Looking at the Little Things

     When I took the first steps to apply to come to Torreon, I didn’t know where it would all lead. Of course I hoped that I would be able to come down and serve, but what if God said no? After I sent in my application I prayed, a lot. I prayed God’s will be done. I prayed God would begin to prepare me for my time of service if it was His will I go. I prayed God would prepare my heart. And I prayed Isaiah 6:8 “Here am I; send me”. Now I am down in Torreon, NM, committed to spend at least a year of my life helping children, loving them, and showing them Jesus. All of my prayers were answered. I want to focus though on HOW God prepared me. 
     
                Preparation #1: Dealing with a variety of ages. Several months before I came down here, before I knew whether I was approved to go, I had the privilege to babysit 5 wonderful girls on a regular basis. The ages ranged 13 – almost 2. This year in school we will have 30 some students from K – 12. All with different personalities and interests. Through babysitting I was able to teach, direct, and care for 5 different age groups and 5 different personalities.

                Preparation #2: A.C.E. Curriculum. Had we not moved to Indiana, I would never have gone to Bethany Fellowship School. I probably would have never have done the A.C.E. curriculum. But because my God is big and great, He allowed me to go to Bethany School and have a good education but also get me used to the curriculum. The Torreon Navajo School uses A.C.E., granted its different being a teacher, but I don’t have to learn how the curriculum works.

                Preparation #3: A want to go. Ever since I was younger I have had a desire for mission work. Though I didn’t know where God would lead me, I knew I wanted to serve Him wherever He sent me. Along with that, due to hurts and heartaches, redemption and grace, I can understand better the hearts of those around me with broken homes. Do I know every detail? No, but I can help in the best way I know how.

                As I look back I see that God has prepared me all my life through for this moment. Right down to the sweeper! And no joke, the sweeper I used while I babysat is the same model that the mission has down here. The beautiful thing about life is that this moment right now is most likely preparing me for something else down the road. God is so good in that way!

Trusting God

    Dear Reader ~ I have now moved to Cuba, NM. I am down here for one year to teach Navajo children about Christ. So you will most likely now be hearing about my adventures down here!

    So as I have journeyed to the land of sage and cactus I have had to put my faith in a God who WAY bigger, more powerful, stronger, and mightier than I. At first it was easy, I had my mother and my sister here. So putting my trust in Him was fine and good! Then, they left. They went over 1000 miles away back to our homeland of 386 acres, 800 trees and 100% humidity (A facebook joke). And for once in my life, faith and trust were two difficult words to swallow.

    I KNEW God could keep them safe, provide for them, and comfort them. But I wasn’t on the plane, I didn’t know that they would be ok getting home. I couldn’t control any part of their safety. Everything was out of my control. As the days have passed it’s gotten a lot easier. The heart of my faith is there, not just my head. I now know and feel in my spirit that God will and is taking care of them.

    Adjusting to the land and the different way of life has been fairly easy. Am I homesick? Yes occasionally, but I know there is a God that holds me and my family in his hands and in 18 years He has never forsaken me. Just recently I felt the effects of being homesick in full swing. I didn’t know why I had come down here. Why had I chosen to leave friends and family to be with strangers in a foreign land? I opened my Bible to Psalms and found the 17^th verse of the 25^th chapter.

                The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
Well after reading that and then talking to Him by my bedside, I felt a lot better. Of course then talking to my mother 10 mins. afterward definitely helped.
   “God is good all the time and all the time God is good.” ~God’s Not Dead. Just remember as you go about your everyday, as you encounter disappointment, separation, sorrow, and discouragement, you have a God who will bring you out of your distresses. Trust that God with all your heart and you will have nothing to fear, and nothing to want.