Learning to Embrace the Unknown

Dear Reader,

As I sit down to write the first of many blogs to come, I am so excited that I get to share all about this amazing opportunity that God has given me, but it will be tricky at first because I still don't have all the details worked out, so please bare with me and check back for updates often!
If you are a friend or family member, I want you to know how much I value your constant support and encouragement in my life. I have always been surrounded by people who push me to be the best version of myself and to do it with passion. Now, is no exception. I pray and thank you for continuing that, as I go through this next year or two of my life.
If we have never met and I don't know who you are, but you find yourself reading this random blurb, I want you to also know how much I value and appreciate you. Yes, you...forget that we're strangers for a moment. Whatever it may be that led you to this blog, I am thankful for that and I pray that what you read will inform, encourage and inspire you somehow.

So, let me get right to the crazy...God has blessed me with the opportunity to teach and do ministry work abroad. I've dreamed of something like this my entire life so when I found out, it was hard not to jump right in and agree to it! But things got a little more crazy when I learned that I would need to commit to a minimum of one year. But even then, that wasn't enough to stop me from wanting in! By now, you may be asking a bunch of questions but if you're anything like I was, your number one question at the moment might be, "where?" Well...the answer is, I don't know. After a lot of thought and prayer, I realized that answer doesn't even matter. The real questions I had to ask myself were,
1. Is God calling me to this opportunity?
2. Is this just a good idea or a God idea?
3. Will it glorify Him and serve a kingdom purpose?

Once those questions were all answered with a yes, I committed to a year abroad in the currently unknown. Go ahead, call me crazy! But by saying "yes" when God is asking me to follow, I feel as if I've already learned more in that one decision than I have in the past year of small decisions. It's definitely an awkward feeling, especially when I'm the type that likes to be informed and have answers. But I'm learning to embrace the unknown and actually loving it!

Here is what I do know...
In August I will be flying to Midland, Texas where I will meet and spend a week, with the amazing family who's hand picked me for this opportunity! I'll be homeschooling eight of the Harper family's nine kids (2 of which have special needs) when they make the transition from life in America to ministry life abroad. When the kids aren't in school, I'll be working alongside the family as we partner with several different ministries who each do incredible work in their communities.
Immediately following the week in Texas, Wendy, Sid, their two oldest girls and myself will be flying to Chennai, India for one week. There, we will explore these ministries and the work they are doing in hopes of determining if this will be our set location for the future.

To give you an idea of what a year working in India would look like for me, let me share a little about the ministries we will be involved with. In Touch Mission International http://www.intouchmission.org/ is a ministry based in Chennai that empowers national Christians to reach their communities for Christ. Paul and Molly, pastor a body of believers through Harvest Bible Chapel Chennai http://www.intouchmission.org/projects/india-projects/paul-and-molly-last-name-undisclosed/, as well as minister to and reach their community through various programs (ex. slum ministry, sports ministry, widows/orphans ministry, children's prison ministry as well as Ashraya Daughters- a home for girls that have been rescued from female infanticide).

Our purpose would be to establish a special needs children's home where we give respite and training to parents with special needs children who are struggling to raise their child. As well as helping to place special needs orphans in Christian Indian homes and/or forever international families, and accepting female newborns who would otherwise be killed simply because they are girls. There is also a plan to start a program to help employ special needs adults to provide jobs to get them off the streets where they are begging and abused. This ministry also just purchased more land next to the current girls home and will eventually begin building a school.

There may also be an opportunity for us to take the overnight train to visit a ministry called Sarah's Covenant Homes. This organization has provided medical care, education, physiotherapy, nutrition and lots of love to over a hundred children who were abandoned by their families and brought to SCH by the government. Most of the children arrive at SCH extremely weak and in desperate need of medical/surgical care. Sarah's Covenant Homes has a big vision for their ministry and seek to continue providing abandoned and ill children with a future and a hope.

Now, let me tell you the craziest part...India has NEVER been on my bucket list. I have never had any desire to go there, in fact, I've spent the last few years of my life doing mission trips to various places and eager to go "anywhere God wants to send me"...except India! I've even laughed about it with a few friends over the years and they always say I should be careful because one day that's where He'll call me. Well, they were right! But God has been and is continuing to transform my heart and although MY desire is located somewhere else on the planet, God's desire is that I live for Him with passion for His people. That part, I will use my last breath trying to do, regardless of where He asks me to do it...even in India. And when I see and hear about all that these ministries are doing in and around Chennai, there's no way my heart can turn away and deny them. So I said yes, I made the commitment even if it takes me somewhere I never envisioned myself being.

There is also the possibility that we may end up working in Uganda, Africa for that year (as soon as I know more about the specific ministries we would potentially be partnering with, I will update you here). After my trip to Uganda last December, Africa is where I needed to be. Africa is where I left my heart. Hundreds of tiny, precious hands are still holding onto my heart to this day and my flesh wants nothing more than to get back there. I missed Africa before I ever left it. But I will be prepared to serve Him in either place because His plans for my life are far greater than I could ever imagine for myself and I know that I will step on African soil again some day.

So for now, I'm learning to embrace the uncertainty and preparing for the unknown. I'm learning to allow my heart to be transformed for a greater purpose and praying that my time and talents will be used for His glory no matter where it may be. I'm tired of being comfortable and complacent and at almost twenty-six years old, I'm realizing why my life is the way it is. No husband, no kids, no career...society spews so many opinions at people like me and some days the weight feels overwhelming. Like my social and physical time clocks are ticking away at an alarming rate and all will be lost if I don't do something to stop it. And then I remember the truth. I was created in Christ's image for such a time as this. To brave the unknown, boldly speak and fiercely love. I wasn't meant for a business man, a white picket fence and toddlers running around with their new puppy (no offense to those with this beautiful picture!). I am called to the corners of the earth, to seek the lost and hurting and to love the unloved. I've often been told that I'm "super sensitive", "extremely emotional" and even that I "feel too much". Those words used to hurt (ha! go figure!) until I realized those aren't bad things. It's true, I feel so deeply that every word, every action and every emotion goes straight to my heart. Because I was made to help carry the burdens of others. To love when it hurts, when its uncomfortable and when it's abnormal. I can't think of any other way to do that then stepping out of my comfort zone and breaking society's rules for my life by committing to a year of loving people through my unknowns.

Now that I have said yes, what will it take for me to get there?

1. The one week visit to India will be approximately $2,000
     -$1,600 for the airfare due by August 28th [Right now this is the MOST IMPORTANT part]
       -$400 for miscellaneous expenses (ex. vaccinations, medications, check up, passport fees, travel supplies etc.)

2. The year long journey abroad will be approximately $3,000 but I won't know the cost of airfare until closer to the end of the year. I plan on selling my car to fund a large portion of that cost.

3. I will also be making and selling different things to bring in extra funds and asking for help and/or various donations throughout the next few months.

I will be making a fundraising page with GoFundMe.com for those of you who would like to support my journey financially. I'm currently experiencing some technical difficulties with the setup though so in the mean time if you would like to donate you can also do so via PayPal with the address: a.traveler.88@gmail.com. But most importantly I'm asking for your continued prayer and encouragement!

If you have questions or would like more information on any part of my journey, please contact me. I look forward to sharing more of the exciting news, as soon as I learn more!