September 28, 2008

Preparation...


So, God was sending my on this mission abroad and I was preparing. Frist, we had a mission retreat where we locked ourselves into the Wesley Chapel with the intention of getting to know each other better and to spend time in prayer over our upcoming journey. I knew three of the grils very well, Nat, Brooks, and Pickle, and was looking forward to meeting everyone else. We spent the day and night talking about our strengths and where we thought God was going to use us most. I joined the "games" group. You all know me and that deep down I am a cut-up, so I wanted to use what humor God gave me to reach the youth. We had an activity at our retreat where we were assigned a responsibility in making individual pizzas for everyone on our team. Well, turns out we aren't very good at doing things individually...we had to work together...but we WANTED to. It was a great premonition of our teamwork while in scotland.
To leave the country these days, you have to have
a passport, well mine didn't come in until the week before we left-talking about stressed out, but the Lord provided. We left Atlanta with a delayed flight, I can't remember why we were delayed, but of all people that I was randomly assigned to sit next to, I sat between Brooks and Nat. Everyone else might have been next to one other mission member or even were by themselves, but not the 3.
We had wonderful salmon on the plane over and watched movies...I think everyone was too excited to sleep, or atleast I was. We landed Gatwick, London, England to switch flights for Glasgow. I was with Kathrine going through security when I was
informed that I was going to have to chug my water or throw my water bottle away. So, Katherine and I did. It was a funny story to remember. Some of the other team was looking for the bathroom and was informed that what they were really looking for was the toliet. In England you go to the bathroom to take a bath, not to use the toliet. We boarded our flight to Glasgow, and wow. I have never seen anything more beautiful. The view from the sky of the green farm lands and blue lakes of Scotland did not adequately prepare me for the Highlands that I was soon to see. I just stared out the window and the clouds and land mixed together and thought to myself that God's brush strokes had surely been preserved on this land. The photograph was taken right before we began our descent. Once we had landed, we were all anxious about meeting our missionary leader, Lance. He had once been an intern at Wesley in Athens, but had been called by the Lord to minister in Ireland. He later felt the Lord really pulling him to Scotland, so he and his family moved to Scotland where they had been for a few years. He picked us up and I hauled my very heavy pack and carryone to a luggage cart of which mine, brooks' and nat's bags too up the entire cart. We all gathered on the right side of the van to get into the back when we all realied there wasn't a door on the right side. It was as if a light bulb went of on top of all of our heads at the same time and we shifted to the left side of the van. The Scots drive on the wrong side of the road, you see. We left Glasgow and rode into Paisley, a smaller town that is know for its decadence. We were staying in Kingdom House, a missionary hotel owned by a Christian Family from Canada. We wanted to sleep so bad, but Lance knew better and kept us awake for the rest of the day. . .

September 25, 2008

And the Islands will see your light as it rises on us...


Through prayer and support I began my journey to Scotland... the trip was to be a mission trip, but I didn't realize so early on that it would become a mission in me to really understand the heart of a relational God. It might take several posts, but I want to share with you the journey that I have been on since early summer. It all began when the Lord decided he wanted me more than he would allow the world to have me. God began changing things in my life by offering me his comfort and his grace. One night at Wesley, my campus ministry that I attend at the University of Georgia, they began circulating pamphlets about upcoming mission trips. I thought, "no way, I'm not a missionary." But, months went by and one of my friends, Nat, committed to going to Scotland. I had been having a rough year at this point and wasn't really giving that to God, but I had it pressed on my heart that this was the year that the Lord was going to do something drastic in my life. I began praying over it and with the support of those near me, I really sought confirmation from the Lord. He responded pretty much immediately, really encouraging me to go forth in his name. Bob, my campus minister, spoke on taking a leap of faith for the Lord. When I heard Exodus 33:12-18, I knew that Jesus was preparing me for this leap of faith. "Moses said to the Lord, 'You have been telling me to lead these people, but you have not let me know who you will send with me...if you are pleased with me then show me your ways so I may know and continue to find favor with you...the lord said, 'MY presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' Moses said, "if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here..." and the Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked because I am pleased with you and i know you by name." Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory!" How amazing is this conversation between a man and God. Moses boldly spoke to the Lord to declare his glory and to use him in whatever way. Moses did have some concerns; he asked the Lord to go before him, but the Lord had already prepared the way. And so begins my journey to the Hebrides Islands...

Spreading our wings

This is my first official blog, and I am writing to myself. I thought it would be refreshing to watch growth over time and to share with all of you the adventures I have had and those I plan to have. If you are curious by nature and like to internet stalk anyway, then I am sure you might enjoy this, but there won't be anything too juicy going on here. Mostly, I have created this account to let those I love witness my time spent in Europe this summer. I want to share with them the blessing of working with the Scots youth, and the headaches of traveling on my own with a backpack strapped on my back as I trecked the multiple forms of transportation that exists throughout the major players in Europe. For those of you that I don't get the opportunity to speak to everyday, I want you to know that you are dearly loved. I miss you...this is for you. You don't have to read this, but I will be entering my journal from my trip so that you may know where your prayer and finanical support went to.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...