Halfway there...

Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, batptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20, italics mine)

Friends and family, God is good: I am 50% funded, and halfway to leaving for Asia and service with Wycliffe Associates!  However, I’ll admit – I am confronted by many fears.  I worry about the details of creating a life for myself in SA (Southeast Asia). I worry about the abundant opportunities to build relationships with native people that I will lose due to cultural ignorance.  And I worry that my youth and inexperience on the mission field will be more of an obstacle to God’s Kingdom work than I expect.  It is easy to live here, in the comfort of home, and dream of all the glorious things God will accomplish through my service in overseas.  Yet these dreams, as of late, have been overtaken by the many possible (and less idealistic) realities that may await me in SA.  

And yet, God has clearly taught me that He is not confined or hindered by my lack of competence, talent, or ability.  Rather, He is glorified in my weaknesses!  This concept of glory through weakness has become so sweet to me – and I am sure it will become sweeter still once I arrive in SA.

As blows the wind through summer trees,

And all the leave are stirred,

O Spirit move as thou dost please,

My heart yields at thy word.

Faith hears thee calling from beyond

And doth respond.

What thou dost will-that I desire,

Through me let it be done,

Thy will and mine in love’s own fire

Are welded into one.

“Lord, I believe!” Nay, rather say,

“LORD, I obey”.

In order to follow God’s call, WA asks me to raise 100% of the expenses associated with my work in SA.  WA expects this to be about $2500/month.  If you are interested in partnering with me in this grand adventure financially as well as through following this blog, go to www.wycliffeassociates.org/links/donatenow. Under “Program” select “Other” and then enter my ministry account number: M10088.

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

I have officially settled back into life in Minnesota: the land of deep fried pickles, fudge puppies (yes, I did just visit the MN State Fair), mosquitoes the size of birds, lakes, and the infamous “Midwest accent”.  For those of you who don’t know, I spent the last 12 months living in Reading, Pennsylvania serving as an AmeriCorps PACC*VISTA.  While there I managed an after-school program for Hispanic children living in the city, and all I can say is that it was an AMAZING year.  If you are ever in the Willmar area in these next couple of months, I would love to share more about it with you.

However, this blog is not to discuss my previous adventures in Reading.  Instead, it is to share about a new journey God is leading me on….to….SOUTHEAST ASIA! Yes, Nepal.  Due to work sensitivity in the country I will be living in, I cannot reveal any information about the details of where I will be, BUT I can tell you that it is a very small country, known for sherpas, Mt. Everest, and the Abominable Snowman (yes there have been a series of sightings...if I come across such a creature in my travels I will make sure to write all about it.)

I will be serving with an organization called Wycliffe Associates (WA), working as their Site Volunteer Coordinator. This position is currently vacant, creating a situation where the leadership team in Nepal wants me on site in October! My role will include the organizing and hosting of volunteers and work teams in order to speed and ease the translation process.

To read more about Wycliffe Associates, check out this website:

http://www.wycliffeassociates.org/ministries/index.html

So, how do I feel about traipsing off to Asia all by myself?  SO EXCITED!!!!!!!! Yes, it is somewhat terrifying to realize that in two months I will be traveling solo to a country I know almost nothing about, to serve a people I have never interacted with, to work with much more experienced Wycliffe personnel who have been in the field much longer than I, and to build a life that will most definitely look DRASTICALLY different from anything I have ever known.  However, there is a freedom from all the worry, stress, and fear in knowing that this is what God has called me to do for the next two years of my life 

In order to follow God’s call, WA asks me to raise 100% of the expenses associated with my work in Southeast Asia.  WA expects this to be about $2500/month.  If you are interested in partnering with me in this grand adventure financially as well as through following this blog, go to www.wycliffeassociates.org/links/donatenow. Under “Program” select “Other” and then enter my ministry account number: M10088.

Have a wonderful September J