Opposition

I've noticed in my life (and in observing the lives of others) that when you take a step of obedience to God, opposition begins coming from every side. That is what I am experiencing right now. I know that our battle is not against flesh and blood, nor are our weapons of the flesh, but they are spiritual and they are powerful.

I needed to remind myself of that today...perhaps you needed that reminder too...

Moving On...

(this is the e-mail I sent out to my prayer partners, friends and family)

Several folks have asked me how it went last week at the IMB missionary candidate conference in Richmond. Here are the highlights:

• Tuesday night, we were encouraged to examine all the pieces of the puzzle and see if they all fit together. The pieces were:
  Call-can you pinpoint a time when you felt the Lord specifically calling you to the mission field? Has that call been confirmed in any way? I knew the call was in place because I felt the Lord calling me to full-time service back in middle school, then it was confirmed on several occasions throughout college and afterwards. Last March, when I went to Guatemala, was when I felt God saying "it's time." That's when I applied to the IMB.
  Timing-is there anything in your life right now that would prevent you from going into the field or cause you to come back before finishing your commitment? Now is the time I'm financially free, single and ready to go, so that piece was in place.
  Job Match-is the job you selected appropriate for your skills, personality and desires? Are the location and culture things that you could adapt to, so that you could be most effective for God? After speaking to the second consultant, this was the one piece I was concerned about. Friday, I met with the regional director for South America. My concern was that the job was not appropriate for a single female, but he assured me that not only was the job one I was capable of doing, but that they already had a single female in the same town, working with a different group of people in a similar job. He said we could even be roommates if we wanted. :)
  
• Wednesday, we had medical tests, photos, time to study about our country and people group in the library and a session about staying mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy on the field.
  
• Thursday, I had an interview with a second consultant and a couple of group sessions where we shared our testimonies and specific callings on our lives.
  
• Friday afternoon, after sessions about shipping stuff to the field and safety while on the field, I met with my original candidate consultant for a wrap-up session. He told me that the consultants had reviewed my file and they had talked with the South America director and they were unanimous about the decision for me to move forward.
  
• Next Step: reference forms are going out now to all my references and the board will make a final decision on January 28 or 29. According to my consultant, I should be approved by the board without a problem unless something shows up in the medical tests.
  

Thank to all who are praying me through this thing. I am so excited about the upcoming changes and if I weren't teaching this year, I'd be chomping at the bit to get there ASAP! But, God's timing is perfect and I'm glad I have a good 10 months left with all of you here in the U.S. :)

Redirection

Well, it's time to start researching Venezuela. Back in April, when I put in my original application, I would have never dreamed of Venezuela being my destination, but God had other plans. Here's how things went down:

March

• I met a missionary in Guatemala who told me of a need for a missionary to the wealthier class and university students. I thought...cool! That would be fun.
• I came home, found the job posted on the website and applied to the IMB.

April

• Had an interview/information session with my candidate consultant who encouraged me to start looking at jobs to potentially choose from.
• Went back online and the Guatemala job had disappeared! (I later found it had been reserved by someone else.)
• Read through some job descriptions in Venezuela, Mexico, Columbia, Dominican Republic and even Moldova.

May

• Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Life story, belief statements, medical history, personality profile, background check...you know, the usual. :)
• Kept looking at the options online and requested further information for jobs in Mexico, Venezuela and Peru.
• Went on a mission trip to Costa Rica, I started thinking...hey, I could see myself here...

July

• Wrote to missionaries in both Guatemala and Costa Rica. Didn't hear back from Guatemala, but Costa Rica said they were thinking of requesting someone for university ministry.
• Picked Peru and Venezuela as 2nd and 3rd choices...switched the order when I found out that my cousins' old roommates were serving in Venezuela.
• Second interview with candidate consultant. We talked about the fact that Costa Rica needed to hurry things up if I was going to make it to the September conference. (You're supposed to have a job reserved before you can be invited and you must be invited 30 days before the conference.)

August

• Got invited to the September conference anyway since I had a first and a second choice picked out.
• Waited and waited to hear from Costa Rica that the job was written and approved.
• Started meeting people from Venezuela randomly: Sunday school teacher and his parents, teacher friend, two students...
• Started wondering if God was trying to give me a sign...

September

• Wrote my candidate consultant to see if he'd heard from Costa Rica. Heard back...Costa Rica is a no go.
• Figured out that God was, indeed, directing me to Venezuela and now had removed my other option.

Guess what? The national sport of Venezuela is Baseball! Anyone who knows me, knows that makes me happy. :)