Tonight, I had the honor of watching God at work once again. This time, He came in the form of peace and inspiration. I've said before that I know that this calling to missions is a God thing. Why? Because I have peace. My life is often controlled by fear of change. Though I hate to admit it, nearly every unfamiliar situation shakes the walls in my life. Simply said: I HATE CHANGE! So then, how do I explain the overwhelming peace and excitement I have about leaving all that I know to spend a year in a village in a country far from my own? The only, and I mean ONLY explanation is God. He began working in my heart years ago, giving me a love for a world I had never been to and people I had never met. He slowly opened the doors of my heart to the idea of serving on missions, and when the time came for His call, He had fully prepared me to go. I am ready to go, ready to follow His calling in my life. I am in awe of the peace that has taken root in every aspect of this trip. I serve a remarkable God--not only do I have peace about the journey ahead of me, I have a passion and excitement for it.
Earlier this evening, I went to a dinner to raise support for The Forsaken Children. I heard the stories of the children whose lives are being changed day in and day out because of God's work through TFC. Nega, who is the hands and feet on the ground in Addis came and shared. He spoke about how this work has changed his life, as well as the lives of countless others. Nega has a passion for the street children of Ethiopia, I could see it in his eyes from the minute he began to speak. He lit up as he spoke about the children, and broke down as he told their stories of restoration. As if hearing Nega share his heart wasn't powerful enough, he concluded his talk with "as long as I live, I will serve the street children". That, my friends, is God at work in the life of an obedient servant.
I went into the evening ready to absorb anything that I could about this organization that God has brought into my life. I was ready to immerse myself in the reality that the children that Nega talked about would be faces I will meet, people I have the opportunity to serve, hearts God will allow me to love. Within a year, these children will not just be faces, they will be friends.
After hearing all that Nega shared about what is going on in Ethiopia, and all that Joe, the founder of TFC, had to say about the work in Africa, I am even more excited to go than ever before. I really did not think I could be more eager, and I was fully convinced that God could not equip me with a greater calm in going. And yet, He has proved His providence yet again.
Today I am praising God for paving the way for me, and thanking Him for inspirational people like Nega who live to serve.
