I'm working on my prayer and support request letter for my 8 month stint in Cambodia. I leave in less than 8 weeks and I've got about $7000 to raise--well, I'm trusting God to raise it! My job is to pray and ask for it. :)
The wordy person that I am, I have to write one really long draft before I chop it up and make it say what I really want it to. But, I really like some of the stuff I've written about the process that God used to get me where I am today.
So here is an excerpt. It may or may not end up in the final support letter...
Just a few months ago I said, “Lord, I’ll go wherever you want!”
So, I went to India for 10 days and caught a glimpse of the amazing things that God is doing in a country so different than any I have visited before. I spent time with Christian sisters who came to Christ from Hindu priest families, through dreams and healings, and out of fearful spiritual oppression. They have great faith and hearts to serve God wherever He would take them—whatever the cost. I visited a small village school where Indian children have a rare opportunity to receive a good education and learn that Jesus loves them. In the crowded market, in the village school, in the foreign country where I did not belong—I felt completely comfortable. My 10-day visit was not long enough. I felt like had just gotten my feet wet and I wanted to walk farther. God used the Vision Trip to India to open my spiritual eyes and open my mind to where else He might like me to go. I left India with Cambodia on my mind.
Cambodia? Southeast Asia? Really?? Okay, Lord. Here I am. Send me.
International relief and aid with the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the heart—that is what is World Relief is about. And that effort is something I have wanted to a part of for a long time! In April (just 2 months away!) I will begin an 8-month stay in Cambodia working with World Relief.
What am I passionate about? What do I want to die doing? Most of all, I want to glorify God with my life. I want to use my gifts, talents, skills, experience, and heart to make an impact for Christ. I want to be used by Him, to help the helpless, and bring hope to the hopeless. The helpless and the hopeless are all around us.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A new adventure...a new part of the world!
I am going to Cambodia! In 2 months!!!
Since blogging seems like the best way to keep track of my thoughts, record my experiences, and keep people in my life connected with me as I travel--I'm back.
I've been home from Italy for over 2 years. I've had several jobs in Indianapolis, a fun nanny job in Birmingham, AL, great time with family and friends, and time to experience a new stage of my life. I've been working two part-time jobs for over a year now. I've been living out of my parents' house for almost a year--and that's been an adventure in itself. In December I got together with a friend from college and caught up on life. She mentioned that I seemed restless. Restless. Yes, that's it. I'm eager to do something new, something different, and figure out what God has in store for me next.
Last summer I spoke with my Missions Pastor about my previous missions experience, my heart for the nations, and my interest in relief and development work. He told me more about our church's partnership with World Relief Cambodia and some potential opportunities to get involved there. I didn't really know where Cambodia was until a year ago! The more I learned about the work they do and our church partnership, the more interested I became. East Asia was on my radar.
And so was India. My conversation with Nate was initiated by the pull on my heart to respond to an announcement he made about a Vision Trip to India. I had never thought about going to India, but I knew that I was suppose to pursue this trip. So, this past November I spent 10 days in India with a group from my church (www.yourchurch.com). India. What an amazing place. I saw things I'd never seen before and got a tiny glimpse of the great work that God is doing in the country of India. Ten days was not long enough. I felt like I had just gotten my feet wet. I wanted more.
I believe that God used that short trip to India, that "vision" trip, to open my heart to the East and confirm my calling to go to Cambodia.
In January '09 I met Kate from Cambodia, learned about her, her job as Partnership Coordinator, and spoke specifically about me coming to fill in for her as she takes some time off to finish her dissertation. I could come in May/June to help with the summer ESL program and then cover her spot in the fall. I was encouraged and more excited about the possibility to serve, but there were no details.
Then, in the first week of February I got an email from Kate asking me if I could come earlier--April! So, everything started moving! And I'm going for sure!
There are many things to do in the next two months: prayer and financial support raising, figure out what do with my stuff and school loans for 8 months, pack (ack!), and see as many friends and family as I can! While I'm not technically "ready" to go, my heart is ready. I am so thankful for how the Lord has constructed this opportunity. I trust that he will provide everything (and every dollar) I need to go and to thrive there. I'm praying that this 8 month stint in Cambodia will provide vision and direction for what might be next!
More to come... Please pray!
Since blogging seems like the best way to keep track of my thoughts, record my experiences, and keep people in my life connected with me as I travel--I'm back.
I've been home from Italy for over 2 years. I've had several jobs in Indianapolis, a fun nanny job in Birmingham, AL, great time with family and friends, and time to experience a new stage of my life. I've been working two part-time jobs for over a year now. I've been living out of my parents' house for almost a year--and that's been an adventure in itself. In December I got together with a friend from college and caught up on life. She mentioned that I seemed restless. Restless. Yes, that's it. I'm eager to do something new, something different, and figure out what God has in store for me next.
Last summer I spoke with my Missions Pastor about my previous missions experience, my heart for the nations, and my interest in relief and development work. He told me more about our church's partnership with World Relief Cambodia and some potential opportunities to get involved there. I didn't really know where Cambodia was until a year ago! The more I learned about the work they do and our church partnership, the more interested I became. East Asia was on my radar.
And so was India. My conversation with Nate was initiated by the pull on my heart to respond to an announcement he made about a Vision Trip to India. I had never thought about going to India, but I knew that I was suppose to pursue this trip. So, this past November I spent 10 days in India with a group from my church (www.yourchurch.com). India. What an amazing place. I saw things I'd never seen before and got a tiny glimpse of the great work that God is doing in the country of India. Ten days was not long enough. I felt like I had just gotten my feet wet. I wanted more.
I believe that God used that short trip to India, that "vision" trip, to open my heart to the East and confirm my calling to go to Cambodia.
In January '09 I met Kate from Cambodia, learned about her, her job as Partnership Coordinator, and spoke specifically about me coming to fill in for her as she takes some time off to finish her dissertation. I could come in May/June to help with the summer ESL program and then cover her spot in the fall. I was encouraged and more excited about the possibility to serve, but there were no details.
Then, in the first week of February I got an email from Kate asking me if I could come earlier--April! So, everything started moving! And I'm going for sure!
There are many things to do in the next two months: prayer and financial support raising, figure out what do with my stuff and school loans for 8 months, pack (ack!), and see as many friends and family as I can! While I'm not technically "ready" to go, my heart is ready. I am so thankful for how the Lord has constructed this opportunity. I trust that he will provide everything (and every dollar) I need to go and to thrive there. I'm praying that this 8 month stint in Cambodia will provide vision and direction for what might be next!
More to come... Please pray!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
another try
So, perhaps I'm not yet what one may call a "blogger". There are like bazillion blogs these days, right? I certainly have a ways to go. But, really, over the past few months I haven't had much to blog about. Life is life. I'm not involved in anything new. I don't have passionate opinions on politics or anything that I would want to blog about! So, this blog is for me. To reflect. To think. To dream. To journal. To put my life into words.
I'm putting "blog more" on my resolution list for 2009. We'll see how I do!
I'm putting "blog more" on my resolution list for 2009. We'll see how I do!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
One Year
For one year I will be living with five other young women in a house. We're keeping the walls company, and helping to pay the mortgage, while the house's family goes to Thailand for a year of missionary work. I don't need to move out of my parents' house, nor do I need to spend a few hundred dollars a month on rent, but they needed to rent out their house and I love to help meet needs! I also enjoy an adventure and living with other women, so I signed up! I'll be moving in next week. It will be the first time that I completely "move out" of my parents' home. When I was away at college or living overseas in Italy, I left many things behind. My bedroom was still "mine" even when used as a guest room during my absence. I think that room will always be mine, but it will no longer have any of my stuff in it! While the thought of gathering everything together and moving it out is overwhelming, I'm hoping it will be a good opportunity to organize and even purge excess "stuff".
This housing opportunity is one of the few solid commitments that I have in my life right now (outside of financial commitments like my car, school loan, and cell phone payments). I will be living on 88th Street on a beautiful, quiet wooded lot for exactly one year. So, what will happen in a year?
I have made no verbal or written time commitments for either of my part-time jobs. I would like to stay at each for at least a year. (My resume could certainly benefit from it.) That would put me at Starbucks until November 2008 and at College Park until February 2009. And since I will be definitely living in Indy until June 2009, it seems that I"ll stick with my jobs until then as well. Time will tell, of course. The random schedule that results from two jobs can be exhausting. It would be nice to work at church and then work somewhere else with set days and times, rather than Starbucks, which is different every week. Sometimes I open (5am), sometimes I close (12 or 1am), sometimes I work during the day....needless to say, it's hard work just keep up with when I work!
Okay, so the whole reason I started writing was to talk about somethings I would like to pursue during this season. I'm not going anywhere, so what I can do while I'm here?
1. Pursue Language Learning
a. Become fluent (or at least much more conversational) in French
b. Continue practicing Italian
c. Learn basic Spanish
d. Yes, 3 languages!
2. Pursue Photography
a. Continue practicing and re-learning exposure
b. Learn Photoshop
c. Begin discovering, developing, and refining my own style
d. Purchase my own super cool DSLR
3. Improve My Financial Situation
a. Pay off my credit card debt (Goal: Sept 2008)
b. Have at least $1000 in savings, then maintain and increase that amount (Goal: Dec 2008)
c. Increase my school loan payments
d. Save money for a vision trip in 2009 (AFRICA!!!)
This housing opportunity is one of the few solid commitments that I have in my life right now (outside of financial commitments like my car, school loan, and cell phone payments). I will be living on 88th Street on a beautiful, quiet wooded lot for exactly one year. So, what will happen in a year?
I have made no verbal or written time commitments for either of my part-time jobs. I would like to stay at each for at least a year. (My resume could certainly benefit from it.) That would put me at Starbucks until November 2008 and at College Park until February 2009. And since I will be definitely living in Indy until June 2009, it seems that I"ll stick with my jobs until then as well. Time will tell, of course. The random schedule that results from two jobs can be exhausting. It would be nice to work at church and then work somewhere else with set days and times, rather than Starbucks, which is different every week. Sometimes I open (5am), sometimes I close (12 or 1am), sometimes I work during the day....needless to say, it's hard work just keep up with when I work!
Okay, so the whole reason I started writing was to talk about somethings I would like to pursue during this season. I'm not going anywhere, so what I can do while I'm here?
1. Pursue Language Learning
a. Become fluent (or at least much more conversational) in French
b. Continue practicing Italian
c. Learn basic Spanish
d. Yes, 3 languages!
2. Pursue Photography
a. Continue practicing and re-learning exposure
b. Learn Photoshop
c. Begin discovering, developing, and refining my own style
d. Purchase my own super cool DSLR
3. Improve My Financial Situation
a. Pay off my credit card debt (Goal: Sept 2008)
b. Have at least $1000 in savings, then maintain and increase that amount (Goal: Dec 2008)
c. Increase my school loan payments
d. Save money for a vision trip in 2009 (AFRICA!!!)
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