Thanks for all your prayers as this semester came to a close. So I know I've not been a responsible writer lately, and a lot of that has to do with the end of school. I finally am done with schoolwork forever, until I decide to go to grad school...if I decide to go to grad school at all.
So basically, the last couple of weeks have been filled with catching up on school work that I needed to do, waiting for my final official letter (which came on Friday!!!) and finishing school in order to graduate on FRIDAY!!
In short, I got a job, I finished school, and I'm graduating from College...all in one week. God has been so Good.
Oh yeah...and I got my first choice, so I'm officially moving to Romania in October. I can't wait to go to a new place I've never been and experience things I've never experienced.
Thanks for your prayers through out this whole process...I will continue to update you about what goes on.
And I'll post pictures of grad at some point. Get ready to see lots of people I love!!
Here is what I saw a couple of weeks ago in front of the Potter's House on my way to church. I was very saddened by this sight, and since there was lots of traffic yes, I pulled out my camera and took pictures.
What saddens me the most about these is that there is a child holding a sign that says "God hates you." I wonder what kind of person he will grow up to be.
I did some research and found out that this was a group from "Westboro Baptist Church" in Topeka, Kansas. These people have gotten a lot of press in the last couple of years because of their beliefs and behavior. Their website has their picketing schedule and reasons for choosing certain places to picket, including taking Scripture out of context....WAY out of context.
They picket churches, soldiers' funerals, and other things that they do not support. They preach hate.
They are not affiliated with any Baptist convention.
I pray that the Lord will convict their hearts and that they would find hope in Christ's love for all because of this promise that we have in Scripture:
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" Galatians 3:26-29
Please pray for them with me.
Dear Blog,
I'm sorry for my absence. I have neglected you. To be honest, I have not forgotten about you, I just have lacked inspiration...and still do. I'm sure that once I'm done with the 15 page paper I'm supposed to write and have turned in by 5 tomorrow, I will visit you more often. Because then I will never have homework ever again. Until then, please stay put.
Sincerely,
Your Writer.
Bucharest, Romania it is! Since I began exploring possibilities for overseas service over a year ago, the Lord had Romania on my heart. All along, this is what has kept me in the process. At the beginning, though, when I started searching for assignments through the IMB in Romania, there were none fit for the "single female" status that is the most accurate description of me. So I placed it in the Lord's hands and decided that if Romania was not where He wanted me to explore, then I would consider other options.
Throughout the time, I have looked at possibilities in Rome, Hungary, and Sardinia. Most of these had been taken off the list of possibilities by the time I went to Conference last week. Sardinia, though was still a viable option. After speaking with someone who knew a little bit about the work that would take place on Sardinia, I was a little bit discouraged knowing that I would be alone with one other person on the island doing ministry for several months at a time. It seemed to me that maybe that was not the best option for me, either.
I came home and got online to the web site where I looked at job requests, and saw a request for Romania that had not been on there earlier that week when I had looked. It was like the Lord placed it there just in time for me to know that my options were limited, and that He still had Romania in His plans for me. This happened literally the week before Conference. So I went to Conference, spoke with several people, and in the end, put the Romania job request as my #1 choice for service.
They still have to go through my file two more times...one on the day of "job match" which is this coming Thursday, and one when the committee votes on hiring us for those jobs on May 6th, which is also the day the official letters are mailed out. So there still is that little piece of me that knows it's not official till it's over, but I trust the Lord knows what He's doing, and that He has not brought me through all of this for nothing.
So in about six months, I should be in a whole new place I've never been before, learning a whole new language I've never heard spoken before, but I'm extremely excited.
Praise God...conference went really well and the Lord totally came through. He is So Good and Faithful. To be fair, I won't blog about my decision until all the super important people in my life have been told in person or on the phone, but I will share eventually. You can continue to pray, though, for God to continue to work in this journey...the IMB still has to go through my file 2 times before they offer me the position. I have no doubts everything will work out, but only the Lord knows what He's doing. Thanks, friends!
So the time has FINALLY come. It's been a long time in the waiting. On Tuesday I fly to Virginia for my Candidate Conference.
Friends, this means so much to me. This week will determine at least the next two years of my life.
Please please please pray for me this week.
1. Pray that I would have clarity
2. Pray that my heart would be yielded to God's will and not mine
3. Pray for safety in travel
4. Pray that my flight won't be canceled (with all the cancellations having gone on this week...)
Thanks, friends. I will update you when I get back sometime next weekend!
