something stirring inside of me but couldn't explain it. I had this feeling that God was about to rock my world.
After service I had a conversation with a friend whose been a homesponsor for cadre since I was a first year. I told her about my heart for missions and we talked about New Life missions. She suggested that I talk to Dr Q (the missions pastor) about it and see if there's a way I can get involved with missions here. I thought it was a great idea.
Three days later,
Dr Q walks into Blends and orders coffee. The whole time I'm making his drink I am thinking I should talk to him.
I chickened out.
That night,
I get an e-mail from Dr Q to all pastors and staff asking if anyone is interested and able to lead the mission trip to Russia in August because the person who was going to lead it is no longer able to.
I quickly replied back saying I was interested.
The next day,
I met with Dr Q and the lady who is leading the same trip in June. We talked for about 20 minutes and then I was given the trip.
I'm now officially leading the New Life trip to Russia in August.
*insert excited freak out here*
So far none of the people signed up for this trip have ever been on missions before. So that means I get to train them and shape their missions experience.
I'm so excited.
I'll be updating again when I have more details on the trip!
As far as my job goes, I'll be moving back to part time and just working in Blends around the first of March-ish. I need a break from church admin plus I want to have more time to be able to invest in my Real Life small group girls.
So I'll be trying to pick up odd jobs here and there to make more money as well.
Oh! And I'm also doing a half ironman with Cadre on March 24th. (I mean, after 3 fulls...why not?)
Started running yesterday! I'll need prayer!
That's all folks.
