Well, it has been a while and a lot has gone on. Only problem is that I don't remember half of what's happened since I wrote last. . . hence the reason to keep a blog. But I do have some nuggets to remind myself (and others I suppose) of in the future. The biggest thing I've realized recently is that two years ago God pulled me out of Jamaica, as I knew it, and threw my life into disarray. I was searching for what God wanted me to do with Jamaica and His answer at the time was, "wait". So after coming to Jamaica for about 15 years, God gave me a year off and told me to wait. Not something I was totally interested in at the time! haha But apparently God had a reason for telling me to hold on for a while. During that year off I tried to push forward on my own to no avail. I had applied with Praying Pelican Missions and things had fallen through with that for some reason. Interestingly enough though, about one year later I got a call from PPM just out of the blue. And after spending a glorious summer with them here in Jamaica last year I was invited back this summer.
So what does this all add up to? God brought me out of a place where I was working with maybe 6 teams in a summer with maybe 100 team members and put me here where over the past two summers I've worked with 17 teams and this summer alone I've worked personally with 9 teams with probably over 400 individuals. He brought me from a place where I had no leadership role and no responsibilities to now where I just finished leading my first trip with PPM with a team of 43 and 2 other PPM staff. (a very successful trip, by the way)
I've also realized that I learned a LOT working with my former mission over 15 years. I would definitely not be where I am now without the guidance and direction of a certain man and his family over those years. But I know that that time was a time of preparation leading me to now! I definitely feel that this is the time God's been preparing me for!
So as I wait once more to see what God has planned for me with PPM, I have to remember a time when God told me to "wait" on Him. I'm reminded of the verse that was read the night I realized God was calling me into missions some 14 years ago:
Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
