Thou shalt move to Guatemala!

Okay, so it wasn't an audible voice and I didn't hear those exact words, but there is no doubt in my mind or my heart that moving to Guatemala is right where I am supposed to be.

As I have mentioned before, I have always loved missions. I first started learning about missions when I was about 7 years old, and I wanted to go on trips to help people ever since then. I remember crying at the airport when I was 10 because my parents were going on a mission trip, and I wasn't crying because I was going to miss them (even though I was going to), I was crying because I didn't get to go. Twelve was the "golden age" to go on a mission trip, so 2 weeks after my twelfth birthday, I boarded a plane to Mexico, and I haven't stopped going since then.

I knew that missions would always be a part of my life. I wasn't sure how it would all unfold, but I knew that I was going to live internationally and serve others. I studied International Relations in college, I knew that having this background would be helpful, I understand government relations, and this degree can help me get into countries where having only a Bible degree would keep me out. For awhile, I thought I might work in the Foreign Service, but then I realized that it wasn't really my heart. I did want to help people and bring humanitarian relief, but more importantly I wanted to minister to the biggest need that people have and that is knowing Jesus personally, and experiencing His great love and that missions was the avenue that God wanted to use me in!

So... last year in July, as I was leading a missions team of youth to Guatemala from my church, The Branch, I began feeling that change was on it's way. It's hard to describe exactly what the "feeling" felt like, but it was as if the Holy Spirit was preparing my heart for what was to come. I knew that some changes were about to take place in my life, and I knew that God was doing it all, and so I began to dig into the Word even more and just prayed that I would be led by His peace and that I would know what to do.

That trip was a great time of surrender. I think that word has become the theme of the past couple of years of my life. Surrender is a beautiful thing. It is also very difficult at times. Many times in order for us to walk in the fullness of all that God has for us, we have to let go of our own plans and ideas. Such was the case for me, I am a planner, I schedule everything and I like to know what is going to happen and when. Of course, I know that the plans that God has for me will be better than my own, but that doesn't mean that laying down my dreams gets easier, it's painful, it's frustrating, it's confusing, and it's absolutely BEAUTIFUL! When we decide to let go of everything we are holding onto for comfort, for fulfillment, and we give it all to God, He picks us up and totally amazes us!

When I was in Guatemala last summer, I began reading Psalm 37, this is a familiar passage, but I knew that God was speaking to me through it. The first part that spoke to me were verses 3&4 which say, "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires." WOW! I had read this verse so many times, but it was now jumping off the page. Suddenly, I was felt like I should write down my heart's desires. The funny thing is that when I started writing down the things that I really did want and desire more than anything, my self-made plans didn't really match up, I had ideas and plans and I thought it was what I wanted, but when I really sat down and thought about it, I had made those plans a long time ago, and since I am a planner, I just wanted to accomplish the goal. Hmmmm, not really the AMAZING dreams that I thought I was holding onto, huh?

So, I decided to surrender. I went over everything and told God that I laid every idea I had about what my life should be, how it should look, what I should do, where I should be, EVERYTHING at His feet! It was a tearful time, full of peace and joy! I knew that His ways are higher, but then after surrendering, I was able once again to experience His ways, and can I just say that they are SO GOOD! Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT) says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Well, I knew that verse, but honestly, I was trying to figure it out, because ummm.... I think I have a good imagination and I can think of some pretty awesome stuff, so beyond anything I could imagine, had to be pretty crazy, right?

Well, He did it, I surrendered, and He did far beyone anything I could imagine, and He did it in EVERY area of my life. I know that I have been led by Him every step of the way, the paths He has taken me down are very different than anything I would plan, and THANK THE LORD that they are, because they are SO AMAZING, I mean literally they are BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD IMAGINE, hmmm, exactly how the Word says it would be.

So, that's that, and now I am going to move to Guatemala, and the joy that comes from obedience is wonderful, I love it, and I am excited to see how it all unfolds. The Bible doesn't promise that it will be easy, but it promises that He is there every step of the way, and that our lives will be full of peace, joy, hope, love and everything else that we need! YAY FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS AND GRACE!! He is soooooooo good!