The Countdown Begins...

I'm fast-forwarding in time now from the previous post to February 1, 2011. It's been about 4 weeks since I contacted Laymen's Ministries, the ministry that I had applied to be a student missionary with. I have had a few short conversations and emails with the ministry during this time--enough to know that they are checking on my references and such--but no definite answer. God is teaching me patience. I'm beginning to wonder how much longer I will have to wait before I know whether or not I will be a Student Missionary next year.

And then, the phone call...

It was Tuesday afternoon and I had just finished my job at the SDA Elementary school where I work. As I started to pull out of the school parking lot to return to Southern, my phone rang. My heart skipped a beat...it was Laymen's Ministries.

"We've looked over your references," said the voice on the other end of the line, "and they all look really good! We are giving you the 'green light'. We're excited to have you working with us!" I'll have to admit, I don't remember much about the rest of that conversation. I don't remember much about the Microbiology lecture I sat through immediately following that phone call. My mind was in a whirl. A thousand thoughts, questions, and whatever else were all jumbled in my brain. The words I'm going...I'm really going, were really the only thing that actually made sense in my poor brain.

I don't know what it is, but there is something completely different about planning to go as a student missionary, and actually knowing you are going as a student missionary. I struggled to wrap my brain around that thought. Even now, I know it still hasn't totally sunk in that I'm going. All throughout that day and that days that followed, I went from being super excited about going one minute, to being scared to death about it the next. I don't think I've ever prayed so much in my life as I did in those first few days after that phone call.

Despite all this chaos of trying to grasp the idea that I was really going, I had such an inner peace about it. Even though my mind was telling me that I was absolutely crazy, in my heart I knew I was doing the right thing. I know it was that peace that kept me sane during those first few days while I was still processing the whole idea.

As I said before, I was praying alot those next few days. The prayer of my heart was, "Lord, I know that You have called me. You've opened so many doors and answered so many prayers already. I don't doubt that. But please give me just one more confirmation of Your will, so that I will have no reason to doubt." Little did I know what God had in store for me in the next few days. He is truly amazing!

So it was Tuesday afternoon when I received the confirmation that I was indeed going to the Philippines. Thursday morning I met with the professor at Southern that I have mentioned previously to give him the update.

For the next part of this story to make sense, I need to give you a little bit of background. This professor had been asked to go to Weimar College and teach and was initially supposed to move to Weimar over Christmas break and start teaching there in January. Well, some things fell through and it worked out that he would stay at Southern one more semester before transferring to Weimar. My friends and I were all very thankful that we had him at Southern for one more semester, because we were all going to miss his influence at Southern very much! So this was my understanding when I went and talked to him that day.

Back to the story now... We had a great conversation and he was very excited to see how God was working things out. When I went to talk to him, I was actually having one of those times where I was feeling really scared. God used him to encourage me because he told me that he strongly believed I was following God's will for my life and that He had seen God working on my heart. We prayed together, and I was about to leave when he said, "I have some news for you that you might like to know." I sat back down and he proceeded to tell me that he would be staying at Southern indefinitely!!! Not only that, he found out that he was staying at Southern on Wednesday--exactly a day after I found out I was going to the Philippines! I was speechless for a few moments and then tears started running down my face-tears of thankfulness and praise to God. Ever since I had gotten the phone call that I was going to the Philippines, I had been praying really hard that God would work out a particular situation. I had no idea that this would be how He would choose to answer it, but I couldn't have asked for a better answer! Now to some of you this may not seem like a big answer to prayer...but for me it was huge!! God really does know just the answer we need...even if we don't know it ourselves and don't ask for it! I left his office overflowing with thankfulness and praise to God, and knowing that He had given me a confirmation of His leading!

That Friday night the Lord decided to give me another confirmation--actually two of them! I normally attend a Bible study group on Friday evenings at a friend's home. We have been reading through the Testimonies and then discussing it after a paragraph or two. The topic for that evening? Mission work. Everything we read was about what being a true missionary meant and was full of challenges for me. Afterwards, I asked the guy in charge if that just happened to be the next chapter in the book. "No, it wasn't actually," he told me. "I was just reading it earlier this week and really felt impressed that we should study it tonight." I asked if he remembered what day that was. He said it was Wednesday morning--the day after I got the phone call. I was again amazed at how God works!!

One more confirmation awaited me at vespers that evening. God definitely chose the perfect week to give me my answer about whether or not He wanted me to go as a student missionary. The theme for Friday night's vespers was Student Missions. During the preliminaries, they had us break up in groups of 2 or 3 and pray for different regions of the world. I "happened" to be in the section to pray for Asia, which is where I'll be going. At the end of the message, they asked for those who were already planning to go out next year to go forward. So I went. Standing up there, and realizing I was with my SM group was a really weird feeling, but it was exciting at the same time!

Another thing that happened in that week was that I found out about 5 or 6 of my friends who would be in my nursing class when I return from the Philippines. I love how God cares about the little things. He knew how much it would mean to me to know people in my class, and He answered that prayer too!!

Having so many things happen in one week was almost overwhelming... It seemed like God was dissolving all of my excuses for not going all at once. My heart overflowed with praise to God and I was sooooo excited to find out what God had in store for me!!! It was definitely an amazing week/weekend and one that really strengthened my faith in God and in the power of prayer.

- - - - -

So here I am... It's March 4th. My tentative departure date is about 70 days away. I am not without apprehension. There are still times that I am scared and wonder what in the world I think I am doing. But I am learning to trust God more and more every day. He has continued to work through different circumstances that have given me no doubt that He is leading. I am very excited to discover why God is calling me to go this year. I know He has a purpose and that He is going to use me in powerful ways if I am willing! He continues to amaze me every single day.

Yes, I am going to miss my family immensely. Yes, I am going to miss my friends here in the States. Yes, I am going to miss graduating with the rest of my nursing class. Yes, I am going to miss many other things. Yes, I will face trials and many challenges. Yet I know that the experience I will have over the next year will be one that I won't want to trade for anything in the world!!

I am a willing servant...ready to be used by God in whatever capacity He chooses to use me. I will try to continue posting updates of how God is working. I solicit your prayers as I continue on this journey that God has set me on! Thank you so much for your prayers and support! :)