Training at Ridge Haven (in North
Carolina) was a blast, and our team arrived safely in this foreign land with
our only hold up being the slow-moving line in customs. The first week-long
team arrived a couple hours after us, so we’ve really been learning right
alongside them and are doing a pretty good job of it. I'm known as one of the
"good interns" since I will be working with Mike and Erin. Tomorrow
is the real test when we head out to the ministry sites.
“Semper Gumby” was a phrase I was
introduced to as an RA this past year and is very applicable to these coming
months. It is an encouragement to always be flexible. While I’m a good student,
there are a couple lessons I just don’t grasp and this is one of them. I love
my plans and order, but God tends to throw them out the window. Just like
Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart,but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” The good
but frustrating news is that apparently God’s not giving up on teaching me that
lesson.
I guess this lesson really picked up
in intensity last summer in Guatemala, continued as I learned more about
serving as an RA, and will extend for who knows how much longer. Over the
course of this year I’ve had several people talk to me about my love of control
and plans. Having those different voices saying the same thing definitely makes
it stand out, and now God is using another language to help reinforce the fact
that this is an important lesson that I can’t just skip or brush off. One of
the points that really struck a nerve during tonight’s sermon was giving God
your plans and being ok with the consequences. Not having control terrifies me,
but I shouldn't be afraid because "I know whom I have believed in and am
persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against
that day." God desires
to give His children the good things that we desire or thing better than what
we've imagined. I know that as I've grown closer to Him my dreams and the
desires of my heart have changed...so I guess I have been "flexible"
or at least molded without really being conscious of it.
What will I be doing this summer?
Serving however God needs me that moment. Tomorrow it’ll take the form of
learning how to run the pharmacy for the clinics we’ll have every week and
learning what it looks like in Armenia Bonito. Will that look like a pharmacy
or classroom in the US? Nope. Will I have all of the resources I “need” (by
American standards)? Nope, but God will provide exactly what is needed for me
to love whoever He places in my path. Am I getting the hang of this being
flexible? Sorta, and I know that God’s going to keep working with and throwing
more surprises my way. What the rest of my future holds…I’m not sure at the
moment, but I’ll let you know as God reveals it to me!
Prayer Requests:
- Praise the Lord for the bringing us here by providing the funds, flights, prayers and so much more
- Praise that training went well--I met some incredible people, learned a lot and am very encouraged as I head into the summer
- That God would be glorified in all we do
- That I'll learn well my responsibilities in the pharmacy
- For continued health, safety, and adjustment to each other and our new surroundings
- Please pray that the team and I would not become discouraged by the extreme poverty and hard situations we will be experiencing in the coming weeks
- Flexibility :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment