It has been a little over a month since my last blog post. I have been overwhelmed with the faithfulness of our Amazing Father. With the return from my second trip to Nicaragua, I couldn't feel more filled and blessed to be a part of God's story. As if life couldn't seem to be more filled with excitement, love, and joy, while I was in country in Nicaragua in March, God seemed to be whispering in my ear that I might be needed for an extended period of time to work and help with the sponsorship program in the schools that NRN is involved with. I couldn't have been more excited to experience not only ONE WEEK in Nicaragua with my amazing friends and family there, but to spend SIX WEEKS at a time seemed like exactly what God had in mind and exactly what I wanted to do with my time this summer.Of course, I needed to write up a proposal, stating what I would be devoting my time towards in Nicaragua for the 6 weeks; how I would join my church's team for the first week, help in the schools and with the sponsorship program for 4 weeks, and help led a team out of Terre Haute with my amazing team member and Nica Family member, Kathy. Upon my return, I quickly put together my proposal, sent it to the NRN President, Vice President, and Lead Missionaries Ginny and Cecil Campbell. Quickly, I remember just a few short weeks ago how wonderful it would be to spend and invest 6 weeks into the people, children, and the 4 schools in Nicaragua. I imagined how much I could help and what I could make possible by spending the 6 weeks there. Despite knowing that a trip like mine and investing 6 weeks into a place that I call home would be pleasing and right to God, for some reason I still felt like I wasn't getting the confirmation from God that I needed for this amazing trip.
I grew anxious, praying and asking God to help me to feel 100% sure that Nicaragua was where He wanted me to be this summer. I didn't want to act out in any selfish manner, knowing that Nicaragua, my children , and my dear friends and family who lived there would be something I would never turn down if presented an opportunity to be there with them. Nicaragua is home, and if you only had one time a year to visit, wouldn't you jump to any opportunity to go back? I certainly did as soon as I landed back in the States. Yet, God wasn't giving me immediate feedback. It was almost as if I wanted God to write on a billboard, "Meg, Nicaragua is where I want you this summer." I continued to not get my sign though.Growing frustrated, I tried to stay still, knowing that the board wouldn't review my request until a few weeks later in April. I thought, "Well Meg, if you get approved and a whole board of people are praying over your stay there, then that is enough confirmation for you to go for six weeks."
The week of the board meeting came around, but the weekend before I was blessed with the opportunity to go the Great Banquet retreat in Frankfort, Indiana. The three day retreat was exactly what I needed at the exact time I needed it. I was able to go and spend 3 days away from technology, away from clocks, and just focus in on God and talking to him. I met so many amazing Sisters in Christ, experienced God's fullness and abundant Love for me in ways that I never thought possible. Going into the weekend I thought for sure God would give me answers about Nicaragua there, and then the following Monday I would surely hear from one of the board members about my proposal.
Well turns out, God didn't give me much of any answer at the retreat, and Monday came around, the day of the board meeting, and I never heard anything.
Talk about upsetting. I thought to myself, "Well, maybe the meeting ran late, and I will hear something tomorrow." As if waiting couldn't make the week any harder, the week also marked my last few days of coaching gymnastics. Most of you know I was a gymnast in college, and for the last 20 years of my life, gymnastics has been #1 above EVERYTHING. My girls that I coach have truly saved my life. I'm not sure if any of them realize just how big of a blessing they are to me. Over the last three years, I have had the privilege and honor of not only helping them be better gymnasts, but in using my story and my life to help them to see themselves how God sees them. Each and every one of my girls over the last three years has grown so much in their walk with God. What an honor and blessing it was to see them grow and mature. I love the girls like they are my own, but God and I came to terms and a conclusion that it was time to let my babies go. I had planted the seeds in their hearts, and I had to trust that God would protect them and send them exactly where they were meant to be. I was an emotional wreck that week to say the least.Tuesday rolled around, no answer about Nicaragua and Wednesday rolled around and still, NOTHING. I was growing angry, tired of waiting on God. How dare I say I was growing tired of waiting when I really had only been waiting a couple of weeks? Can I say that PATIENCE is not my strong suit? :) As Thursday came around, the day marked my last official practice coaching the girls. Before I walked into the gym, I had a melt down on the phone with my mother. My mother will always be someone I can cry and vent to. I appreciate and love her dearly for the countless hours she has listened to me and offered me loving advice. I proceeded to pour out my emotions and frustrations about where God wanted me to be, why He hadn't given me an answer, what I was going to do without gymnastics, basically the whole nine yards. Of course, my mother calmly told me God would give me the right answer when it was time and that I needed to be patient. It wasn't exactly soothing or what I wanted to hear, but I had five minutes till the start of practice and I needed to hang up the phone.
I thought to myself I could check my email quickly before practice. As I opened up my gmail account, an email from Doug Ehrgott stuck out like a sore thumb. Doug was my Africa team trip leader in October, who works for Horizon International full time as a Global Team Builder. Doug and his wife Sandy have taken over 100 teams and trips to Africa. As I opened the email I couldn't believe what I was reading. The email explained that Doug had just returned from Africa the night before and God laid it on his heart to ask me to spend 8 weeks in Africa serving the AIDS orphans with him in a few different countries. I couldn't believe it. The answer to my prayers was delivered in email form from Doug. Everything finally was coming together, and I simply responded and said that I was all in.
Now with the email coming in the middle of April, I wasn't sure about any logistics or costs about this incredible journey. I knew that God had to line up many things to even make it possible for me to go. Doug later told me the dates, the costs, and what I would be doing exactly, and to be quite honest I was excited, nervous, and fearful all at the same time. Doug was so sure about everything though, telling me to not worry about the high cost of the trip, that God would provide and the right people would support me and want to be a part of the journey along side of me.The last three trips God has blessed me with an incredible job to be able to fund all entire trips by my salary alone. With budgeting and the amazing blessing from my boss, I was able to make all three trips possible without asking support from anybody else. With my departure date only 8 weeks away, I had no idea how I could possibly come up with roughly $10,000, factoring in two months of rent to prepay before I left and all the trip expenses. Asking for financial support has also been something that somewhat turns my stomach. People are weird about money, including myself at times. God is really growing me in my faith, for I am having to rely on Him in ways I never have before.
With the close of just a little under 2 weeks of raising support, I have raised close to $2000. God has used my sharing of this journey to not only bless me, but to bless others. I have been handed 500$ cash by a man I barely even know, and I have been blown away by everybody's giving and willingness to help. God has shown me that by asking people to be a part of the journey I am blessing them and I am showing them who God is and what He wants us to be.
I am amazed at God's faithfulness and how He is writing this journey of mine. If you are a person that knows me very well, you can see that NONE of my life is anything that I would have written for myself. BUT it is SO MUCH BETTER. I couldn't have even imagined any of my life amounting to half of what it has been to date, and I have God to thank. He picked me up, opened my eyes, and has allowed me to see through His eyes a broken world, plagued by orphans all over the world. I have come to realize and know that we are all ADOPTED. The children of Nicaragua and of Africa, along with my dear friends and family in both countries have added so much purpose and meaning in my life that I never know could exist.
My life has been restored and I have finally answered His knocking and calling He has had in place for me all along. The world wants something different of me, but I am standing firm and trusting that God will provide everything I need to do His work in Africa for 8 incredible weeks this summer. Friends, if you are reading this and have given financially, I thank God for your faithfulness and willingness to come along side of me. Without you, I would not be going. It seems that I have a long way to go, numbers wise, but for God, this is a very small task and HE WILL SEE IT THROUGH. If you haven't given, I ask you to pray that God directs you in the right way and ask what He would want you to do.
I love you guys so much. blessings to you and yours on this beautiful day God has given us.
Meg
No comments:
Post a Comment